Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. Then Jesus said to him, “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”

Matthew 8:3-4

His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed.

Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!” And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.
Luke 5:10-11

• On the surface, the verse is about obedience to the Law of Moses. However, to understand why Jesus gives this command, we must look at the verses that precede it, where Jesus demonstrates an authority that could only belong to God Himself.
• This passage is a snapshot of how Jesus revealed Himself as fully God in both His words and deeds.

• Jesus comes down from the mountain after delivering the Sermon on the Mount, and large crowds follow Him.
• In Jewish society, leprosy was the physical manifestation of ritual uncleanness. It meant complete social and religious isolation (Leviticus 13:45-46).
  
  • The Faith: The leper doesn't question Jesus' ability ("...you can heal me"); he only questions His will ("...if you are willing"). He recognizes Jesus' power.
  • The Touch: This is a radical, authoritative action. By law, touching a leper made Jesus ritually unclean (Leviticus 5:3). But Jesus, being God, demonstrates that His holiness is contagious, not His cleanness being compromised. Instead of pollution flowing to Him, healing flows from Him.
  • The Word: "I am willing... Be healed!" This is not a prayer or a petition; it is a divine command. He speaks the word, and it is instantly done.
  • Proof of Deity in Deed: Healing a leper was considered almost impossible, an act often associated with divine intervention (2 Kings 5:7). Jesus performs it effortlessly, showing that He has sovereign power over disease, purity, and the human body.

• The Purpose of the Command: Jesus commands the man to strictly follow the Law of Moses (Leviticus 14), which required a priest's inspection and a specific offering to confirm the cleansing.
• Jesus' Claim: By commanding obedience to the very Law given by God on Mount Sinai, Jesus is showing respect for the divine code. However, the authority with which He issues the command reveals something deeper.
• He is not just a prophet healing in God's name; He is exercising the authority of the Lawgiver Himself. He has the power to restore the man to the very religious community and Law that had cast him out.
• "A public testimony": By forcing the priests to confirm his cleansing, Jesus is providing unimpeachable proof of His power to those in religious authority—a proof that they could not deny, cementing the validity of His action.

• Jesus' deed (the miracle) demonstrated His power, and His word (the command) demonstrated His respect for and authority over the Law. The miracle proves His deity; the command proves His respect for the Old Covenant which He came to fulfill.
• Christ's deity is affirmed by His ability to forgive sins (Mark 2:5-7), which only God can do, and His power over nature, life, and death.
• Jesus’s authority over sickness and the Law demands a response from us. If He is fully God, then His commands are not suggestions, but divine directives for our lives.
• Are there areas in your life where you submit to Jesus’s power (believing He can save) but resist His authority (refusing to obey His commands)?
• We may not have physical leprosy, but we are all unclean because of sin. Sin brings spiritual isolation and death. Only Jesus, by His divine authority, can touch us, cleanse us, and restore us to fellowship with God.
• Matthew 8 shows that Jesus is the powerful, sovereign God who possesses all authority over physical illness, religious law, and spiritual uncleanness. 
• Our response must be the same as the leper's: humble submission to His will, trusting that when the Son of God says, "Be healed!" or "Be clean!", it is instantly accomplished.

Jesus showed the glory of God through word and deed. 

As followers of Christ, we are to glorify God with every thought, action, word, and deed. 

Follow the Jesus of the Bible to do this, not the Jesus of culture.