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Explanation for:
Matthew
8
:
4
And Jesus saith to him: See thou tell no man: but go, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift which Moses commanded for a testimony unto them.
12
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Jesus instructed him, \\"Do not tell anyone.\\" Indeed, there was no need to boast about what was visibly evident in his restored body. Instead, he urged him to present himself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded as a testimony to them. Jesus directs the healed man to the priests for several important reasons. First, out of a sense of humility—so that the priests would recognize and honor them, as the law prescribed that those cleansed from leprosy should bring offerings to the priests. Additionally, he sends him so that they might either come to believe in the Savior upon witnessing the leper healed, or choose not to believe. If they accepted this truth, they would find salvation; if they rejected it, they would remain without answers. Lastly, he sends him to ensure that he is not perceived as a lawbreaker, a charge that they often leveled against him."},{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"After healing the leper, Christ instructs him not to share the news, but instead to present himself to the priest and offer the required gift, as commanded by Moses, to serve as a testimony. Some speculate that the Savior wished to prevent queries about the certainty of the leper's healing, fearing ulterior motives. However, such reasoning is misguided. The leper was cleansed genuinely, and Christ’s command was to shield him from pride and self-importance. Although Jesus recognized that the leper might not heed his instruction and would instead declare the kindness he received, He fulfilled His role regardless. You may wonder why He often instructs others to share their healings. In these instances, He teaches gratitude, guiding them to recognize God's glory rather than seeking their own.\\n\\nThrough this leper, the Savior guards us against pride and encourages an attitude of thankfulness, reminding us to honor God in every circumstance. People often remember God during times of dire illness, yet once healed, they may return to apathy. Thus, Christ urges that both in times of suffering and health, we should glorify God (John 9:24). Why did He tell the leper to go to the priest and present a gift? To adhere to the law. His actions were not uniformly consistent in regards to the law; at times He observed it while in other instances He seemed to challenge it. This was not to undermine the law, but to silence the criticisms of the Jews, addressing their spiritual frailty until the appropriate time.\\n\\nIs it surprising that Christ chose to act this way at the outset of His ministry? Even the apostles, who were told to spread the gospel to all nations and abolish the old order, sometimes appeared to observe the law while at other times appearing to contravene it. Yet, the instruction to \\"Show thyself to the priest\\" is deeply connected to the law. The old covenant required a cleansed leper to present himself to the priest to verify his healing and be reintegrated into the community. Until the priest's declaration, the leper remained unclean and outside the camp. Jesus did not instruct the leper to bring an offering of His own command, instead referring to the law to peacefully counter any claims of jealousy from the priests, thus allowing them to witness His miracle.\\n\\nChrist’s directive reveals His aim not to oppose Moses or the priests but to compel those He heals to comply with them. To testify meant to admonish and to clarify, particularly when they accused Him of being a deceiver or an adversary to God. When accusations arise, Christ prompts the healed to affirm their encounter with Him as lawful and true. His compliance with the law was not futile, as He knew they might reject it, yet He still fulfilled His obligations, acknowledging their state of unrighteousness. This is akin to His proclamation that the Gospel of the Kingdom would reach all nations as a testimony (Matthew 24:14), even to those who would not believe. The preaching itself serves as evidence against those who claim ignorance of the truth, for the message would touch every corner of the world.\\n\\nIn the same manner, when we share God’s goodness, we fulfill our duty towards our neighbors and express gratitude, which is profoundly beneficial to us. It would be remiss of us to remain silent about His blessings, given that our gratefulness does not augment Him but draws us nearer to Him. If human kindness ignites our love for others, how much more should remembrance of God’s goodness motivate us to obey His commands! Thus, the Apostle Paul exhorts us to \\"Be thankful\\" (Colossians 3:15). Grateful remembrance is essential for maintaining our own spiritual well-being.