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“When he came down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. Behold, a leper came to him and worshipped him, saying, ‘Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.’ Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, ‘I want to. Be made clean.’ Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Jesus said to him, ‘See that you tell nobody; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.’”
(Matthew 8:1–4)
This passage confronts us with three central realities:
1. The heart of Jesus toward the unclean and the outcast
2. The authority of Jesus to cleanse and to heal
3. The proper human response: worship, faith, and obedience
The theme is very clear: the touch of Jesus brings cleansing. Spiritual, moral, and physical uncleanness are confronted and removed by one authoritative word and one deliberate touch.
In this brief narrative, God reveals:
We are not dealing with an isolated healing story. We are dealing with a pattern of how God works: through His Son, by His word, through His touch, in response to faith.
“Let us look at what the Word of God says.”
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### The Setting: After the Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 8:1 begins: “When he came down from the mountain…”
Jesus has just finished the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7), where He sets forth the righteousness of the Kingdom of Heaven. The people are astonished at His teaching, “for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes” (Matthew 7:29).
Immediately after this teaching on Kingdom righteousness, Jesus demonstrates Kingdom power.
The multitudes follow Him. But out of the multitude, one man steps forward—one man in desperate need, one man cut off from normal society.
### The Condition: A Leper
Under the Law of Moses, leprosy was not only a physical disease; it was a condition of uncleanness.
Leviticus 13–14 sets out detailed regulations:
Leprosy, therefore, is a vivid picture of sin:
This man lives under that continuous stigma. He is unclean by law, unfit to approach others, certainly unfit to approach a rabbi. Yet, he does something radical: he comes and bows before Jesus.
### The Boldness of His Approach
Matthew says: “Behold, a leper came to him and worshipped him” (Matthew 8:2).
From the viewpoint of the Law:
From the viewpoint of faith:
It is important to see that Matthew writes primarily to a Jewish audience. He expects his readers to understand the shock of this moment:
### The Command to Show Himself to the Priest
Jesus concludes: “Go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them” (Matthew 8:4).
Under the Old Covenant:
Jesus does not discard the Law. He fulfills it (Matthew 5:17).
He sends the healed man into the very system that had no cure for leprosy—only regulations—and presents him as a living testimony:
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Let us examine two key expressions that open the heart of this passage.
### 1. “Worshipped Him” – προσκυνέω (proskuneō)
Matthew 8:2: “Behold, a leper came to him and worshipped him…”
The Greek word: προσκυνέω (proskuneō)
Literal meaning:
It is more than respect. It is an act of submission and adoration. The leper does not approach Jesus merely as healer, miracle-worker, or teacher. His posture and his word “Lord” (κύριε, kyrie) express a recognition of authority that belongs to God.
Application to the lyrics of this scene:
### 2. “I Want To” – θέλω (thelō)
Jesus’ reply: “I want to. Be made clean.” (Matthew 8:3)
The Greek word: θέλω (thelō)
Meaning:
This is not a reluctant concession. It is a positive statement of Christ’s will.
He is not merely able; He is willing.
This response corrects the leper’s uncertainty:
Thelō reveals:
Many believers today are in the same inner condition as this leper. They say:
But hidden inside is the doubt: “Will you do it for me?”
To that question, the answer of Jesus remains: “I will. Be clean.”
---
We will walk through the narrative step by step and connect it with wider biblical truth.
### A. “When He Came Down from the Mountain” – The Word Made Flesh in Action
Jesus has just given the Sermon on the Mount:
Now, immediately, we meet a man who is the exact opposite of “perfect.”
He is deformed, excluded, visibly blemished.
This juxtaposition shows:
John 1:17 says:
> “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
On the mountain Jesus speaks as the Lawgiver.
Coming down from the mountain, He moves in grace and truth:
### B. “A Leper Came and Worshipped Him” – The Movement of Faith
The leper breaks through:
He draws near to Christ. This is always faith’s movement. Hebrews 11:6 says:
> “He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”
Notice the order:
1. He comes.
2. He worships.
3. He speaks.
His words are very specific: “Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.”
Here is a key difference:
He believes in the power of Jesus. His only question is the will of Jesus.
Many today accept a theoretical omnipotence in God, but doubt His personal willingness. In this encounter, God settles the issue forever in the person of His Son.
### C. “Jesus Stretched Out His Hand and Touched Him” – The Scandal of the Touch
Under the Law:
But in Christ:
This is the heart of the gospel:
> “God made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
In the Old Covenant, uncleanness is contagious.
In the New Covenant, holiness in Christ is “contagious” in a higher dimension.
