The Man with Leprosy [Matthew 8: 1- 4] (can be found in Luke 5:12-16)
“1 When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy[a] came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
a. The Greek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
What is the gift that Moses commanded? (Verse 4)
*see Exodus 35:4-35 and Exodus 36:1-7
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai and his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord (Exodus 34:29). God had commanded the Israelites to bring forth ‘materials for the Tabernacle’ (Exodus 35:5-9) which covers offering of gold, sliver and bronze till olive oil and such. Things that I believe were precious and of high value to these people.
In Exodus 36, verse 6, Moses gave an order, “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.”
Reason being, verse 7, “because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.”
Notice that in previous verses in Exodus 36:4, the skilled craftsmen were doing all the work had to leave because (Exodus 36:5) “the people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done.”
These are however “freewill offerings morning after morning” (Exodus 36:3)
Later chapters (Exodus 38:21-31) Materials used were tonnes of gold and silver; showing that it was already an abundance of offerings to build God’s sanctuary or tabernacle. (Exodus 40:34-38) The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. These offerings were mentioned earlier in Exodus 25.
Exodus 22:18
“if any of you...presents a gift for a burnt offering to the Lord, either to fulfil a vow or as a freewill offering...” (This is a thank offering – verse 29)
Through the mentioned verses, I receive the revelation that the man who was healed from leprosy was a living testimony in himself. Many times we will offer any other things to the table when all that is required is for us to “show” ourselves (Matthew 8:4) and offer the gift that builds His tabernacle.
(i.) Is this gift the materials?
For Moses commanded not to bring any other material because in Exodus 36:7 mentions that”they already had more than enough to do the work?”
Then why did Jesus commanded the leper to present this gift? Does it mean that the leper’s living testimony is more than enough to build God’s tabernacle?
Who is the priest?
Matthew 8:4 “...show yourself to the priest”
In Leviticus 7:28-38, Leviticus 8 and 9, shows His priests were Aaron and His sons. The priests were His anointed ones.
In Hebrew 8, the High priest of a new covenant is Jesus. Hebrew 9:11-12 “When Christ came as high priest...He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood.”
In 1 Peter 2:9, it is written, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.”
Exodus 19:6 stated “you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” The Lord said to Moses.
Revelations 5 – The Scroll and the Lamb
(Verse 5-6) Lamb = Jesus
(Verse 9) “You (Jesus) are worthy and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”
(Verse 10) “You (Jesus) have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God and they will reign on earth.”
The priests are us, His servants in the kingdom of God that have been bought by the blood of Jesus. To lay it all out I believe that He has said the power of our testimony shall be enough to further build His tabernacle which is the church. For all that we had was enough and that His desire is just to show ourselves before the priests (other believers) in the Body of Christ to further build up the works and as materials to build His tabernacle.
This tabernacle can be His physical church which is the Body of Christ or as His temple itself that exists within us as we are His temple (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).
1 Corinthians 3:16-17
“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple...for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.”
In this verse to build His tabernacle means that we are to build each other’s faith since we are the temple of God ourselves. That we are being further encouraged in our walk of faith by each other’s living testimony that we are not to forget that God is always and always is with us.
What Testimony?
Exodus 32:30-35
30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. But now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”
31 So Moses went back to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. 32 But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.”
33 The LORD replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book. 34 Now go, lead the people to the place I spoke of, and my angel will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin.”
35 And the LORD struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf Aaron had made.
Is leprosy the plague?
Further discussed, [Leviticus 4:22, 4:27-35] highlights when a member of the community sins then (v.28) “...he must then bring as his offering for the sins committed a female goat without defect. (v.31) ...and the priest shall burn it on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the Lord. In this way, the priest will make atonement for him and he will be forgiven.” Again this is repeated in verse 35.
Leviticus 5:1
“‘If anyone sins because they do not speak up when they hear a public charge to testify regarding something they have seen or learned about, they will be held responsible.
