40 A leper came to him, begging him, kneeling down to him, and saying to him, "If you want to, you can make me clean."
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
And there came a leper - See the notes at Matthew 8:1-4.
Kneeling down to him - He kneeled and inclined his face to the ground, in token of deep humiliation and earnest entreaty. Compare Luke 5:12.
If thou wilt - This was an acknowledgment of the almighty power of Jesus, and an appeal to his benevolence.
Make me clean - You (Jesus) can heal me of this loathsome and offensive disease, in the eye of the law justly regarded as "unclean," and render me "legally" clean, and restore me to the privileges of the congregation.
And Jesustouched him - It was by the law considered as unclean to touch a leprous man. See Numbers 5:2. The fact that Jesus touched him was evidence that the requisite power had been already put forth to heal him; that Jesus regarded him as already clean.
I will - Here was a most manifest proof of his divine power. None but God can work a miracle; yet Jesus does it by his "own will" - by an exertion of his own power. Therefore, Jesus is divine.
See thou say nothing to any man - The law of Moses required that a man who was healed of the leprosy should be pronounced clean by the priest before he could be admitted again to the privileges of the congregation, Leviticus. 14. Christ, though he had cleansed him, yet required him to be obedient to the law of the land - to go at once to the priest, and not to make delay by stopping to converse about his being healed. It was also possible that, if he did not go at once, evil-minded men would go before him and prejudice the priest, and prevent his declaring the healing to be thorough because it was done by Jesus. It was of further importance that "the priest" should pronounce it to be a genuine cure, that there might be no cavils among the Jews against its being a real miracle.
Offer for thy cleansing those things - Two birds, and cedar-wood, and scarlet, and hyssop; and after eight days, two he-lambs, without blemish, and one ewe-lamb, and fine flour, and oil, Leviticus 14:4, Leviticus 14:10.
For a testimony unto them - Not to the priest, but to the people, that they may have evidence that it is a real cure. The testimony of the priest on the subject would be decisive.
There came a leper - See the notes on Matthew 8:2, etc.
Should any be inclined to preach on this cleansing of the leper, Mark is the best evangelist to take the account from, because he is more circumstantial than either Matthew or Luke.
I. Consider this leper.
1. He heard of Jesus and his miracles.
2. He came to him for a cure, conscious of his disease.
3. He earnestly besought him to grant the mercy he needed.
4. He fell down on his knees, (with his face to the earth, Luke 5:12), thus showing his humbled state, and the distress of his soul.
5. He appealed to his love - if thou wilt; with a full conviction of his ability - thou canst; in order to get healed.
II. Consider Jesus.
1. He is moved with tender compassion towards him: this is the alone source of all human salvation.
2. He stretches forth his hand, showing thus his readiness to relieve him.
3. He touches him; though this was prohibited by the law, and rendered him who did it in any common case legally unclean.
4. He proves at once his infinite love and unlimited power, by his word and by his act; I will - be thou cleansed; and immediately his leprosy was removed. But see on Matthew 8:2 (note).
(12) And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
(12) By healing the leprous he shows that he came for this reason: to wipe out the sins of the world with his touch.
And there came a leper to him,.... After he was come down from a certain mountain, in Galilee, where he had been preaching to the people, Matthew 8:1, and when be was in a certain city, Luke 5:12, either Capernaum, or some other city of Galilee. This man was full of leprosy, as Luke says, and very probably deemed incurable; of the nature and symptoms of the leprosy; see Gill on Luke 5:12,
beseeching him; to cure him of his leprosy:
and kneeling down to him; in token of submission, respect, and reverence, and to worship him:
and saying unto him, if thou wilt thou canst make me clean; See Gill on Matthew 8:2. Mark omits the word "Lord".
We have here Christ's cleansing of a leper. It teaches us to apply to the Saviour with great humility, and with full submission to his will, saying, "Lord, if thou wilt," without any doubt of Christ's readiness to help the distressed. See also what to expect from Christ; that according to our faith it shall be to us. The poor leper said, If thou wilt. Christ readily wills favours to those who readily refer themselves to his will. Christ would have nothing done that looked like seeking praise of the people. But no reasons now exist why we should hesitate to spread the praises of Christ.
There came a leper. See notes on Matthew 8:2-4. Compare also Luke 5:12-15. This miracle occurred after the Sermon on the Mount. Leprosy, that terrible scourge of the East, is unknown in our times, or even in the United States.
*More commentary available at chapter level.