Verse 1-4 – Healing the Leper

1. The Leprosy is mentioned in Old Testament in Levi Chapter 13 and 14. 
2. They believed that leprosy is a punishment of God (Leprosy of Marum)

The king of Aram (Assyrian king) had leprosy (2 Kings 5).
The other references to leprosy are in Numbers 5:2, 12:10; Deuteronomy 24:8; 2 Samuel 3:29; 2 Kings 5:27; Matthew 26:6; Luke 4:27, 17:12.

Jewish Historian Josephus has written that “men with leprosy were considered like dead people”. They had to live outside the tent (or village) at a distance, wear throne clothes, their head should be shaved, and also warn everyone loudly saying “unholy” when they walked.

During our Lord’s time, lepers were not permitted to enter Jerusalem. Touching a leper was considered as unholy as touching a dead body. If he is in a windy place he could stay only 100 feet away. He is totally kept out from all creations. The funeral services performed on him were prohibited from society. It is on such a leper that our Lord touched. There are many things that we should learn from the life of this leper:
· A rock solid faith that our Lord has the ability to do anything.
· Humble approach 
· A petition in adoration. (“ He knelt before him”)

The greatness seen in our Lord from this:
· Mercy 
· Love and help
· There is no constrains of Law in helping the poor
· Because of His “touch of the leper”, He made it clear that He who is the source of all Laws has the power to teach and act like one who possessed an authority.

“See that you don't tell anyone”: This type of instruction can be seen in Mat 9:30, 16:20, 17:9 and Mark 1:34, 5:43, 7:36, 8:26. 

Why does He say this? His humility: 
The Jews were expecting a Messiah who is very powerful and would liberate them from the Romans using power. In knowing about the power of our Lord, they thought that He is the one who would fight for them to liberate them from the Romans. But His intention was that the people should know who He really is and follow him.

A person who is healed had to go to a priest and had to prove it. This is explained in Chapter 14, “show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded”. Our Lord did not trivialize the ‘Law given by Moses’, ‘priesthood of Aaron’ or ‘Throne of Moses’. But he scolded anyone who misinterpreted it or exploited using it. 

Similarity between sin and leprosy 
There is much similarity between Sin and Leprosy. Both start small and so it is not easy to recognize. But in due time, it becomes horrible and awful. As a leper keeps himself distant from society, a sinner also keeps his distance from God. Like the leper who submitted himself to the Lord, a sinner should fall on our Lord’s feet in humility.