{1} And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

(1) Christ in healing the leprous with the touch of his hand, shows that he abhors no sinners that come unto him, be they ever so unclean.

People's New Testament

8:2 There came a leper. Compare Mr 1:40-45 Lu 5:12-15. Leprosy was a dreadful and hopeless disease. It begins as a skin disease, defies medical skill, and is a kind of living death. Dr. Schaff says:

Near the Jaffa gate of Jerusalem I saw, in 1877, these miserable creatures with withered limbs imploring aid, and visited a hospital of incurable lepers.''

There are various forms of the disease, but white leprosy seemed most common among the Hebrews. With it the sufferer became white from head to foot. The leper, by the law of Moses, was regarded unclean, was separated from the people, was regarded as death, and the disease was a type of sin. See Le 13:1-12 2Ki 5:27 Nu 5:2.

Lord. An expression of faith, as well as the words that follow.

Wesley's Notes

8:2 A leper came - Leprosies in those countries were seldom curable by natural means, any more than palsies or lunacy. Probably this leper, though he might not mix with the people, had heard our Lord at a distance. Mark 1:40; Luke 5:12.

Scofield Reference Notes

[1] behold, there came a leper

The King, having in Chapters 5.-7. declared the principles of the kingdom, makes proof, in Chapters 8., 9., of His power to banish from the earth the consequences of sin, and to control the elements of nature.

[2] Lord

Gr. Kurios. The first occurrence of the word is applied to Jesus with His evident sanction. In itself the word means "master," and is so used of mere human relationships in, e.g. Mt 6:24 15:27 Mk 13:35 Eph 6:9 Both uses, divine and human, are brought together in Col 4:1. It is the Gr. equivalent of the Heb. "Adonai." See Scofield Note: "Gen 15:2", and is Song used by Jesus Christ in Mt 22:43-35. In the N.T. the distinctive uses of Kurios (Lord) are:

(1) As the N.T. translation of the Heb. Jehovah (Lord), e.g. Mt 1:20,22 2:15 3:3 4:7,10 11:25 21:9 Mk 12:29,30 Lk 1:68 2:9

(2) Jesus Himself Song uses Kurios, e.g. Mt 4:7,10 11:25 Mk 12:11.

(3) But the great use of Kurios is as the divine title of Jesus, the Christ. In this sense it occurs in the N.T. 663 times. That the intent is to identify Jesus Christ with the O.T. Deity is evident from Mt 3:3 12:8 21:9 Ps 118:26 Mt 22:43-45 Lk 1:43 Jn 8:58 14:8-10 Jn 20:28 Acts 9:5 13:33. (Psa.2.). See Scofield Note: "Jn 20:28".

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2. And, behold, there came a leper-"a man full of leprosy," says Lu 5:12. Much has been written on this disease of leprosy, but certain points remain still doubtful. All that needs be said here is that it was a cutaneous disease, of a loathsome, diffusive, and, there is reason to believe, when thoroughly pronounced, incurable character; that though in its distinctive features it is still found in several countries-as Arabia, Egypt, and South Africa-it prevailed, in the form of what is called white leprosy, to an unusual extent, and from a very early period, among the Hebrews; and that it thus furnished to the whole nation a familiar and affecting symbol of SIN, considered as (1) loathsome, (2) spreading, (3) incurable. And while the ceremonial ordinances for detection and cleansing prescribed in this case by the law of Moses (Le 13:1-14:57) held forth a coming remedy "for sin and for uncleanness" (Ps 51:7; 2Ki 5:1, 7, 10, 13, 14), the numerous cases of leprosy with which our Lord came in contact, and the glorious cures of them which He wrought, were a fitting manifestation of the work which He came to accomplish. In this view, it deserves to be noticed that the first of our Lord's miracles of healing recorded by Matthew is this cure of a leper.

and worshipped him-in what sense we shall presently see. Mark says (Mr 1:40), he came, "beseeching and kneeling to Him," and Luke says (Lu 5:12), "he fell on his face."

saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean-As this is the only cure of leprosy recorded by all the three first Evangelists, it was probably the first case of the kind; and if so, this leper's faith in the power of Christ must have been formed in him by what he had heard of His other cures. And how striking a faith is it! He does not say he believed Him able, but with a brevity expressive of a confidence that knew no doubt, he says simply, "Thou canst." But of Christ's willingness to heal him he was not so sure. It needed more knowledge of Jesus than he could be supposed to have to assure him of that. But one thing he was sure of, that He had but to "will" it. This shows with what "worship" of Christ this leper fell on his face before Him. Clear theological knowledge of the Person of Christ was not then possessed even by those who were most with Him and nearest to Him. Much less could full insight into all that we know of the Only-begotten of the Father be expected of this leper. But he who at that moment felt and owned that to heal an incurable disease needed but the fiat of the Person who stood before him, had assuredly that very faith in the germ which now casts its crown before Him that loved us, and would at any time die for His blessed name.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

8:2-4 In these verses we have an account of Christ's cleansing a leper, who came and worshipped him, as one clothed with Divine power. This cleansing directs us, not only to apply to Christ, who has power over bodily diseases, for the cure of them, but it also teaches us in what manner to apply to him. When we cannot be sure of God's will, we may be sure of his wisdom and mercy. No guilt is so great, but there is that in Christ's blood which atones for it; no corruption so strong, but there is that in his grace which can subdue it. To be made clean we must commend ourselves to his pity; we cannot demand it as a debt, but we must humbly request it as a favour. Those who by faith apply to Christ for mercy and grace, may be sure that he is freely willing to give them the mercy and grace they thus seek. And those afflictions are blessed that bring us to know Christ, and cause us to seek help and salvation from him. Let those who are cleansed from their spiritual leprosy, go to Christ's ministers and open their case, that they may advise, comfort, and pray for them.