Monday 3 March 2025
He stretched out his hand and touched him. (v. 3)
Background
This passage follows immediately after the three chapters Matthew devotes to Jesus' teaching, which we often refer to as ‘The Sermon on the Mount’. Matthew comments "The crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes."(Matthew 7:28-29)
Now it was time to put the preaching into practice.
It is tempting to regard leprosy as the Covid-19 of biblical times, though perhaps it was less virulent and marginally less life-threatening. ‘Social distancing’ was not suggested for the general public, but for those suffering from the disease it was devastating. They were banished from family and society alike: "The person who has the leprous disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head be dishevelled.. and cry out, 'Unclean, unclean.' He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp." (Leviticus 13:45-46)
The leper had a hell of a lot to deal with. I choose my words carefully. Life for him must indeed have been a hell on earth. Not only was there the constant pain and disfigurement of the disease itself, there was separation from friends and family. There was also social stigma and total isolation. The commonly held belief was that leprosy in particular was God’s punishment for sin, probably a sin of which the sufferer was unaware. Sufferers must have asked themselves "What have I done to deserve this?"
In sheer desperation and against all regulations, the man with leprosy approached Jesus. His faith and his confidence that Jesus could heal him enabled him to recognise Christ’s authority. He knelt before him. He asked to be healed. In boundless love, against all the customs of the time, Jesus reached out and touched him. That touch told the man that he was restored to the community. The healing confirmed his restoration to the crowd. No longer was this a man to be shunned.
The authority of Christ supersedes regulations.
To Ponder:
- How would you respond to anyone who said their illness was God’s punishment for something they had done?
- Who are the people today who feel cut off from society? What could be done to relieve their loneliness?
Prayer
Lord, help us to show your love to the people we meet today. Amen.
Bible notes author: Alan Sharp
Alan is a retired teacher. He lives in St Albans where he is a member of both his local Methodist church and his parish church. He has been a local preacher and a church organist and choirmaster for over 60 years and writes a monthly article on hymns for The Methodist Recorder.