From: Matthew 8:1-4
The Curing of a Leper
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Commentary:
Chapters 8 and 9 of St. Matthew deal with a series of miracles worked by our
Lord. The first Christians had vivid experience of the fact that the glorified Jesus
was still present in His Church, confirming its teaching by signs, by miracles
(Mark 16:20; Acts 14:3).
And so, St. Matthew, after giving the nucleus of Jesus’ public teaching in the Ser-
mon on the Mount (Chapters 5-7), goes on now to gather a number of miracles to
support our Lord’s words. Some commentators call this section—Chapters 8 and
9—”the works of the Messiah”, paralleling what they called “the words of the Mes-
siah” (the Discourse on the Mount). In Chapters 5-7 we see Jesus as the su-
preme lawgiver and master who teaches with divine authority, a unique authority
superior to that held by Moses and the prophets. Now, in Chapters 8 and 9, He
is shown as endowed with divine authority over disease, death, the elements and
evil spirits. These miracles worked by Jesus Christ accredit the divine authority
of His teaching.
1. The Gospel draws attention, for the third time, to the huge crowds that flocked
to Jesus: literally, “many multitudes followed Him”. This shows the popularity
He had achieved: He was so popular that the Sanhedrin (the great council of the
Jewish nation) dared not arrest Him for fear of what the people would do (cf. Mat-
thew 21:46; 26:5; Mark 14:2). Later on, they would accuse Him before Pilate of
stirring up the whole country from Judea to Galilee. And we will see Herod Anti-
pas’ eagerness to meet Jesus, of whom he has heard so much (cf. Matthew
14:1). In contrast to this huge popularity, we find the elders opposing Him and
deceiving the people into calling for Jesus’ execution (cf. Matthew 27:20-22).
2. The Fathers have taken the following meaning from this cure: leprosy is a vivid
image of sin: it is ugly, disgusting, very contagious and difficult to cure. We are
all sinners and we are all in need of God’s forgiveness and grace (cf. Romans 3:
23-24). The leper in the Gospel knelt down before Jesus, in all humility and
trust, begging to be made clean. If we have recourse to our Savior with that kind
of faith, we can be sure than He will cure the wretchedness of our souls. We
should often address Christ with this short prayer, borrowed from the leper: “Lord,
if You will, You can make me clean.”
4. According to the Law of Moses (Leviticus 14), if a leper is cured of his disease,
he should present himself to a priest, who will register the cure and give him a cer-
tificate which he needs to be reintegrated into the civil and religious life of Israel.
Leviticus also prescribes the purifications and sacrifice he should offer. Jesus’
instruction to the leper is, then, in keeping with the normal way of fulfilling what
the laws laid down.
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.