By the law of God, Lev 5:3, he that touched another who was unclean (as the leper was, Lev 13:1-14:57) was unclean; how then doth Christ (who was subject to the law) touch the leper? Some say he did not touch the unclean leper, but him that was a leper, and by his touch made clean. But it is a better answer, that by what Christ did as he was God (such were his miraculous operations) he could not contract any ritual uncleanness; and possibly under the law the priest was exempted from that uncleanness, for he came very near the leper in his office about him, expressed Lev 13:1-14:57. Nor do we read of any uncleanness contracted by Aaron in his performance of his office to Miriam under her leprosy, nor by the priests, 2Ch 26:20, though it be said they thrust out Uzziah. Christ, by putting forth his hand, showed his kindness to this miserable creature; by healing him with a touch, he showed his Divine power.

Saying, I will; be thou clean: he answereth him in his own term, I will, and then commands the thing. How acceptable is faith to God!

And immediately his leprosy was cleansed, that is, removed; the word immediately confirms the miracle, it was not only a thing done without ordinary means, but without the ordinary time requisite for such a cure.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

3. And Jesusor “He,”according to another reading,”moved with compassion,”says Mark (Mr 1:41); a preciousaddition.

put forth his hand, andtouched himSuch a touch occasioned ceremonial defilement (Le5:3); even as the leper’s coming near enough for contact wasagainst the Levitical regulations (Le13:46). But as the man’s faith told him there would be no casefor such regulations if the cure he hoped to experience should beaccomplished, so He who had healing in His wings transcended all suchstatutes.

saying, I will; be thoucleanHow majestic those two words! By not assuring the man ofHis power to heal him, He delightfully sets His seal to theman’s previous confession of that power; and by assuring him of theone thing of which he had any doubt, and for which he waitedHiswill to do itHe makes a claim as divine as the cure whichimmediately followed it.

And immediately his leprosywas cleansedMark, more emphatic, says (Mr1:42), “And as soon as He had spoken, immediately theleprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed”as perfectlyas instantaneously. What a contrast this to modern pretended cures!

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him,…. This is a wonderful instance both of the grace, and goodness of Christ, in touching this loathsome creature; and of his unspotted purity and holiness, which could not be defiled by it; and of his mighty power in healing by a touch, and with a word of his mouth,

saying, I will, be thou clean: in which he expresses at once his willingness, “I will”, of which the leper before was not certain; and his power by a word of command, “be thou clean”; and in which also is shown the readiness of Christ to do it: he did not stand parleying with the man, or making any further trial of his faith, or objecting to him his uncleanness; but at once stretches out his hand, touches his filthy flesh, and commands off the disorder. A great encouragement this, for poor sensible sinners to betake themselves to Christ, under a sense of their guilt and filth; who readily receives such, in no wise casts them out, but gives immediate discoveries of his power and grace unto them:

And immediately his leprosy was cleansed, or he was cleansed from it; he was not only pronounced clean, but was made so; he was thoroughly healed of the disease of leprosy. The Jews, themselves acknowledge this fact; for so they tell us in their wicked and blasphemous book e, that Jesus should say,

“bring me a leper, and I will heal him; and they brought him a leper, and he healed him also by Shemhamphorash,”

i.e. by the ineffable name Jehovah. Though they greatly misrepresent the matter; for this man was not brought by others, at the request of Christ, but came of his own accord; nor was he healed by the use of any name, as if it was done by a sort of magic, but by a touch of his hand, and the word of his mouth. Whether this was the same man with Simon the leper, Mt 26:6 as some have thought, is not certain.

e Toldos Jesu, p. 8.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

1) “And Jesus put forth his hand,” (kai ekteinas ten cheira) “And (Jesus) stretching out his hand,” or when he had stretched out his hand, not to condemn or push him away, but to help; He was “moved with compassion,” to touch him, to keep him from perishing, Mr 1:4; Joh 3:16.

2) “And touched him, saying,” (hepsato auto legon) “He touched him saying,” or while proceeding to touch him with hands upon him, to remove, not receive defilement, spoke out as follows: (See Lev 5:2-3; Heb 7:26).

