Matthew 8:1-4

Posted by DJL on May 9, 2014 in Daily Bread | 0 comments

When Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him; and there was a leper who came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.” He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I do choose. Be made clean!” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Note: We had just finished Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” when we jumped to the Passion Narrative for our Lenten Devotions. After that, it seemed to make sense to continue with the resurrection story. Now, however, we will return to our journey through Matthew’s Gospel by picking up just where we left off, as Jesus comes down from the mountain.

From Matthew’s introduction of Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount,” it seems like the primary audience for his sermon is his disciples (5:1). By the time he is done, however, large crowds seem to have not only come out to listen but also to have been amazed by what they have heard. As he comes down the mountain, that attention only multiplies as the crowds follow him eager to catch his every word.

In the middle of all the crowds and hubbub, a leper beseeches Jesus for help. As I listen to his words, I am struck by the simultaneous poignancy and trust implicit in his request. “If you choose,” he says, “you can make me clean.” He clearly trusts that Jesus can do this. But he also does not presume that Jesus must. And so he offers this humble expression of need and trust. And Jesus responds.

I have wondered at times whether this is the attitude that Matthew invites all Jesus’ disciples to take. Jesus has, after all, just spent considerable time teaching his disciples about the nature of God’s coming kingdom, about their need to trust God, and about the character of those who would follow him. Might it be that in this story we see Matthew follow up on Jesus’ teaching about discipleship with someone actually modeling what was just taught?

I don’t know for sure, of course, but it does strike me that in this leper we see someone putting Jesus’ teaching into practice. If so, then two things are interesting. First, the person in question is not one of the twelve, as if Matthew wants to remind us that it wasn’t only the “original” disciples who were invited and able to follow Jesus; it’s all of us.

Second, it’s also interesting that this man is a leper, which means he was a social outcast. Lepers weren’t typically the kind of people you looked to for models of good behavior. Actually, lepers weren’t typically people you looked to at all; rather, you avoided them at all costs. And so perhaps Matthew also invites us to recalculate how we see and value others. For it’s this one who models perfect discipleship. It’s this one whom Jesus heals. It’s this one who is drawn back into the community and will follow the law, rather than shout with thanksgiving, in order to testify to Jesus’ work in his life.

This one, a leper, not one of the twelve. Then why not us as well?

Prayer: Dear God, let us look upon this leper – and others society has disregarded – prepared so see them as persons in whom you are at work to show us the way to faithful discipleship. In Jesus’ name, Amen.