\\n\\nThis is why the sacred sacrament we partake of during communal gatherings is termed the Eucharistia, meaning thanksgiving. It reminds us of the multitude of God’s blessings and highlights the crucial work of divine providence, urging us toward gratitude. If the Virgin's miraculous conception is astonishing, then consider the depth of His sacrifice on our behalf. If His birth signifies great happenings, how much weightier is His crucifixion, shedding blood for our redemption, and offering Himself as spiritual sustenance? Let us therefore continually give thanks, ensuring that our words and actions reflect this gratitude.\\n\\nWe should appreciate God’s gifts, both big and small, recognizing that even the tiniest blessings become significant because they come from Him. The abundance of divine favors far exceeds any earthly measure, especially when we think of the unfathomable gift of salvation. For our sake, God surrendered His most precious possession, His only Son, making Him a source of sustenance through the Eucharist. God has taken it upon Himself to fulfill all our needs, demonstrating His generosity even when we may fail to recognize it. Just as He reminded the Israelites of His favors through specific places, times, and festivals, He continually calls us to remember His kindness.\\n\\nGod strives more than anyone to shape us into His image, often showering us with blessings even against our will or without our awareness. Take the example of the Apostle Paul; amid great strife and hardship, he sought relief from tribulation but received instead the assurance of God's grace, which is abundant in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). The Lord favored Paul even before revealing His plans, encouraging us to remain diligent in thankfulness for such care.\\n\\nLet us conform to this divine direction and uphold this command without fail. The Jews' ingratitude brought them ruin, leading to dire consequences and troubling their spirits, echoing the wisdom that a hope founded in ingratitude is akin to winter frost (Proverbs 16:29). Ingratitude renders the soul cold and unresponsive, emerging from pride and a misguided sense of entitlement. However, the humble heart offers thanks not only for favor but also for seemingly contrary circumstances, seeing endurance as deserving of grace, and their humility only increases with virtue.\\n\\nAs we grow in goodness, let us also deepen in humility, recognizing how distant we are from our Creator. The more we develop in virtue, the clearer the separation between God and ourselves becomes. A wise person understands their true worth, recalling that the keenest awareness of self leads one to feel insignificant. This is reflected in the humility of both David and Abraham, who, at their highest virtues, regarded themselves as nothing—Abraham as dust (Genesis 18:27) and David as a mere worm (Psalm 22:6).\\n\\nIn contrast, those engulfed in pride remain unaware of their true state. Familiar phrases caution against such pride, suggesting that the proud lack self-awareness. The one who knows themselves comprehends all else; conversely, the one in ignorance knows nothing. The proud declaration of aspiration to greatness, \\"I will ascend above the heights\\" (Isaiah 14:13) epitomizes this ignorance. Paul, on the other hand, humbly identified himself as unworthy, declining the title of apostle despite his monumental deeds. \\n\\nLet us commit to imitating his example, striving for virtue through detachment from earthly concerns. The clinging to worldly affairs severely obstructs the self-understanding necessary for spiritual growth, while genuine awareness of self results in disdain for such attachments. Freedom from worldly allure allows for a deep comprehension of oneself, fostering growth in all virtues.\\n\\nTherefore, to obtain this profound understanding, let us release ourselves from temporal distractions, dawning upon our own inadequacies, exercising humility, and wisdom so that we may receive the present and eternal blessings bestowed through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory, power, and honor along with the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen."},{"author-name":"Ephraem the Syrian","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88b589fc3e99eb7bb1839_Ephraem%20the%20Syrian.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"\\"Come, reveal yourself,\\" which means to present yourself for the sake of the priests. Through His spoken word, He disclosed His perspective and eliminated any doubts regarding His relationship to the law, demonstrating that He was neither unfamiliar with it nor an adversary of it. He instructed him to \\"Go\\" to those who themselves are unclean and unable to guide you, and bring an offering for your purification. He added, \\"Tell no one,\\" to prevent the priests from believing that the leper had remembered them and offered a sacrifice due to their accusations against Jesus. He advised silence, but when you approach them and they inquire about your healing, let them realize that I am attentive to the preservation of the law of Moses. \\n\\nAdditionally, since the leper understood that the numerous directions provided by the priests regarding leprosy did not heal the afflicted but only burdened them, he began to view the rites of the law as ineffective. Hence, he expressed, \\"If you are willing, you can make me clean.