Matthew 8:1-4 When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.… Some concise account of the nature of the disease of leprosy, of the place it held in the Jewish economy as the "sacrament of death," of the leading allusions to it in the Old Testament, and of the Levitical provisions in the event of a recovery or supposed recovery, may form introduction to discourse. Then dwell on some suggestions arising from the fact of - I. THE FAME OF JESUS TRAVELLING TO A LEPER. II. A LEPER TRAVELLING TO JESUS HIMSELF AT ALL RISKS. III. THE WELL-LEARNT HUMILITY OF THIS LEPER. IV, THE CLEAR DECISIVE FAITH OF THIS LEPER. V. THE PROMPT AND PRACTICAL COMPASSION OF JESUS: HE TOUCHED THE LEPER. It was legal defilement to touch a leper, because he was a leper; but it was not defilement to touch a leper, if he thereby ceased to be such. VI. THE PROBABLE REASON OR REASONS OF THE CHARGE OF JESUS TO HIM. 1. The reason may perhaps solely have had reference to what the Saviour knew of the real tendencies of the leper he had cleansed. 2. The reason may have had rather some outer aspect, and may have had it in view to obtain before men, and as a much-needed "testimony against" themselves, a true and unprejudiced and confessed verdict from the priests as to the genuineness of the great work of cleansing which he had accomplished. 3. The reason may have been strictly that, for Jesus, his "time was not yet ready," while the defence of the cleansed and happy, late leper, will ever be that he could not contain his joy, his praise, and his gratitude. - B. Parallel Verses KJV: When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.WEB: When he came down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. |
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