3) “I will; be thou clean.” (thelo katharisthetai) “I will, (to do it), be thou cleansed,” from the 1) Loathsome, 2) Spreading, and 3) Incurable malady. It is a grand thought that Matthew’s first story of healing was of this unclean sinner, the leading type of an alien sinner, whom Jesus came to save, Luk 19:10. Jesus has a ready answer for a ready faith, Act 16:31; Joh 6:37.

4) “And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” (kai eutheos ekaristhe autou he lepra) “And instantly his leprosy was cleansed.” Note that this first recorded healing miracle was: 1) First, of an incurable disease, 2) Second, instantaneously done, and 3) Third, it was complete, as Mr 1:42 describes it, “Immediately the leprosy departed from him and he was cleansed;” This is the way Jesus saves, quickly; or regenerates by His Spirit, Joh 3:3-8; Joh 6:63; Joh 5:24; 1Jn 5:1; Rom 1:16; Rom 10:8-13; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5-6.

This lesson teaches that: 1) The vilest sinner may come to Jesus, 2) The weakest sinner can come to Him, and, 3) To be delivered, the vilest sinner must be willing, to come, to be delivered from the eternal consequences of sin.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

3. Having stretched out his hand, he touched Under the Law, the touch of a leper was infectious; but as Christ possesses such purity as to repel all filth and defilement, he does not, by touching, either pollute himself with leprosy, or become a transgressor of the law. When he took upon him our flesh, he did not only deign to touch as with his hand, but was united to one and the same body with ourselves, that we might be flesh of his flesh, (Gen 2:23.) Nor did he only stretch out his arm to us, but descended from heaven even to hell, and yet contracted no stain from it, but, retaining his innocence, took away all our impurities, and sprinkled us with his holiness. By his word alone he might have healed the leper; but he applied, at the same time, the touch of his hand, to express the feeling of compassion. Nor ought this to excite our wonder, since he chose to take upon him our flesh, that he might cleanse us from our sins. The stretching out of his hand was therefore an expression and token of infinite grace and goodness. What we indolently read, and coldly pass by, cannot be duly weighed without great astonishment. The Son of God was so far from disdaining to talk to a leper, that he even stretched out his hand to touch that uncleanness.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

(3) Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him.The act was itself a proof at once of the will and the power to heal. He did not fear becoming unclean by that contact, and was therefore not subject to the law that forbade the touch. And He met the one element of doubt in the sufferers mind by the wordsyet more, perhaps, the tone or look that told of pityI will; be thou clean. St. Mark adds, Had compassion on him.

Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.We may venture to picture the process to our minds: the skin cleansed, the sores closed, the diseased whiteness giving way to the tints and tones of health.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

3. Touched him It was contrary to law to touch the unclean leper. But here was a finger which could contract no uncleanness; impurity fled from its approach; it purified what it touched.

Immediately his leprosy was cleansed How sweet must have been the sensations of renewing health and wholeness. The crumbling limbs renew their shape, the blood flows quickly through the system, the eye recovers its brightness, and the voice its music. He stands up once more in his pure, vigorous manhood; and scarce can he wait the Lord’s commands, before he must rush through the country, a living wonder, to tell the story of his salvation.

Contrary to the order of Harmonists generally, yet without making any alteration in the Synopsis, I have supposed in my notes upon this miracle, that it was performed in the order followed by Matthew, namely, immediately after the Sermon on the Mount. For proof that this is uncontradicted by either evangelist, see supplementary note, page 351 (End of Matthew).

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

‘And he stretched forth his hand, and touched him, saying, “I will. Be you made clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.’

We too should pause and worship as we consider this sentence and weigh up its significance. For in it we see compassion, and mercy, and thoughtfulness, and willingness to consider the most lowly of men, and on top of that power beyond expression. It summarises in its brief scope a manifestation of unique tenderness, together with a miracle of outstanding proportions.