\\" The Lord, responding to such sentiments, was angry—not with the leper himself but rather at his thoughts—and commanded him, \\"Go, present yourself to the priests, and fulfill the law you undervalue.\\" The leper assumed that Christ shared his views on the law, reasoning that He was transgressing some aspect of it.\\n\\nYet, it is crucial to note that Jesus did not take offense at the leper’s perspective; instead, He illustrated that the essence of creation is good because He restored what was lacking and, by sending the leper to the priests, affirmed the role of the priesthood. By instructing him to offer gifts for his cleansing, He indeed validated the law, as He supplemented it with the phrase \\"as Moses commanded you.\\" Although Moses had instituted many regulations regarding leprosy that were of no real benefit, the coming of Christ introduced healing through His word, which rendered many of Moses’ commands, pertaining to the law of leprosy, obsolete. \\"Go to the priests for their testimony,\\" for it was required that they assess the leprosy prior to healing and subsequently serve as witnesses of the cure. Christ spoke of the mandates of the ancient law of Moses, calling upon them as witnesses to His teachings, affirming, \\"As Moses commanded.\\" Through these words He clarified that the law was not annulled by Him; rather, it became a proclamation of His message before the people."},{"author-name":"Isidore of Pelusium","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88d94130e668938c9ae9d_Isidore%20of%20Pelusium.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":5,"exegesis-text":"In a splendid manner, akin to a merchant in search of precious jewels, you articulate the significance of the Scriptures. Allow me to provide a succinct response to your inquiry. The leper was instructed to present the offering mandated by the law to demonstrate the harmony between the two Covenants, as well as to affirm that He who has accomplished the healing and He who established the law are united in Essence. Why was the leper directed to present the offering as outlined by the law? (Matt. 8:4)"},{"author-name":"Cyrill of Alexandria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88a8ea5c988a4fc073480_Cyrill%20of%20Alexandria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":5,"exegesis-text":"What offering was mandated by the law for the leper? Two birds (Leviticus 14:1-7); the priest slaughtered one over living water, utilizing cedar wood, scarlet thread, and hyssop. The other bird, still alive, was dipped in the blood of the slain bird over living water, and then the appropriate parts of the leper's body - the ear, hand, and foot - were anointed for cleansing, with the living bird released into the field outside the city. This imagery beautifully illustrates Christ for us. Through the living bird, we perceive the living and heavenly Word; the blood of the slain bird signifies the precious blood of the Lord, who bore suffering in His own body. The cedar tree represents His incorruptible flesh, which did not undergo decay. The hyssop symbolizes the vibrant work of the Holy Spirit, as it has a warming effect and is used for those enduring chills. The scarlet thread denotes the covenant expressed in blood. The living water reflects the life-giving grace of baptism, which cleanses one from the leprosy of sin. The release of the living bird from the city signifies Christ's departure from the worldly realm and His ascension into heaven. In presenting Himself before the Father and God, He intercedes for all of us, enabling our cleansing. The anointing of the leper's ear, hand, and foot instructs us in how we must approach communion with God through contemplation, action, and the journey of life."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"Yet, shunning fame, the Lord instructs that no one should be informed, except for presenting Himself to the priest. If the priest had not declared the leper cleansed, he would have been excluded from the city. Christ requires an offering to be presented as a testimony to the Jews, implying, ‘If I am charged as a violator of the law, you shall be a witness to whom I have directed to bring the offering prescribed by the law.’"},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"He instructed him to remain quiet, steering clear of human acclaim and teaching those who assist him to scorn ambition. Although He fully understood that this man would not remain silent but would boldly declare his righteousness, He still accomplishes His mission and gives directives. The one who offers a kindness should call for discretion to maintain humility, while the recipient should express thanks publicly. The Scriptures state that a man healed of leprosy ought not to rely on his own perception, but should defer the assessment of his cleansing to the priest. Only when he has been reunited with those deemed clean should he come forth and present an offering for his purification, as recorded in Leviticus. Why, then, did He refer to the offering as commanded by Moses, when it came from God