Matthew 8:1

“For this is how Matthew gives the history there: “Now, when He was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him; and, behold, there came a leper, and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean;” and so on.” — editor's note: Matt. viii. 1, 2.

“This, I would add, the evangelist too is intimating, when he saith, “great multitudes followed Him,”not any of the rulers, nor of the scribes, but as many as were free from vice, and had their judgment uncorrupted.” — editor's note: Matt. viii. 1.

After the preaching and teaching, is offered an occasion of working miracles, that by mighty works following, the preceding doctrine might be confirmed.

Because He taught them as one having authority, that He might not thence be supposed to use this method of teaching from ostentation, He does the same in works, as one having power to cure; and therefore, “When Jesus…

While the Lord taught on the mount, the disciples were with Him, for to them it was given to know the secret things of the heavenly doctrine; but now as He came down from the mount the crowds followed Him, who had…

Otherwise; By the mount on which the Lord sat is figured the Heaven, as it is written, “Heaven is my throne.” [Isa 66:1] But when the Lord sits on the mount, only the disciples come to Him; because before He took on…

Among others who were not able to ascent into the mount was the leper, as bearing the burden of sin; for the sin of our souls is a leprosy. And the Lord came down from the height of heaven, as from a mountain, that…

He works the cures below, and does none in the mount; for there is a time for all things under heaven, a time for teaching, and a time for healing. On the mount He taught, He cured souls, He healed hearts; which…

He did not ask it of Him as of a human physician, but adored Him as God. For faith and confession make a perfect prayer; so that the leprous man in adoring fulfilled the work of faith, and the work of confession in…

Lord, by Thee all things were made, Thou therefore, “if thou will, canst make me clean.” Thy will is the work, and all works are subject to Thy will. Thou of old cleansedst Naaman the Syrian of his leprosy by the…

He said not, If Thou wilt ask of God, or, If Thou wilt make adoration to God; but, “If thou wilt.” Nor did he say, Lord, cleanse me; but left all to Him, thereby making Him Lord and attributing to Him the power over all.

And thus he rewarded a spiritual Physician with a spiritual reward; for as physicians are gained by money, so He with prayer. We offer to God nothing more worthy than faithful prayer. In that he say, “If thou wilt,”…

He was able to cleanse by a word, or even by mere will, but He put out His hand, “He stretched forth his hand and touched him,” to shew that He was not subject to the Law, and that to the pure nothing is impure.…

But though He transgressed the letter of the Law, He did not transgress its meaning. For the Law forbade to touch leprosy, because it could not hinder that the touch should not defile; therefore it meant not that…

For He was not only God, but man also, whence He wrought Divine wonders by touch and word; for as by an instrument so by His body the Divine acts were done.

But for touching the leprous man there is none that accuses Him, because His hearers were not yet seized with envy against Him.

Had He healed him without speaking, who would know by whose power he had been healed? So the will to heal was for the sake of the leprous man; the word was for the sake of them that beheld, therefore He said, “I…

It is not to be read, as most of the Latins think, ‘I will cleanse thee;’ but separately, He first answers, “I will,” and then follows the command, “be thou clean.” The leper has said, “If thou wilt;” The Lord…

No where else do we see Him using this word though He be working ever so signal a miracle; but He here adds, “I will,” to confirm the opinion of the people and the leprous man concerning His power. Nature obeyed the…

Because he was not slow to believe, his cure is not delayed; he did not linger in his confession, Christ did not linger in His cure.

Luke has mentioned the cleansing of this leper, though not in the same order of events, but as his manner is to recollect things omitted, and to put first things that were done later, as they were divinely suggested;…

Jesus when healing his body bids him tell no man; “Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man.” Some say that He gave this command that they might, not through malice distrust his cure. But this is said foolishly,…

And in truth what need was there that he should proclaim with his mouth what was evidently shewed in his body?

Or that this healing might be sought rather than offered, therefore silence is enjoined.

He sends him to the Priests, first, because of His humility that He may seem to defer to the Priests; secondly, that when they saw the leper cleansed they might be saved, if they would believe on the Saviour, or if…

He neither every where broke, nor every where observed, the Law, but sometimes the one, sometimes the other. The one was preparing the way for the wisdom that was to come, the other was silencing the irreverent…

Or, He sends him to the Priests that they might know that he was not cleansed according to the manner of the Law, but by the operation of grace.

It was ordained in the Law, that those that had been cleansed of a leprosy should offer gifts to the Priests; as it follows, “And offer thy gift as Moses commanded for a testimony to them.”

Which is not to be understood, “Moses commanded it for a testimony to them;” but, “Go thou and offer for a testimony.”

For Christ, knowing beforehand that they would not profit by this, said not, ‘for their amendment,’ but, “for a testimony to them;” that is, for an accusation of them, and in attestation that all things that should…

Or; “offer thy gift,” that all who see may believe the miracle.

Or; He command the oblation, that should they afterwards seek to put him out, he might be able to say, You have received gifts on my cleansing, how do ye now cast me out as a leper?

Or we may read, “Which Moses commanded for a testimony;” inasmuch as what Moses commanded in the Law is a testimony, not an effect.

Should any be perplexed how, when the Lord seems here to approve Moses’ offering, the Church does not receive it, let him remember, that Christ had not yet offered His body for a holocaust. And it behoved that the…

Morally; by the leper is signified the sinner; for sin makes an unclean and impure soul; he falls down before Christ when he is confounded concerning his former sins; yet he ought to confess, and to seek the remedy…

Cited together in Haymo of Halberstadt on Matthew 8:1–4 (Catena Aurea).

Cited together in Bede on Matthew 8:1–4 (Catena Aurea).

Cited together in Haymo of Halberstadt on Matthew 8:1–4 (Catena Aurea).

Matthew 8:1 takes up the words of Exodus 34:29 (7 words in common).