Mark 1:40 (WEB)
A leper came to him, begging him, kneeling down to him, and saying to him, “If you want to, you can make me clean.”
Catechism · 1
“Prayer to Jesus is answered by him already during his ministry, through signs that anticipate the power of his death and Resurrection: Jesus hears the prayer of faith, expressed in words (the leper, Jairus, the Canaanite woman, the good thief)” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Mk 1:40-41; 5:36; 7:29; Cf. Lk 23:39-43.
Fathers and councils · 25
Augustine of Hippo
“For the same Mark continues his account thus: “And there came a leper to Him, beseeching Him; and kneeling down to Him, said, If Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean.”” — editor's note: Mark i. 40.
Read the whole comment“…so on, down to where it is said, “And they cried out, saying, Thou art the Son of God: and He straightway charged them that they should not make Him known.”” — editor's note: Mark i. 40-iii. 12.
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John Chrysostom
““For when He was come down from the mountain, there came a leper, saying, Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean.”” — editor's note: Matt. vii. 2. [The first clause is from verse 1; and the passages are joined to point the lesson from the assumed delay. But there can be little doubt that the…
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Clement of Alexandria
““Will,” it is said, “and thou shalt be able.”” — editor's note: Perhaps in allusion to the leper’s words to Christ, “If Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean” (Mark i. 40).
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Catena Aurea on Mark
- BedeCatena Aurea on Mark
After that the serpent-tongue of the devils was shut up, and the woman, who was first seduced, cured of a fever, in the third place, the man, who listened to the evil counsels of the woman, is cleansed from his…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Mark
Mark puts together circumstances, from which one may infer that he is the same as that one whom Matthew relates to have been cleansed, when the Lord came down from the mount, after the sermon. [Matt 8:2]
Read the whole comment - BedeCatena Aurea on Mark
And because the Lord said that He came “not to destroy the Law but to fulfill,” [Matt. 5:17] he who was excluded by the Law, inferring that he was cleansed by the power of the Lord, shewed that grace, which could…
Read the whole comment - Theophylact of OhridCatena Aurea on Mark
For he said not, If thou wilt, pray unto God, but, “If Thou wilt,” as thinking Him very God.
Read the whole comment - BedeCatena Aurea on Mark
Moreover, he doubted of the will of the Lord, not as disbelieving His compassion, but, as conscious of his own filth, he did not presume. It goes on; “But Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth His hand, and touched…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Mark
Further, the reason why He touches the leper, and did not confer health upon him by word alone, was, that it is said by Moses in the Law, that he who touches a leper shall be unclean till the evening; that is, that…
Read the whole comment - BedeCatena Aurea on Mark
Another reason why He touched him, was to proved that He could not be defiled, who free others from pollution. At the same time it is remarkable, that He healed in the way in which He had been begged to heal. “If…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Mark
Moreover, by this, not only did He not take away the opinion of Him entertained by the leper, but He confirmed it; for He puts to flight the disease by a word, and what the leper had said in word, He filled up in…
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For there is no interval between the work of God and the command, because the work is in the command, for “He commanded, and they were created.” [Ps 148:5] There follows: “And He straitly charged him, and forthwith,…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Mark
As if He said, It is not yet time that My works should be preached, I require not thy preaching. By which He teaches us not to seek worldly honour as a reward for our works. It goes on: “But go thy way, shew thyself…
Read the whole comment - BedeCatena Aurea on Mark
This He did in order that the priest might understand that the leper was not healed by the Law, but by the grace of God above the Law. There follows: “And offer for thy cleansing what Moses, &c.”
Read the whole comment - Theophylact of OhridCatena Aurea on Mark
He ordered him to offer the gift which they who were healed were accustomed to offer, as if for a testimony, that He was not against the Law, but rather confirmed the Law, inasmuch as He Himself worked out the…
Read the whole comment - BedeCatena Aurea on Mark
If any one wonders, how the Lord seems to approve of the Jewish sacrifice, which the Church rejects, let him remember that He had not yet offered His own holocaust in His passion. And it was not right that…
Read the whole comment - Theophylact of OhridCatena Aurea on Mark
But the leper, although the Lord forbade him disclosed the benefit, wherefore it goes on: “But he having gone out, began to publish and to blaze abroad the tale;” for the person benefitted ought to be grateful, and…
Read the whole comment - BedeCatena Aurea on Mark
Now it may well be asked, why our Lord ordered His action to be concealed, and yet it could not be kept hid for an hour? But it is to be observed, that the reason why, in doing a miracle, He ordered it to be kept…
Read the whole comment - BedeCatena Aurea on Mark
Further, this perfect cure of one man brought large multitudes to the Lord. Wherefore it is added, “So that He could not any more openly enter into the city, but could only be without in desert places.”
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Mark
For the leper every where proclaimed his wonderful cure, so that all ran to see and to believe on the Healer; thus the Lord could not preach the Gospel, but walked in desert places. Wherefore there follows, “And they…
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Mark
Mystically, our leprosy is the sin of the first man, which began from the head, when he desired the kingdom of the world. For covetousness is the root of all evil; wherefore Gehazi, engaged in an avaritious pursuit,…
Read the whole comment - BedeCatena Aurea on Mark
But when the hand of the Saviour, that is, the Incarnate Word of God, is stretched out, and touches human nature, it is cleansed from the various parts of the old error.
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Mark
This leprosy is cleansed on offering an oblation to the true Priest after the order of Melchisedec; for He tells us, “Give alms of such things as ye have, and, behold, all things are clean unto you.” [Luke 11:41] But…
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Even after working a miracle in that city, the Lord retires into the desert, to shew that He loves best a quiet life, and one far removed from the cares of the world, and that it is on account of this desire, He…
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Cross-references · 16
Parallel passages
Mark 1:40 and Luke 5:12 share the same wording (9 words).
Matthew 8:2 and Mark 1:40 share the same wording (14 words).
Cited together with
Cited together in Catechism §2616.
Cited together in Catechism §2616.
Cited together in Catechism §2616.
Cited together in Catechism §2616.
Cited together in The Stromata, or Miscellanies II.17.
Cited together in Catechism §2616.
Cited together in Catechism §2616.
Cited together in Catechism §2616.
Cited together in Catechism §2616.
Cited together in Catechism §2616.
Cited together in Catechism §2616.
Cited together in Catechism §2616.
Cited together in The Stromata, or Miscellanies II.17.
Cited together in Catechism §2616.