Himself? This is because Moses is known as a lawgiver for having recorded what was mandated by the Lord. While He performed the healing, He entrusted the validation of that healing to the priest, ensuring He did not undermine their responsibilities. The priests were called to witness this, as His affirmation serves to highlight their role. Although some accused Him of breaking the law, He urged the one cleansed from leprosy to adhere to the law and act upon His commands. This directive was meant to illuminate their faults. How could He guide them to uphold the law if He Himself had disobeyed it? It is significant to note that at times He sets aside the law, paving the way for wisdom and the Christian life that would emerge after His resurrection, thus signaling an end to the old, aging covenant. At other times, He adheres to the law, showing empathy towards the Jewish people to avoid leading them into temptation."},{"author-name":"Philaret (Amphiteatrov)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c896e9b7a2ebaf99e4620a_Philaret%20(Amphiteatrov).png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The all-knowing Saviour understood that the man healed of leprosy, overwhelmed with gratitude, would naturally share this remarkable act with everyone, just as he did, as noted by St. Mark the Evangelist: He went out and began to preach much and spread the word (Mark 1:45). Yet, the Lord Jesus instructed him not to disclose it to anyone; this was so His followers could learn from Him to avoid the allure of human praise after doing good deeds and evade the snare of vanity. As the perfect embodiment of divine law, He directed the healed man to present himself to the priest to obtain a certificate of cleansing for his leprosy, which was essential for him to re-enter the community of believers and return home. As a sign of gratitude for the healing, the Saviour ordered him to offer a gift to God in accordance with the Mosaic law. We must not, dear brethren, judge this and other miraculous deeds of Jesus Christ by their outward appearance but seek the deeper significance behind them. The healing of the leper, impressive though it was, would not hold such importance had it not also involved the cleansing of his soul from the leprosy of sin, the true goal of Christ's divine intervention. Of all the ailments arising from sin, leprosy, which was widespread in Judea and its neighboring areas, serves as a powerful symbol of its devastating impact on the soul. This is why God granted the Israelites a specific law in the Old Testament to protect them from this affliction. Leprosy begins in one part of the body and, if untreated, spreads throughout. Similarly, when sin is left unchallenged, its influence can expand and ultimately consume the entire soul. This contagious disease of leprosy was transmitted through touch, which is why God's law required priests to isolate lepers from the community and barred them from worship until they were cleansed. Sin, too, is a contagion that spreads silently through interactions among people. An unrepentant sinner, though not always excommunicated from the visible church by the ministers of God, remains exiled from the invisible communion of Saints by the judgment of the all-seeing God until repentance brings about their cleansing. Those suffering from leprosy are seldom, if ever, healed without a special touch of divine power; however, God alone possesses the ability to restore our souls from the deadly grasp of sin. The only-begotten Son of God, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, came to earth primarily to redeem sinners. And who among us, dear brethren, can boast of being without sin? How wonderful it is for us to seek healing for our spiritual wounds from such a compassionate and omnipotent Healer! What could be simpler than recognizing our sinful state, humbling ourselves before the foot of His cross, and, with the faith of a leper, imploring His boundless mercy to cleanse our hearts of sin? If we confess our sins, says St. John the Apostle, the Lord is faithful and righteous, that He may put away our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Hence, it is not so much our inherent sinfulness, from which we are washed in the holy font of baptism, but rather pride, disbelief, and a curious indifference to our salvation, that leaves a sinful wound in the souls of Christians, enabling it to proliferate. Or, as St. Paul the Apostle states to the unrepentant sinner: Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? Because of your hard-heartedness and unrepentant spirit, you are treasuring up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God (Rom. 2:4, 5). Truly, the goodness of God does not ignore any sinner, calling for the turning of their hearts towards repentance. The voice of the Lord, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, continuously cries out to each of us, sometimes through the blessings of temporal prosperity, other times through trials and tribulations that touch our public, familial, and personal lives. Everything in the natural world and civil society unfolds under the dominion of God's