January 28, 2025
Healing - Part 2
Matthew 8:2-4
01/28/2025
2 And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before
him, saying, ``Lord, if you will, you can make me
clean.''
3 And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him,
saying, ``I will; be clean.'' And immediately his
leprosy was cleansed.
4 And Jesus said to him, ``See that you say nothing
to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and
offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof
to them.'' (ESV)
And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him,
saying, ``Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.''
And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him,
saying, ``I will; be clean.'' And immediately his
leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, ``See
that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself
to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded,
for a proof to them.''
Jesus had healed a leper, proving that He has the restoring
power like our heavenly Father. Why, then, did Jesus give a two-
part instruction to the man He cured of this loathsome skin
disease?
This healing miracle took place early in Jesus' ministry at
a time when large crowds or disruption by the religious
authorities would make difficult the teaching of His disciples.
Later, Jesus could not even go into the wilderness without large
crowds demanding that He teach, that He cure the sick, that He
perform miracles such as feeding large crowds.
Jesus did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill the
Law. As such, the laws concerning contagious skin diseases were
as much to protect people as to serve as an example of our sin.
Thus Jesus had every reason to uphold the Levitical laws
concerning leprosy and other skin diseases. As Jesus fulfilled
the Law, He left the moral law in place to show us our need for a
Savior. You and I cannot cure ourselves from the leprosy of sin.
Only Jesus can cleanse us and declare us righteous in His sight.
As redeemed sinners, we also are directed to the Church where God
gives us His gifts of faith, forgiveness, and life everlasting.
May our Lord grant us the faith to return to Him in
thanksgiving, gathering at His invitation and at His altar.
Amen.