Matthew 8:2

Wednesday, 26 February 2025

 

And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Matthew 8:2

 

“And behold! A leper having come, he worshipped Him, saying, ‘Lord, if you desire, you can cleanse me.’” (CG).

 

In the previous verse, Jesus came down from the mountain with great multitudes following him. Now, it says, “And behold! A leper.”

 

It is a new word, lepros, a leper. It is derived from the same root as lepra, leprosy. That root is lepis, a scale, such as that seen in Acts 9:18. In turn, that comes from lepó, to peel. From this, one can see that the affliction is a scaly, peeling disease.

 

A person with such an affliction was unclean according to the law. The requirements for such diseases are meticulously recorded in Leviticus 13. Of anyone with such an affliction, the law said –

 

“Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his mustache, and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46 He shall be unclean. All the days he has the sore he shall be unclean. He is unclean, and he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.” Leviticus 13:45, 46

 

Such a person, therefore, would be an outcast. There was to be no physical contact with him due to his state of uncleanness. However, this person, hearing about Jesus – probably from the crowds talking and considering Him the Messiah – believed he could be healed by Him. Therefore, it next says, “having come, he worshipped Him.”

 

The word proskuneó is the same as that used when the Magi came to worship the Child in Matthew 2 and when the Traducer asked for worship in Matthew 4. It is variously translated as worship, bowed down, prostrated, etc.

 

Such a gesture does not mean the man thought Jesus was God. It would be the same as coming before a high-ranking Roman authority, a king, etc. Each instance demands its own interpretation and the viewpoints on such things will vary based on the context, presuppositions, etc.

 

In some instances later, it is obvious that Jesus is being worshipped with the same reverence as God. In this one, however, that fact was yet unknown to the people. But if He was thought to be the Messiah, He would be God’s promised representative.

 

If one were to understand the implication of the prophetic words, they would be able to deduce that this coming One was the God/Man, but there is no indication the people understood this –

 

“‘Behold Me – Sending My messenger,
And turned way to My faces
And instantly comes unto His temple,
The Lord, whom you seek,
And Messenger the covenant,
Whom you – delighted.
Behold! Coming!’
Said Yehovah Sabaoth.” Malachi 3:1 (CG)

 

Regardless of the act, bowing for honor or worshiping as the Lord, the leper was “saying, ‘Lord, if you desire, you can cleanse me.’”

 

The word translated as “Lord,” likewise has a variety of meanings based on the context. It can mean a superior of any kind or even a person who is greatly respected. It can also be applied to the Lord God. Again, regardless of what this person thought about Jesus’ nature, he was convinced that He could perform this cleansing.

 

The word is katharizó, to cleanse or purify. The man was unclean according to the law. His concern was to be cleansed. The cleansing, however, implies healing. One cannot be clean under the law unless he is healed of this type of affliction. The main concern here, however, is cleansing.

 

Depending on one’s state, he could be healed and yet still unclean for some other reason. What this person wants is to be fully cleansed. Thus, he would be healed and also acceptable to return to enjoy living among the people in that state.

 

This is the first direct account of the healing of an individual by Jesus. In Matthew 4, it did say –

 

“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. 24 Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.” Matthew 4:23, 24

 

This person had probably heard of the healings previously conducted along with the words of the crowd as He passed through this city. In hearing these things, he had the faith to know he too could be cleansed by Jesus.

 

Life application: The healings recorded in the gospels and Acts are there for the reason of proving Jesus is the Messiah. They are recorded at times as an indication of individual faith by those who were healed. They were recorded at times to demonstrate a lack of faith by those who should have possessed it, such as in Matthew 17:14-21.

 

The purpose of these events has been met. Israel was given sufficient evidence that Jesus was the Messiah. Likewise, the authority of Jesus among the apostles and the early church stood as a witness to Israel that God’s favor had moved from Israel to the church.

 

Because those purposes have been met, there is no longer a need for miracle healing. Making claims on healing, as is so common in the church, demonstrates a misunderstanding of the purpose of Scripture and it demonstrates an arrogance in the one claiming such healing because the Bible does not align with the claims.

 

At times, for example, Paul was able to simply heal at a command. However, he prayed for the healing of others many times. Sometimes, Paul was unable to heal others, and the person’s affliction remained. This was true of Trophimus (2 Timothy 4:20) and Timothy (1 Timothy 5:23), among others.

 

The Bible does not provide the authority for the church today to claim healing. We are to pray for healing and allow the Lord to determine if it will happen or not. Anything beyond that is presumptuous and inappropriate.

 

Lord God, we are to live by faith. May our prayers for the healing of others be faithfully presented to You. May we never arrogantly demand from You, remembering that we may have afflictions that suit Your purposes. Lord, with the strength to praise You, even in times of affliction, may we be content. Amen.