omnipotence, wisdom, and goodness, urging us toward Him. In moments when you, dear brethren, increasingly recognize the poverty and shortcomings of your souls, remember this is the merciful voice of the Lord awakening you from the slumber of sin. Do not hesitate to cry out to Him: Lord, if You will, You can cleanse me too. Do not stop seeking His help when you feel powerless against the hold of habitual sin and entrenched passions. Even when you find yourself, seemingly against your will, ensnared in the depths of sin, do not cease to call upon His almighty mercy. If your prayer comes from a genuine faith, He will eventually respond, and with His mighty hand, He will touch your suffering soul, purify your heart from the filth of sin, and strengthen you with His grace to walk continually in the light of His commandments, enabling you to share in the fellowship of the Saints both in this life and the next. For His merciful word assures us: It is not the healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (Matt. 9:12, 14). \\n\\nConsider, brethren, two other aspects of the leper’s healing. Jesus instructed him to present himself to the priest, thereby becoming a witness to his own cleansing; afterward, he was to offer to God a blameless one-year-old lamb as a sacrifice in the holy place, which was to be burned on the altar of the Lord’s temple. The first act symbolizes the Christian sacrament of repentance, where the remorseful sinner, with a humble and contrite heart, approaches the Lord in prayer, revealing his spiritual afflictions with the testimony of His minister, ultimately receiving assurance of forgiveness through the grace of Jesus Christ. The second relates to the highest sacrament of the New Testament Church: the sacrament of the most holy and life-giving Body and Blood of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ Himself, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, sacrificed on the Cross and offered on altars, through which, following true repentance, the sinner is healed, sanctified, and united with the Saints. St. Chrysostom, elucidating the salvific effects of this sacrament on believers' hearts, explains that a Christian who partakes in faith and love, worthily receiving this holy gift, becomes so pure and holy that, should it be God's will, upon separation from the body, the soul would ascend on the wings of angels into paradise, into the kingdom of the Father in heaven, unhindered. The goodness of our Saviour is so boundlessly great towards us sinners that even when He ascended into heaven, He left us His enduring Word, which is always alive and powerful, alongside the reparative grace of repentance that is ever-accessible, the treasure of sanctification that never fails, and the fountain of life that continually flows. It is incumbent upon us, brethren, to open our hearts to receive the light of His word, to seek the Physician of our souls and bodies in our weaknesses, and to unite ourselves with our Lord, God, and Redeemer Jesus Christ in purity and holiness, filled with desire and faith for the promise of eternal life given to all who genuinely love Him. Amen."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"\\"Tell no one\\": this instruction likely held true only until the healed individual completed the necessary legal rites for a person purged of leprosy. He was to go to Jerusalem to the priest without revealing his healing, in order to adhere to the law. Alternatively, \\"Christ instructed the leper to remain silent to guard against pride and greed\\" (Chrysostom and Theophilus); or perhaps in his lowliness, in accordance with prophecy (cf. Matt. 12:16 and note). It may also be that the Lord wanted to avoid stirring up false and unrealistic expectations about the Messiah's kingdom through the revelation of the miracle until clearer and more reasonable understandings of this kingdom were disseminated among the people. - \\"Present yourself to the priest,\\" who was mandated by the law to examine leprosy and issue the necessary directives (Leviticus 13:14, etc.). - \\"Offer the gift prescribed by Moses\\": this offering or sacrifice required from one healed of leprosy included two live birds, with one being sacrificed and the other released into the open, along with two one-year-old unblemished lambs or, if the individual healed was poor, one lamb and two turtledoves or two young pigeons. The process of purification is detailed in Leviticus 14. - \\"For a testimony to them\\": the priest's testimony was essential for the healed individual to reintegrate into society and to regain all public and religious rights. Upon completion of this process, the miracle of healing was verified before the crowd; once the priest acknowledged him as healed, the people could affirm that he had experienced a miraculous healing through Jesus Christ, with the priest’s acknowledgment serving as evidence that the affliction had truly been cured. \\"For a witness unto them\\" - indicating that the Lord does not abolish the law, but fulfills it (Euth. Sig.): \\"when I am accused of violating the law, you will bear witness to this, for I command you to present what the law prescribes\\" (Theophilus)."