In Leviticus 13 and 14, there written regulations about infectious skin disease (as in Matthew 8:2). Leprosy was also meant as various diseases affecting the skin in its original Greek word, not necessarily leprosy. Leviticus 13&14 mentions them being subjects that are unclean and that they should be brought before the priest to declare them unclean and separate them “outside the camp” (Leviticus 14:3) and to isolate him for some time (Leviticus 13:5).
Key verse to explain this further:
Leviticus 15:31
“‘You must keep the Israelites separate from things that make them unclean, so they will not die in their uncleanness for defiling my dwelling place,[a] which is among them.’”
Sin = Leprosy = unclean
These sins may be easily spread just like an infectious disease amongst the people of God and thus the priests were to isolate them and further examine them and made a declaration regarding them. This is to make sure that these flocks of believers were not made unclean by touching them in the sense that they were responsive to the sins that was brought by these ‘lepers.’ Thus “defiling His dwelling place” (Levi 15:31). The dwelling place points to us who are His temple.
1 Corinthians 15:33
Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
This thus made it clear that a man with leprosy was an ‘unclean’ man, ‘sinful’ before God who was to be set apart from defiling the flock of believers until the priests were to examine and declare him as clean (Levi 13).
The man “came and knelt before Him.” (Matthew 8:2). This is the act of repentance shown before the Lord. It was further mentioned that this man had said “Lord if You are willing, You can make me clean.” This man clearly shows that he has faith and believes that Jesus has the power to make him clean, to wash him away from his trespasses. The sinful man who repented has faith and knows that god is able to forgive and take away his sins; to make him clean and be renewed, to restore his original condition (that is we are created in the image of God – Genesis 1:27). This man drew near to God with a sincere heart and full assurance of faith (Heb 10:22).
(Matthew 8:3) “Jesus reached out” This is a fulfilment of His promise (“Come near to God and he will come near to you” – James 4:8). When the leper drew near to Jesus, He did not hesitate but to give Him His handJ.
Matthew 8:3 “I am willing”
Psalm 103:7-13
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 He does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
**Side note: In Matthew 12:31, every sin will be forgiven except for the blasphemy of the Spirit.
God wants to forgive us! This desire is shown through the following verses:
1. Hebrew 4:16
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
2. 1 John 2:1
“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.”
3. 1 John 1:9
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
4. Acts 3:19
“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,”
5. Isaiah 43:25:26
25 “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. 26 Review the past for me, let us argue the matter together; state the case for your innocence.”
Matthew 8:3 “...Be clean!”
Immediately he was cured (made clean).
1. Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let us settle the matter,”
says the LORD.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
2. 2 Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here!”
3. Ephesians 1:7
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace”
In this God shows His heart that He is willing to draw near to us as we draw near to Him that by His grace, we who were unclean has been made clean. He restored us and accepts us in our sins as long as we first repent (v.2).
Matthew 8:4 “See that you don’t tell anyone...”
Why?
The order was not to tell anyone (unbelievers) but the priest (believers)...
Why should we not tell anyone about us being made holy to unbelievers?
1. They have not been given a revelation
Matthew 13:11
“He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.”
2. Matthew 13:13-15
“For though seeing they will not see, hearing they do not hear or understand,... For this people’s heart has become calloused...otherwise the might see with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.” (refer also to Isaiah 6:9-10)
Isaiah 6:13
“...so the holy seed will be the stump in the land.”
Stump in the land is unwanted, it needs to be removed.
3. Matthew 12:43-35
Unclean spirits seeks rest will return to the house they left and if unoccupied, swept clean and out in order then the evil spirit takes 7 other wicked spirits and live there. The final condition of that man is worse than the first.
Matthew 13:13
Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.
4. Matthew 13:7
The seed that fell among the thorns which grew up and choked the plants.
Matthew 13:20-21
“The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
“...Tell to the priest”
Matthew 13:8
“good soil, produced a crop, a 100, 60 or 30 times what was sown.”
Matthew 13:23
But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
Hence if you tell a testimony of how God made you clean, presumably that the person will rejoice (Matthew 13:20-21) but quickly falls away for he/she has no root (Luke 8:6,13).
What is the root?
1. Colossians 2:7
“rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”
2. Ephesians 3:17
“...being rooted and established in love.”
Be rooted in the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12-13). His love was shown through Jesus (John 3:16) that God is Love (1 John 4:8).
The unbeliever who has yet to know the Word of God when revealed the testimony may not understand, may receives it rejoices in it but quickly falls away. As they do not understand, they accept what happened, rejoice over the blessings but when troubles came along will quickly fall away as they don’t have a strong root in God.
Secondly when the evil spirit has been driven out but the man is not rooted in God’s Word, he will be left worse than before (Matthew 12:43-35).
The testimony of how God made us ‘clean’ from our sins shall not be shared to unbelievers as it may stirs up confusion, resentment and condemnation.
Put it simply, if say I smoked and God had delivered me from smoking and I cheerfully testified to others who thinks smoking is fine, then if they do not understand the implications of smoking in the Word of God then they will reject the idea. Alternatively, if they receive the Good news but is not revealed in the Word of God, when say I could not resist the temptation to smoke and smoked again, would they not be confused?
Would then the spirit of judgement and confusion be brought into their hearts? Would they not then harbour the thought that every Christian is hypocrites and thus reject future ideas of Christ causing them to be in the worse state (Matthew 12:43-45). “For their foundation were built on sand” (Matthew 7:26).
It is important that the Holy Spirit is the One who convicts us out of our sins (John 16:8, Hebrew 6:4-6); that it is built on the rock (Matthew 7:24-27, Job 5:17, 2 Timothy 2:19).
1. John 8:31-32
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
2. Psalm 25:1-13
Holy Spirit should be the One Who convicts us.
Then should we not share testimonies to our unbeliever friends?
1. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20).
2. 1 Corinthians 1:17 Not with the words of human wisdom
3. Romans 15:14-22
“ to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit...”
4. 1 Corinthians 16:25-27
“... to Him who is able to establish you with my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ...”
My current understanding is that God wants Himself to be made known throughout the nations (Matthew 28:16-20) through the Gospel of the Word of God. He wants the Gentiles to know and be rooted to him, not only by what He has done for us due to His love for us.
When we brought the testimony of how God changed us without sharing about the gospel then we are leaving the outcome to chances. That we may stir up their emotions in a few ways, that is by judgement, by condemnation, by confusing them since they have yet to understand what is right or wrong. “...though seeing they do not see” Another possibility is that they look up to you since you are able to overcome things that seemed impossible to them and when you disappoint them they quickly fall away (Matthew 7:26).
For they did not know that it was God who strengthens you that nothing is impossible with Him (Philippians 4:13).
Hence when Jesus said do not tell anyone, through the way the leper was made clean, he himself was enough to come as a living testimony without saying a word. For instance the Gentiles who knew the leper and met him since he has been made clean then they will be astounded and starts wondering of how.
When they wonder how, we can simply share the Word of God that “nothing is impossible with God...” (Luke 1:37).
Then their foundation will be built on Jesus Himself and not on our strength or wisdom or power.
To that we can say “to God be the glory for ever and ever. Amen” (Philippians 4:20).
Showing ourselves to the priest will further build up their faith made them able to use the testimony in the temple of God (the Body of Christ) as an offering of how God has forgiven our sins to the believers and to be examined and declared to the people.
God works through us, sanctifying us with the Holy Spirit so that we may be letters from Him (1 Corinthians 1:4-6; 2 Corinthians 3:2-6; 2 Corinthians 3:8-18).
Acts 3:8-10,12,16
(verse 8-9) Peter heals the crippled beggar.
verse 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
( Verse 12 )When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?
(verse 16) By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.
Isaiah 8:19-22
“When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? 20 Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn. 21 Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. 22 Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness.”
At many occasion throughout Luke as Jesus heals many (Luke 5,7-8,etc...) Jesus does not require these people to tell others what He had done similar to the story in (Luke 8:56) where He ordered the parents of a dead girl to not tell anyone what has happened.
Because it is by faith that we have been healed (Luke 8:48) “Then He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
As people witness others being miraculously healed, they will wonder how. They may went to receive the same sort of healing but first they must seek Him! They must first find out about eh healer and that is why we are to bring the gospel to the Gentiles, so that they may know Him and by the faith that has been given to them, they will be healed.
If they hear people’s testimony directly from their mouths, say I have been healed from leprosy, and then these people would be lead astray by focusing themselves on the healing alone and not on God Himself.
Luke 8:13
“Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.”
That is why God is more concerned about the root. That root is in Jesus and that is the great commission (Matthew 28:16-20). He had commanded us to make disciples (through the teaching of the Word of God) and baptized (Galatians 3:27 – “for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”)
(Galatians 3:14) “...the blessing might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”
Ultimately God does not want the Gentiles to seek Him because of what He can do or to seek Him for the blessings alone. For these are all temporary and may cause them to blaspheme God in times of hardship.
But if they met Jesus, receives healing by their faith, they knew Him and found him because they seek Him then it will make their healing become fruitful as it was first rooted in the Word which is Jesus (John 1:14 – “the Word became flesh...”). Refer to Matthew 6:33, 1 Chronicles 28:9, 2 Chronicles 7:14.
Ephesians 5:26
“to make her holy, cleansing[a] her by the washing with water through the word,”
Hebrews 12:2
“fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Ephesians 5:13-14
“13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:
“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
When we are healed, ultimately Christ will shine through us that people will see us as different and be pointed towards Christ Who is reflected in us.
1 Corinthians 4:20
“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.”
When Jesus wills then He will bring healing but that person must first come to Him, find Him and find His will. That Jesus is the One Who heals but people tend to look at only the miracles without finding the greater treasure. (Walk away, give thanks and praise Him for we have been healedJ!)
“Some people who don’t believe won’t even bother, the purpose of miracles is to meet the God of miracles.” (Finger of God)
“Miracles by themselves don’t thrill people with God. A miracle by itself does not accomplish what God is after, it only demonstrates that God is real. Then how do we respond?” (Richard Baker)
“God lets the heaven invade the earth, we know that the heavens has no sickness and as we ask let your kingdom come as it is in heaven and on earth, the heavenly things are manifested as what we call as miracles.” (John Pippo)
“The greatest sign of a believer is love, their love level and their faith level. First to love Jesus through everything inside of us. Secondly to be able to love the people around them, and it’s the love of God and the compassion of God that draws us to step out to do these things.
Faith is to be able to believe God and Who He says He is and to believe that we can do what He says we can do.” (Chris Overstreet, outreach coordinator of Bethel Ministry).
“The biggest miracle is to love, to see a child who was broken from abuse and all sorts of things and the greatest miracle is to see this child’s life being changed and find joy. God is asking you to stop and love each person at a time. Don’t complicate the gospel, the gospel is about being in love with God and loving the person in front of you.” (Heidi Baker)
“Why does these fingerprints of God are in our lives? (these miracles...)
1. It’s proof that He’s here
2. It’s proof that He cares
We are not homeless but we are his prince & princesses, We are not broken but made wholeJ!” (Darren Wilson – Finger of God producer and director)
“Healing can be two things, can be an instant miracle or a gradual miracle. The biggest defeat is to give up, Don’t give up!” (Sid Roth – TV Host ‘It’s Supernatural’)
Let us bring back these revelations to God ourselves, pray about it and present your convictions which have been guided by the Holy Spirit Himself and founded in the Word of God.
2 Timothy 3:16
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,”
1 Corinthians 2:10
“these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. “
Colossians 2:2-3
“My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”
Philippians 4:20
“To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