‘He stretched forth His hand and touched him.’ We can be sure that everyone else was backing off and keeping well away from this grotesque man, and they were no doubt waiting for Jesus to draw back and bid the man remember Who and what He was. No doubt the man was expecting it as well. And then the unbelievable happened. To the amazement of all present the Prophet actually stepped towards him and touched him. Apart from fellow-lepers no one had touched him since the day that his skin-disease had been confirmed. He must have been simply astounded. And no doubt all who followed Jesus were horrified. Not being aware of the depth of feeling about such cases we cannot appreciate how horrified they would have been. They would be as turned to stone.

Here we have the first reference in Matthew to Jesus’ touch of power. It will be repeated a number of times in this passage. But in no other case will it produce the shock that it produced here. It was just not done to touch an obviously skin-diseased person. It was almost like touching the dead, and totally destructive of ritual purity.

And then Jesus said, “I will. Be clean.’ We note that Jesus did not reply in the way that others would have expected. He did not say, ‘You mean if God wills.’ He accepted that the man had seen what others had not seen, that all depended on His will. And so He spoke His will, and said ‘Be clean.’ The voice that had once said, “Let light be” (Gen 1:2), now said ‘Be clean’. It was the voice of the Creator, Who alone could restore a man from such a condition. Following the touch of power came the word of power, His powerful creative word (Heb 1:3).

A healing like this had happened once before to a man who had been in such a condition for a long time, but there the prophet had kept away from the skin-diseased man and had not touched him. And he had bid him go and wash in the Jordan, leaving the cure in God’s hands (2Ki 5:1-19). But a greater than Elisha was here, One Who could Himself directly remove uncleanness. It is a reminder that Jesus can make all men clean when they come to Him (Joh 13:10; 1Jn 1:7).

‘And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.’ The change was apparent to all, and none moreso than the man himself. We will not try to put into words what he thought. It was beyond words. The whole of his awful past had rolled away. The pain of years had fallen away. He was clean. All traces of his dreadful disease had gone. Once more he would be able to live and associate with other people, because of the One Who ‘Himself took our infirmities and bore our diseases’ (Mat 8:17). For he was cleansed and healed. But notice the word, ‘cleansed’. He was also clean through and through. The great barrier that had been between him and the rest of mankind was gone, and for the first time for many years he would once more be able to enter the house of God and mingle with other worshippers.

The question may arise as to why Jesus was able to touch the leper and not Himself become unclean. The answer lies within the result of the act itself. The Cleanser could not be rendered clean by the uncleanness, for by His touch the uncleanness was removed. You did not argue about cleanness with the Cleanser. He removed uncleanness. As a result of His touch and His word it no longer existed. That is why in Jesus all things were rendered clean to those who are His.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

The miracle:

v. 3. And Jesus put forth His hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

v. 4. And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man, but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

Jesus was touched with compassion, Mar 1:41. His sympathy and willingness to help cause Him to stretch forth His hand and touch the leper, an intimate gesture showing complete understanding and begetting confidence. And His almighty “I will” quietly assumed the sovereign authority for a clear demonstration of unlimited power. Not a mere pronouncing clean, as the rationalists will have it, but a miracle: The leprosy that had even now rendered the leper a hideous, misshapen travesty of God’s creature disappeared at once, without delay. He was clean. Christ had reasons for avoiding a false popularity at this time. The people were wrought up to such a pitch of excitement on account of His teaching and because of His many miracles that they might have been prompted to hail Him, according to their false understanding of the Messianic kingdom, as their earthly king. This would have excited the hatred of the Jewish leaders too early and caused suspicion and jealousy on the part of the government, all of which would have hindered His ministry. Besides, a premature spreading of the news might reach the ears of the priests before the leper actually presented himself, and their enmity might cause them to refuse a recognition of cleanness. And Jesus wanted to observe the precepts of the official religion. Mat 3:15. See to it, look you! He says: a prompt, decisive, though cordial command. Lose no time in unnecessary and useless conversation by the way; hurry is essential. Fulfill the injunctions prescribed in your case, Lev 14:10-32; sacrifice the gift which the Law demands, get a clean bill of health from the constituted authorities. This would be a testimony, not only for the legalists, but also or all men. In this way might the former leper spread the news of the miracle properly, as he probably also did, Mar 1:45.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

