Matthew 8:2-3

Matthew 8:2-3

[2] And,  behold,  a leper  and worshipped  him,  saying,  Lord,  if  thou wilt,  thou canst  clean.  [3] And  put forth  his hand,  and touched  him,  saying,  I will;  be thou clean.  And  immediately  his  leprosy  was cleansed. 

What does Matthew 8:2-3 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Matthew typically used the phrase kai idou ("and behold," not translated in the NIV) to mark the beginning of a new section, not to indicate the next event chronologically.
The exact nature of biblical leprosy is unknown. Apparently it included what we call leprosy today, Hansen"s disease, but it involved other skin diseases too (cf. Leviticus 13-14). [1] A leper not only had some loathsome skin disease that made him repulsive to others, but he also was ritually unclean because of his illness. This precluded contact with other people and participation in temple worship. The Jews regarded leprosy as a curse from God ( Numbers 12:10; Numbers 12:12; Job 18:13), and healings were rare ( Numbers 12:10-15; 2 Kings 5:9-14). The Jews thought that healing a leper was as difficult as raising the dead ( 2 Kings 5:7; 2 Kings 5:14).
The leper in this story knelt (Gr. prosekynei) before Jesus. The same word describes worshippers in the New Testament. However, Matthew probably just described him kneeling leaving his readers to draw their own conclusions about Jesus" worthiness to receive worship (cf. Matthew 7:22-23).
The man had great faith in Jesus" ability to heal him. Evidently he had heard about and perhaps seen others whom Jesus had healed ( Matthew 4:24). His only reservation was Jesus" willingness to use His power to heal him. The leper probably supposed that a Jewish teacher like Jesus would probably not want to have anything to do with him since to do so would render Jesus ritually unclean.
"In most cases ... the purpose of the minor characters [2] is to function as foils for the disciples." [3]
Probably the crowd gasped when Jesus graciously extended His hand and touched the unclean leper. Lepers had to avoid all contact with other people, but Jesus compassionately reached out to him in his helpless condition. Jesus expressed His willingness with His word, and He expressed His power with His touch.
"Whatever remedies, medical, magical, or sympathetic, Rabbinic writings may indicate for various kinds of disease, leprosy is not included in the catalogue. They left aside what even the Old Testament marked as moral death, by enjoining those so stricken to avoid all contact with the living, and even to bear the appearance of mourners.
"In truth, the possibility of any cure through human agency was never contemplated by the Jews." [4]
"There is a sense in which leprosy is an archetypal fruit of the original fall of humanity. It leaves its victims in a most pitiable state: ostracized, helpless, hopeless, despairing. The cursed leper, like fallen humanity, has no options until he encounters the messianic king who will make all things new.... As Jesus reached out to the leper, God in Jesus has reached out to all victims of sin." [5]
"When Jesus touched the leper, He contracted the leper"s defilement; but He also conveyed His health! Is this not what He did for us on the cross when He was made sin for us? ( 2 Corinthians 5:21)" [6]