Jesus healed a leper. Why was more required? Do you remember? But if he was healed, why did Jesus tell him to go see a priest? The event is recorded in three of the Gospels. And they all tell it pretty much the same way. All three leave us with questions. Why did the healed man have to go see a Jewish priest? Why was that necessary? And to make it even more odd, Jesus told the man not to tell anyone how he was healed! What's going on?
Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record the incident. The differences are slight. More than that, the differences actually point to the answer to our question.
It is an important question. We sometimes hear about Jesus-plus. That's where we need Jesus, but then we need something else as well. For instance, we need Jesus, but we also must do enough good things in order to be saved.
The truth of the matter is, after we have Jesus and after we're saved, then we want to do things for His Kingdom. Not the other way around. So, what's going on here? Did the Jewish priest do something else that was required for the healing to be complete?
It's an important answer. It helps us to realize something that's important to understand when we read the Bible. When we read Jesus' words, we must account for who He was, who He spoke to, and the culture of His time. Let's answer the questions right away. Yes, Jesus was God. But Jesus was also human. And as a human, Jesus was Jewish. Jesus' audience was Jewish, for the most part. The culture in the area where Jesus lived was Jewish.
Do you see the trend? Jewish. For a lot of us, that's not how we live. Most of us are not Jewish. And certainly not 2,000 years ago Jewish! It is something I've spent a lot of time trying to learn about though. I have to say, it's opened up a whole new view of what's going on in the Bible. And while I'm Christian, it also puts a whole new perspective on what Jesus said. Therefore, on what He means as well. Truly eye-opening.
Summary
Discusses the biblical account of Jesus healing a leper and the subsequent requirement for the healed person to see a Jewish priest, as recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
Cultural Context: Emphasizes the importance of understanding Jesus’ actions within the Jewish cultural and religious context of the time, highlighting that Jesus was Jewish and operated within Jewish law.
Biblical Leprosy: The term ‘leprosy’ in the Bible is explained to cover a range of skin diseases, not just the specific disease known as Hansen’s disease today1..
Reading the Bible with Insight:: Encourages readers to delve deeper into the Bible by considering the cultural background, the intended audience of the Gospel writers, and the Old Testament foundations to gain a fuller understanding of the tex.
In conclusion, the web page delves into the biblical account of Jesus healing a leper and explores the cultural and religious significance of the event. It highlights the importance of understanding the context of Jesus’ actions within the Jewish culture and the Law of Moses. The discussion emphasizes that Jesus’ instruction for the healed man to see a priest was not an additional requirement for healing, but rather a fulfillment of the law and a testimony to the priests. This analysis encourages a deeper study of the Bible, considering the historical and cultural backdrop to gain a fuller understanding of its messages.
What happened when Jesus healed a leper?
Since the event is recorded in three Gospels, please bear with me while we check out all three of them.
First - Matthew
The Man With Leprosy - Matthew
8:2-4 pp — Mk 1:40-44; Lk 5:12-14
Mt 8:1 When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Mt 8:3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy. 4 Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
Second - Mark
A Man With Leprosy - Mark
1:40-44 pp — Mt 8:2-4; Lk 5:12-14
Mk 1:40 A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Mk 1:41 Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.
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