Mat 8:3. And Jesus put forth his hand, &c. Dr. Doddridge supposes that our Saviour took this leper aside from the multitude, without which he thinks there could have been no room for the charge of secresy which Jesus gave. This circumstance certainly happened in another cure. See Mar 8:23. Christ had taught with authority, ch. Mat 7:29 which he immediately confirms by wonderful actions. The priest, after a long trial, pronounced whether a man was cured of his leprosy or not; but Christ healed him with a word. St.Matthew could not have related the matter in more proper terms. This is that sublimity which Longinus so much admires in Moses. See his treatise on the Sublime, sect. 9.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

Ver. 3. And Jesus put forth his hand, &c. ] The law forbade contactum contagionis, non sanationis. The high priest might enter a leprous house, &c. “We have not an high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities,” Heb 4:15 . Better might he say, than St Cyprian, Cum singulis pectus meum copulo, moeroris et funeris pondera luctuosa participo, cum plangentibus plango, cum deflentibus defleo, &c. Than St Paul, “Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is afflicted, and I burn not?” 2Co 11:29 . It was held a great condescension in King Alphonsus to use his skill for the recovery of one of his sick subjects: what was it here in Christ the King of kings and Lord of lords?

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

3. ] He who just now expansively fulfilled the law by word and commands , now does the same by act and deed: the law had forbidden the touching of the leper, Lev 5:3 . It was an act which stood on the same ground as the healing on the Sabbath, of which we have so many instances. So likewise the prophets Elijah and Elisha touched the dead in the working of a miracle on them (1Ki 17:21 ; 2Ki 4:34 ). The same almighty power which suspends natural laws, supersedes ceremonial laws.

Here is a noble example illustrating His own precept so lately delivered, ‘Give to him that asketh thee.’ Again, we can hardly forbear to recognize, in His touching the leper, a deed symbolic of His taking on him, touching, laying hold of, our nature. Compare Luk 14:4 , , with Heb 2:16 , .

] ‘Echo prompta ad fidem leprosi maturam.’ Bengel ad loc.

. . . ] Luke’s words ( Mat 8:13 ), , are more strictly correct in construction. See also Mar 1:42 . A curious instance of the theological littleness which has been shewn in treating our Lord’s great acts of Divine Love, is cited here by Bp. Wordsw. from Ambrose: “Dicit ‘volo’ propter Photinum (who said that our Lord was a mere man): imperat propter Arium (who denied His equality with the Father): tangit propter Manichum (who said that Christ had not human flesh, but was only a phantom).”

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

Jesus. All the texts (App-94.) read “He”.

I will = I am willing. See App-102.

his leprosy was cleansed. Figure of speech Hypallage (App-6) = he was cleansed of his leprosy. Kaharizo is found in the Papyri and in Inscriptions in this sense.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

3. ] He who just now expansively fulfilled the law by word and commands, now does the same by act and deed: the law had forbidden the touching of the leper, Lev 5:3. It was an act which stood on the same ground as the healing on the Sabbath, of which we have so many instances. So likewise the prophets Elijah and Elisha touched the dead in the working of a miracle on them (1Ki 17:21; 2Ki 4:34). The same almighty power which suspends natural laws, supersedes ceremonial laws.

Here is a noble example illustrating His own precept so lately delivered, Give to him that asketh thee. Again, we can hardly forbear to recognize, in His touching the leper, a deed symbolic of His taking on him, touching, laying hold of, our nature. Compare Luk 14:4, , with Heb 2:16, .

] Echo prompta ad fidem leprosi maturam. Bengel ad loc.

. . .] Lukes words (Mat 8:13), , are more strictly correct in construction. See also Mar 1:42. A curious instance of the theological littleness which has been shewn in treating our Lords great acts of Divine Love, is cited here by Bp. Wordsw. from Ambrose: Dicit volo propter Photinum (who said that our Lord was a mere man): imperat propter Arium (who denied His equality with the Father): tangit propter Manichum (who said that Christ had not human flesh, but was only a phantom).

