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Commentary on Luke 5 verses 12–16
Here is, I. The cleansing of a leper, Luk 5:12-14. This narrative we had both in Matthew and Mark. It is here said to have been in a certain city (Luk 5:12); it was in Capernaum, but the evangelist would not name it, perhaps because it was a reflection upon the government of the city that a leper was suffered to be in it. This man is said to be full of leprosy; he had that distemper in a high degree, which the more fitly represents our natural pollution by sin; we are full of that leprosy, from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot there is no soundness in us. Now let us learn here,
1.What we must do in the sense of our spiritual leprosy. (1.) We must seek Jesus, enquire after him, acquaint ourselves with him, and reckon the discoveries made to us of Christ by the gospel the most acceptable and welcome discoveries that could be made to us. (2.) We must humble ourselves before him, as this leper, seeing Jesus, fell on his face. We must be ashamed of our pollution, and, in the sense of it, blush to lift up our faces before the holy Jesus. (3.) We must earnestly desire to be cleansed from the defilement, and cured of the disease, of sin, which renders us unfit for communion with God. (4.) We must firmly believe Christ's ability and sufficiency to cleanse us: Lord, thou canst make me clean, though I be full of leprosy. No doubt is to be made of the merit and grace of Christ. (5.) We must be importunate in prayer for pardoning mercy and renewing grace: He fell on his face and besought him; they that would be cleansed must reckon it a favour worth wrestling for. (6.) We must refer ourselves to the good-will of Christ: Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst. This is not so much the language of his diffidence, or distrust of the good-will of Christ, as of his submission and reference of himself and his case to the will, to the good-will, of Jesus Christ.
2.What we may expect from Christ, if we thus apply ourselves to him. (1.) We shall find him very condescending and forward to take cognizance of our case (Luk 5:13): He put forth his hand and touched him. When Christ visited this leprous world, unasked, unsought unto, he showed how low he could stoop, to do good. His touching the leper was wonderful condescension; but it is much greater to us when he is himself touched with the feeling of our infirmities. (2.) We shall find him very compassionate, and ready to relieve us; he said, "I will, never doubt of that; whosoever comes to me to be healed, I will in no wise cast him out." He is as willing to cleanse leprous souls as they can be to be cleansed. (3.) We shall find him all-sufficient, and able to heal and cleanse us, though we be ever so full of this loathsome leprosy. One word, one touch, from Christ, did the business: Immediately the leprosy departed from him. If Christ saith, "I will, be thou justified, be thou sanctified," it is done; for he has power on earth to forgive sin, and power to give the Holy Spirit, Co1 6:11.
3.What he requires from those that are cleansed, Luk 5:14. Has Christ sent his word and healed us? (1.) We must be very humble (Luk 5:14): He charged him to tell no man. This, it should seem, did not forbid him telling it to the honour of Christ, but he must not tell it to his own honour. Those whom Christ hath healed and cleansed must know that he hath done it in such a way as for ever excludes boasting. (2.) We must be very thankful, and make a grateful acknowledgment of the divine grace: Go, and offer for thy cleansing. Christ did not require him to give him a fee, but to bring the sacrifice of praise to God; so far was he from using his power to the prejudice of the law of Moses. (3.) We must keep close to our duty; go to the priest, and those that attend him. The man whom Christ had made whole he found in the temple, Joh 5:14. Those who by any affliction have been detained from public ordinances should, when the affliction is removed, attend on them the more diligently, and adhere to them the more constantly.
4.Christ's public serviceableness to men and his private communion with God; these are put together here, to give lustre to each other.
(1.)Though never any had so much pleasure in his retirements as Christ had, yet he was much in a crowd, to do good, Luk 5:15. Though the leper should altogether hold his peace, yet the thing could not be hid, so much the more went there a fame abroad of him. The more he sought to conceal himself under a veil of humility, the more notice did people take of him; for honour is like a shadow, which flees from those that pursue it (for a man to seek his own glory is not glory), but follows those that decline it, and draw from it. The less good men say of themselves, the more will others say of them. But Christ reckoned it a small honour to him that his fame went abroad; it was much more so that hereby multitudes were brought to receive benefit by him. [1.] By his preaching. They came together to hear him, and to receive instruction from him concerning the kingdom of God. [2.] By his miracles. They came to be healed by him of their infirmities; that invited them to come to hear him, confirmed his doctrine, and recommended it.
(2.)Though never any did so much good in public, yet he found time for pious and devout retirements (Luk 5:16): He withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed; not that he needed to avoid either distraction or ostentation, but he would set us an example, who need to order the circumstances of our devotion so as to guard against both. It is likewise our wisdom so to order our affairs as that our public work and our secret work may not intrench upon, nor interfere with, one another. Note, Secret prayer must be performed secretly; and those that have ever so much to do of the best business in this world must keep up constant stated times for it.