The touch of Jesus:
There is something very personal here:
Many who suffer under guilt, shame, and defilement feel untouchable—socially, emotionally, spiritually. The leper shows us:
### D. “I Want To. Be Made Clean” – The Will and the Word of Christ
The leper says: “If you want to… you can…”
Jesus answers both:
1. “I want to” – His will is favorable.
2. “Be made clean” – His word is commanding.
Here we see:
Psalm 107:20 says:
> “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”
The word of Christ is:
The result: “Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”
No process. No partial improvement. No delay.
The same Jesus, risen and exalted, is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). His authority over impurity—spiritual, moral, or physical—has not diminished.
### E. Leprosy as a Picture of Sin and Bondage
Throughout Scripture, sickness—especially leprosy—often functions as a picture of sin and its effects.
Isaiah 1:5–6 describes Israel’s spiritual state:
> “The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it, but wounds, bruises, and putrefying sores…”
Sin:
Thus, this miracle speaks beyond physical healing. It proclaims:
1 John 1:7 says:
> “The blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
The same will of Christ that says, “Be clean,” is expressed ultimately at the cross:
### F. “Go, Show Yourself to the Priest… as a Testimony to Them” – Fulfillment, Not Abolition
Jesus affirms the Law:
Three important aspects:
1. Public Validation
The healing is not to stay private and hidden. The priest must examine and verify (Leviticus 14). Healing is not disconnected from order and accountability.
2. Testimony to the Priests
The religious system knew the regulations for leprosy but had no remedy. Now they confront a man whose condition has changed beyond any ceremonial act. His very presence says:
3. Obedience After Miracle
The man is healed instantly. But his obedience is still required.
Many want the touch of Christ without the ongoing life of obedience.
But Jesus teaches:
> “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
The one who has been cleansed must now walk in the fear of the Lord, in submission to His Word, and in alignment with His order.
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We must not treat this as mere history. This is a pattern for our response to Christ’s cleansing and healing ministry today. There are at least four practical steps.
### 1. We Must Approach Jesus as Lord, in Worship
Before the leper speaks, he worships.
Many approach Jesus only as a problem-solver. But the order of Scripture is clear:
Practically:
You can say:
> “Lord Jesus, I bow before You. You are Lord over my spirit, soul, and body. I submit to Your authority.”
### 2. We Must Acknowledge His Power and Ask Him to Deal with Our Uncleanness
The leper is very clear: “You can make me clean.”
There is a difference between vague hope and specific faith.
He does not say, “Lord, do something about my situation.” He identifies the root: uncleanness.
For many believers, the real issue is not their symptoms, but their defilement:
Hebrews 10:22 calls us:
> “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our body washed with pure water.”
Ask Jesus:
### 3. We Must Settle the Question of His Will by Submitting to His Word
Jesus has already revealed His will in His Word:
Do not try to discover the will of God apart from the Word of God.
The will of Christ spoken to the leper—“I want to. Be clean”—is a revelation of God’s heart toward uncleanness and bondage.
Our part:
Base your faith not on your feelings, but on what He has spoken.
### 4. We Must Walk in Obedience and Testimony After Cleansing
The man is told:
Likewise, when Christ has touched us:
Many lose the benefit of the Lord’s touch because they do not align their lives with His commands.
Cleansing is not an end in itself. It is a beginning:
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### Proclamation
Speak this out loud, deliberately, in faith:
> “Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You as that leper came. I bow before You and acknowledge You as my Lord. You are able to cleanse me from every defilement of sin, sickness, and bondage. Your Word declares that You are willing. You say, ‘I want to. Be clean.’ I receive Your willing heart toward me. I believe that Your touch is more powerful than all my uncleanness. I receive Your cleansing in my spirit, my soul, and my body. I choose to walk in obedience to Your Word and to be a testimony to Your saving, healing, and cleansing power. You are the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in You I am made clean.”
### Prayer
“Lord Jesus, You are the One who came down from the mountain with authority. You are the One who did not draw back from the leper, but stretched out Your hand and touched him. Today I bring before You every area of my life that is like leprosy—every hidden sin, every shame, every defilement, every sickness, every bondage.
I ask You to stretch out Your hand to me now. Speak Your word over me: ‘I want to. Be clean.’ Let the power of Your blood cleanse my conscience from dead works. Let the power of Your Spirit drive out every unclean influence. Let the authority of Your word break every disease and every yoke.
I yield myself to You in worship. I choose to obey Your commands and to walk as a testimony of Your grace and power. I renounce every lie that says You are unwilling to help me. I embrace Your revealed will in Scripture: that I be cleansed, forgiven, and restored.
I receive Your touch by faith now. In Your name, Lord Jesus, I declare: I am cleansed, I am forgiven, and I am set apart for God. Amen.”
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