Fuente: The Greek Testament

Mat 8:3. , His hand) to which the leprosy, that would have polluted others, was compelled to yield.-, I will) corresponding to, If thou wilt. A prompt echo to the matured faith of the leper. The very prayer of the leper contained the words of the desired reply. The expression, I will, implies the highest authority. Our Lord performed His first miracles immediately, that He might not appear to have had any difficulty in performing them: but after He had established His authority, He frequently interposed a delay salutary to men.

Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament

put: 2Ki 5:11

I will: Gen 1:3, Psa 33:9, Mar 1:41, Mar 4:39, Mar 5:41, Mar 7:34, Mar 9:25, Luk 5:13, Luk 7:14, Joh 5:21, Joh 11:43, Joh 15:24

immediately: Mat 11:4, Mat 11:5, 2Ki 5:14, Luk 17:14, Luk 17:15

Reciprocal: Exo 4:7 – it was turned 2Ki 5:3 – he would Mat 8:8 – but Mat 8:15 – touched Mar 5:23 – lay thy hands Mar 8:22 – to touch Luk 8:44 – immediately Luk 18:42 – Receive Act 9:34 – Jesus Christ

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

SIN AND ITS CLEANSING

And Jesus put forth His hand and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean.

Mat 8:3

These words, spoken to a leper, were the very last words that any one, save He Who spake them, would have dreamed of saying. Most men, if they had spoken at all, would have bidden him keep his distance. But the words on the lips of Jesus were words of real authority, and a mysterious virtue went forth simultaneously with them from the Speaker, and made the leper wholeImmediately his leprosy was cleansed.

I. A great example to be followed.The words of Jesus not only express the tenderest pity for the sufferer, but likewise His abhorrence of the disease which caused his suffering. The mind of Christ is to be the mind of His followers. If it was His mind to wage war upon disease, it is to be the mind of His followers too.

II. Deep spiritual truths which concern every one.Leprosy was Gods own picture of the souls disease which He calls by the name of sin. When then Jesus said, Be thou clean, and by His Divine power made the leper clean, it is to us a most blessed revelation of how the cleansing of the soul can be brought about. Now, by the cleansing of the soul we mean

(a) The removal of the guilt that attaches to every human soul by reason of sin. There is no human power that can release the soul from that guilt. We are meant to learn the stupendous lesson that the Son of God was manifested, and that He lived and died that death upon the cross on purpose that He might say to the leprous soul, Be thou clean. And He does say it. He said it again and again on earth; He has said it over and over again through the ages, by the ministry of His Church. That cleansing is conditional upon

(b) The cleansing of repentance. Repentance means the actual forsaking of sin, and nothing less. Repentance is impossible to a man or woman left to themselves. Jesus was exalted that He might give repentance, and He is ready to give it to the soul that seeks for it, and to say, Be thou clean.

(c) This cleansing of repentance is the one sure guarantee of the cleansing of pardon. How do you know that God has forgiven you your sins? The voice of Christ still says to us, Be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee; but He says it upon the one condition which can never be left out of sight, that thou art ready, and willing, and anxious to forsake thy sins; when thy penitence is sincere, and when thou hast placed the sacrifice of thy penitence at the foot of the cross, then the voice comes forth, Be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee.

Dean P. F. Eliot.

Illustration

Leprosy appears to be a mysterious disease, the cause of which doctors do not know. It is not peculiar to one nationNorwegians, Italians, Spaniards, Hindoos suffer from it, as well as Syrians. One curious fact is that townsmen do not suffer from it, though the lepers live close to the towns. The dreadful plague does not become manifest before the age of twelve, nor later than forty-five. The patients suffer pain at first, and, in later stages, much distress; then physical strength and animal life dies out, and they are, in their own words, like oxen, without feeling or intellectual power, scarcely conscious of the outer world; their voice becomes changed to a feeble whine, husky and querulous; their joints and features waste away, and swelling and black discoloration ensue. The flesh decays, until the appearance of an advanced case is ghastly in the extreme; and a raw wound may be burnt with an iron in their bodies, producing only a slightly pleasing sensation. They die finally of leprosy. The lepers at Jerusalem live in huts near the S.W. corner of the town, inside the wall, and marry lepers, and the disease, which reappears in their children, thus becomes hereditary.

