40Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."
41Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed." 42As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. 43And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, 44and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."
45However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.
In the last verse Jesus stated that His purpose was to preach. But here we see how Jesus, even in His determination to go out and preach, was still moved with compassion. The first time I read this I was surprised how Jesus says to tell no one. But He knew that if word got out that He was in the area and could heal the sick that people would flock from everywhere just to be healed. It would make it very difficult to go into the cities to preach once that happened.
Sometimes we get so caught up in our purpose that we lose track of what is happening around us. Or we see something that we ought to do, but don't do it because it will detract us from what we are working toward. However, as Jesus demonstrated here, we need to be aware of those around us, and take time out from our work to show compassion. There should always be room for compassion.
There are a couple interesting things about this healing. Here Jesus stretched out His hand and touched the leper. He didn't have to touch him. Jesus has the capability to heal without touching. But people never touched lepers. This touch from Jesus was probably the first human touch this leper had felt in a long time. Even though we do not have the capability of healing illnesses with our touch, often a touch can do more healing than just speaking. Hug someone when they need it and you will see the power of healing in your touch.
The other thing that surprises me in this verse is Jesus' command to have the leper show himself to the priest and offer for cleansing those things which Moses commanded. It sounds to me like Jesus is saying he must now go to the priests for a cleansing ritual according to the Law carried out by the priest. This doesn't make sense to me. I thought that Jesus was there to create a new covenant with us, which fulfills much of the Law for us.
A footnote in my Bible explains that Jesus is showing that even though he broke the Law by touching the leper (exhibiting "authoritative freedom over the Law") that he is still showing respect for the Law by telling the leper to do as the Law says (showing "that His freedom over the Law is balanced by His commitment to that very Law").
As I reread it and reread it, I wonder if I was reading it wrong. I wonder if instead of reading it as "offer in payment for your cleansing", I should read it as "offer in exchange for your cleansing". What should he offer? Those things which Moses commanded -- follow the 10 commandments. "Show yourself to the priest...as a testimony to them". Had the priests of that time ministered to lepers? Lepers were unclean and no one was to touch a leper. I wouldn't be surprised if lepers were shunned by priests too. So here he was told to provide testimony to a priest. Testimony that a leper could be cleansed and become a person of God, fully able to follow God's commandments. Even when people who seem to be in authority say something can't be done, maybe it can. Nothing is impossible for God.