Matthew 8:1-4
Chapter 8
1
Heals a Leper
When Jesus descended from the mountain, a large crowd followed him.2
Then a leper stepped forward. He knelt before him and said:
“Sir, if you want to, you can make me clean.”
3
Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said:
“I will do it. Be made clean.”
At that very moment, the man was healed of his leprosy.
4
Then Jesus said to him:
“See that you do not tell anyone, but go to the priest, have yourself declared clean, and offer the gift that Moses commanded as evidence for them.”
Commentaries
Heals a Leper – Heals a Centurion’s Servant – Heals and Casts Out Demons Around the House.
When Jesus heals and casts out demons, he brings the kingdom of God into the present, showing the Father’s will that his children find fulfillment through freedom. However, the presence of the kingdom demands a response, and faith is a vital step in that process.
The saving power of the kingdom of God has no boundaries; that is why Jesus first reaches out to three marginalized groups: the contagious sick because of their illness; women because of the oppression of a patriarchal culture; and pagans because of their exclusion from God’s people.
Regarding Peter’s mother-in-law, there’s an interesting detail: “she got up and began to serve him” (15). Healing enables women to serve. Is the evangelist symbolically suggesting the restored dignity of Jesus’ followers and their prominent role in the life of Christian communities?