(SECOND OUTLINE)

THE LEPER AND THE SAVIOUR

I. The leper.This man, without a precedent to guide him, was perfectly confident about the competence of Jesus to heal his disease. This is a remarkable fact. It is more remarkable still when we remember that to cure leprosy was rightly regarded as the prerogative of God alone; and so, under the circumstances, the use of the expression Lord probably points to a perception, on the part of him who used it, of the Divine character and authority of the Prophet of Galilee.

II. The Saviour.Our Lord was not at all displeased at the lepers intrusion into His presence. Unquestionably, it was a liberty; more than this, it was a violation of order. Jesus took in the whole situation at a glance, and the exceptional bodily misery of the man, and his anxiety on account of sin and his sense of personal demerit disposed the heart of the Lord to compassion. He put forth His hand and touched him. It was, of course, quite unnecessary for Jesus to do this. The mere utterance of a word would have been enough. And besides, it startled the crowd to see the Prophet of Galilee incurring the risk of ceremonial pollution. Here we see the Saviours desire to set before His followers the true nature and method of redemptive work.

III. The touch of Christ.Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost; and, in order to achieve His purpose, hesitated not to touch the open sores of humanity, by extending the blessings of His loving companionship to the publican and the sinner, to the harlot and the drunkard, to the lowest and most degraded of mankindif, by such means, He might hope to deliver them. The story of the leper shows us that there is no degradation so profound that Christ cannot lift us up out of it; no guilt of so deep a dye that it cannot be washed out in the precious blood of the Atonement; no pollution so foul, or so ingrained in the soul, that it cannot be counteracted and cast out by the Almighty Spirit of God.

Prebendary Gordon Calthrop.

Illustration

A sailor, who met with a serious accident, was carried to a London hospital. The poor mother hurried to the building to see her son. She stole softly to his bedside, and gazed at her unconscious boy. She dare not speak, but gently laying her hand on his fevered brow she let it rest there a moment, and then noiselessly crept from the room. The watchful nurse heard the comatose sleeper murmur the words, Her touch! and, rousing himself, he added, Surely my mother has been here; I knew her touch! Ah! there was an electric thrill of sympathy in that touch, which told its own tale to the dying man. So the touch of Christ is unlike any other touch.

Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary

8:3

Jesus was willing to heal the leper and did so both by physical contact and word of mouth. The healing was immediate and not like the pretended working of miracles today where the patient is exhorted to “hold out with faith and finally be cured.”

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

[Jesus touched him.] It was indeed a wonder, that when the leprosy was a creeping infection, the priest, when he judged of it, was not hurt with the infection. It cannot be passed over without observation, that Aaron, being bound under the same guilt with Miriam, bore not the same punishment: for she was touched with leprosy, he not, Numbers_12. And also that Uzziah should be confuted concerning his encroaching upon the priesthood no other way than by the plague of leprosy. In him God would magnify the priesthood, that was to judge of the leprosy; and he would shew the other was no priest, by his being touched with the leprosy. It can scarcely be denied, indeed, that the priests sometimes might be touched with that plague; but certainly they catched not the contagion while they were doing their office in judging of it. This is a noble doctrine of our High Priest, the Judge and Physician of our leprosy, while he remains wholly untouched by it. How much does he surpass that miracle of the Levitical priesthood! They were not touched by the contagion when they touched the leprous person; he, by his touch, heals him that hath the infection.

Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels

Mat 8:3. And he (the best authorities omit Jesus) stretched forth his hand and touched him. Such touch was forbidden. Despite the consequent healing, it may have been regarded by the Pharisees as rendering Jesus unclean.

I will; be thou made clean, in direct correspondence with the lepers expression of faith.

And straightway his leprosy was cleansed. The touch of a leper defiled, carried contagion, but the touch of our Lord overcame the defilement and contagion, removing the disease. Our Lords act in this case, as in most of His miracles, stands in a certain outward relation to the effect produced. The obvious lesson is: Go to Christ in faith for healing from spiritual leprosy.

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament