And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
The leper's kneeling was the custom of the East, a mark of respect to a distinguished man. But notice what he attributed to Christ: power to cleanse if willing. By these words he declared Christ held divine power in His hand, which no mere man possesses. Whether he grasped the full mystery or not, he was certain of Christ's sovereign authority.
AI summary
Those who have tasted Christ cannot help but desire more of Him. Yet multitudes followed at large while few truly cleaved to Him. Matthew rightly places this leper's cure first among the miracles: leprosy was God's mark of displeasure, and Christ's healing shows He came to turn away wrath by taking away sin itself.
AI summary
Commenting on Matthew 8:1-4
This leper, full of the disease, was a living emblem of the vile sinner covered all over with iniquity, who comes to Christ and is pronounced clean by Him as the high priest applies justifying righteousness and sin-purging blood to conscience. The law's strange rule, unclean if spotted, clean if fully covered, speaks to this mystery.
AI summary