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Matthew 8: 1 - 4
1 When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him;

2 and behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean."

cross reference: Mark 1:40-44; Luke 5:12-14 Matt 9:18; 15:25; 18:26; 20:20; John 9:38; Acts 10:25


The Blessed Theophylact
Being a man of good sense, the leper did not go up on to the mountain, so as not to interrupt Jesus’ teaching. But when Jesus came down from the mountain, then the leper worshipped Him. And the leper did not say, "If you beseech God, then you will heal me." But he showed great faith, saying, "If Thou wilt." And Christ did.






3 And he stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

cross reference: Matt 11:5; Luke 4:27

4 And Jesus said to him, "See that you say nothing to any one; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to the people."

cross reference: Matt 9:30; 12:16; 17:9; Mark 1:44; 3:12; 5:43; 7:36; 8:30; 9:9; Luke 4:41; 8:56; 9:21 Mark 1:44; Luke 5:14; 17:14 Lev 13:49; 14:2-ff


The Blessed Theophylact
He touches the leper to show that He is not subject to the law which forbids one to touch a leper, but rather that He is Master of that law. He also shows that for Him Who is pure, nothing is impure, and that His holy flesh imparts holiness. Fleeing glory, He commands the leper to tell no one, but rather to show himself to the priest. For unless the priest would say that the leper was clean, he would have to remain outside the city (Levit. 14). Jesus bids him to offer the gift as a testimony to the Jews, as if to say, "When they accuse Me of abolishing the law, you shall bear witness on My behalf that I commanded you to offer the gifts required by the law."

St. Thomas Aquinas
Before Christ's Passion, while Christ was preaching and working miracles, the Law and the Gospel were concurrent, since the mystery of Christ had already begun, but was not as yet consummated. And for this reason Our Lord, before His Passion, commanded the leper to observe the legal ceremonies.

























Cattitude
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