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"And Jesus instructed him, “See that you tell no one, but go right away and present yourself to the priest.” The Lord understands that our sinful nature can sometimes lead us to boast and speak excessively, driven by mere pride, about the miracles He has performed in our lives, which is why He asks us to keep them to ourselves. Nevertheless, this does not stop a thankful heart from declaring the works of God for His glory. St. Chrysostom asks, “What was the purpose of the Lord directing the healed man to appear before the priest and offer a gift?” The answer lies in fulfilling the Law. The Mosaic Law stated that a cleansed leper must present himself to the priest and provide evidence of his healing, and only upon the priest's judgment could he be accepted among the clean. If the priest did not declare the leper clean, he remained an outcast, outside the camp. Thus, the Savior instructed, “Show yourself to the priest,” as He believed the offering prescribed by Moses served as a testimony to them. He did not command, “Bring the offering that I have ordained,” but referred to the Law of the period so that the Jews would not claim He was usurping the honor of the priests; He performed the miracle Himself and entrusted the priests with confirming it, making them the arbiters of His works. It is only one who respects the Law and honors Moses, rather than opposing the ancient commandments, who truly adheres to these principles. The Lord intended to demonstrate that the New Covenant is in harmony with the Old and that the One who has brought about healing is indeed the same One who instituted the Law."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Jesus instructed the man he had healed to remain quiet about what had occurred but to go directly to Jerusalem to present himself to the priest and offer the appropriate sacrifices. Some scholars suggest that if the healed man had waited to see the priest, news of his miraculous healing might have reached Jerusalem before he arrived, allowing the priests, who were opposed to Jesus, to assert that he never had leprosy. The Evangelist Mark notes (Mark 1:42) that when Jesus sent the healed man to the priest, he gazed at him with intensity. Bishop Michael offers insight into this seriousness of the usually gentle Jesus, explaining that the law prohibited lepers from entering another's home, and out of hope for healing, the leper had crossed this boundary by entering the place where Jesus was. Therefore, after healing the leper in response to his faith, Jesus, through his stern look, addressed the breach of the law (The Explanatory Gospel. 2:25). However, this interpretation is questionable. There is no evidence to support the claim that the leper entered a house where Christ was. Mark's account indicates that the leper exited after being healed, and he could have emerged from the crowd surrounding Jesus. Furthermore, Matthew’s narrative clarifies that when Jesus descended from the mountain, a leper approached him (Matthew 8:1-2). Whether the leper entered a house or mingled with the crowd, he was still in violation of the Mosaic law, which was aimed at preventing the spread of leprosy. Yet, without such infringement of the law, the healing would not have occurred; thus, it is unlikely that Christ would condemn the profound faith that motivated the leper to disregard the law. In a similar situation, when the woman with a flow of blood violated the Mosaic law to come near Jesus, He did not condemn her but affirmed, “Courage, daughter, your faith has saved you” (Matthew 9:22). Likewise, Jesus did not rebuke the leper for his unyielding faith, and if he gazed at him intently, it could have been to reinforce his instruction not to divulge the miracle. The healed man, overwhelmed with gratitude and awe for the one who restored him, could not contain his joy; he shared the news far and wide and declared the remarkable miracle that had occurred. The Gospel writers do not record the reactions of the priests in Jerusalem to his testimony. The miracle and the man’s enthusiastic account garnered much attention for Jesus, leading to the gathering of large crowds, yet He often withdrew to solitary places to pray, seeking respite from the throngs."},{"author-name":"Lopuchin A.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c891400ee1341634d2276d_Lopuchin%20A.P..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Simultaneously, the Savior instructed the man who had been healed not to reveal what had transpired. Touching a leper, which was against the law, could ignite another outcry from the cold-hearted legalists, who valued the rigid adherence to the law over compassion for humanity. Instead, the man was to present himself to the priests and offer the required gift to obtain an official declaration of his healing. However, overwhelmed with joy at his newfound freedom, he could not keep his excitement to himself and disregarded the command of silence, proclaiming his healing everywhere."}]}
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