Matt. 8:1-4 – The Man with Leprosy

The faith of a man stricken with a socially abhorrent disease turns to Jesus and believes that Jesus can change his life by the power of his will. Jesus, of course, does want to heal the man and so he is healed. But rather than using this miracle as a vehicle for widespread public promotion, Jesus, in keeping with the spirit of “fulfilling” the Law & the Prophets, commands the healed man to keep this to himself and go to the temple priest. Rather than go for the cheap promotion, he “begins” his ministry with a healing and message to the religious authorities within the community. There is a beautiful symmetry to how this dovetails with his connection to the “old testament” and his life as a fulfillment of all that went before. JBB 3/24/04