Since, however, he quotes with especial care, as a proof in his domain, a certain companion in misery (suntalai/pwron), and associate in hatred (summisou/menon), with himself, for the cure of leprosy, I shall not be sorry to meet him, and before anything else to point out to him the force of the law figuratively interpreted, which, in this example of a leper (who was not to be touched, but was rather to be removed from all intercourse with others), prohibited any communication with a person who was defiled with sins, with whom the apostle also forbids us even to eat food, forasmuch as the taint of sins would be communicated as if contagious: wherever a man should mix himself with the sinner.
(Ep. ad Adelph. 3.) Now the leper worshipped the Lord God in His bodily form, and thought not the Word of God to be a creature because of His flesh, nor because He was the Word did he think lightly of the flesh which He put on; nay rather in a created temple he adored the Creator of all things, falling down on his face, as it follows, And when he saw Jesus he fell on his face, and besought him.
Go, show yourself. This was for the sake of the priests. For the leper was afraid to touch him lest he defile him. But the Lord touched him to show him that he would not be defiled, he, at whose rebuke the defilement fled from the defiled one.
Let us learn from the words of the leper not to go about seeking the cure of our bodily infirmities, but to committhe whole to the will of God, Who knows what is best for us, and disposes all things as He will.
Let us learn from the words of the leper not to go about seeking the cure of our bodily infirmities, but to commit the whole to the will of God, Who knows what is best for us, and disposes all things as He will.
(26.) And His works He indeed performed among the people, but He prayed for the most part in the wilderness, sanctioning the liberty of resting a while from labour to hold converse with God with a pure heart. For He needed no change or retirement, since there was nothing which could be relaxed in Him, nor any place in which He might confine Himself, for He was God, but it was that we might clearly know that there is a time for action, a time for each higher occupation.
And His works He indeed performed among the people, but He prayed for the most part in the wilderness, sanctioning the liberty of resting a while from labor to hold converse with God with a pure heart. For He needed no change or retirement, since there was nothing which could be relaxed in Him, nor any place in which He might confine Himself, for He was God, but it was that we might clearly know that there is a time for action, a time for each higher occupation.
(Orat. 1. in Resur. Christ.) And because the Deity is united with each portion of man, i. e. both soul and body, in each are evident the signs of a heavenly nature. For the body declared the Deity hidden in it, when by touching it afforded a remedy, but the soul, by the mighty power of its will, marked the Divine strength. For as the sense of touch is the property of the body, so the motion of the will of the soul. The soul wills, the body touches.
The fourth miracle after Jesus came to Capernaum was the healing of a leprous man. But since He illumined the fourth day with the sun, and made it more glorious than the rest, we ought to think this work more glorious than those that went before; of which it is said, And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy. Rightly no definite place is mentioned where the leprous man was healed, to signify that not one people of any particular city, but all nations were healed.
In falling upon his face he marked his humility and modesty, for every one should blush at the stains of his life, but his reverence kept not back his confession, he shows his wound, and asks for a remedy, saying, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. Of the will of the Lord he doubted, not from distrust of His mercy, but checked by the consciousness of his own unworthiness. But the confession is one full of devotion and faith, placing all power in the will of the Lord.
He heals in the same manner in which He had been entreated to heal, as it follows, And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, &c. The law forbids to touch the leprous man, but He who is the Lord of the law submits not to the law, but makes the law; He did not touch because without touching He was unable to make him clean, but to show that he was neither subject to the law, nor feared the contagion as man; for He could not be contaminated Who delivered others from the pollution. On the other hand, He touched also, that the leprosy might be expelled by the touch of the Lord, which was wont to contaminate him that touched.
In the words which follow, I will, be thou clean, you have the will, you have also the result of His mercy.
He says then, I will, for Photinus, He commands, for Arius, He touches, for Manichæus. But there is nothing intervening between God's work and His command, that we may see in the inclination of the healer the power of the work. Hence it follows, And immediately the leprosy departed from him. But lest leprosy should become rife among us, let each avoid boasting after the example of our Lord's humility. For it follows, And he commanded him that he should tell it to no one, that in truth he might teach us that our good deeds are not to be made public, but to be rather concealed, that we should abstain not only from gaining money, but even favour. Or perhaps the cause of His commanding silence was that He thought those to be preferred, who had rather believed of their own accord than from the hope of benefit.
And that the Priest also should know that not by the order of the law, but by the grace of God above the law, he was cured. And since a sacrifice is commanded by the regulation of Moses, the Lord shows that He does not abrogate the law, but fulfil it. As it follows, And offer for thy cleansing according as Moses commanded.
Or because the law is spiritual He seems to have commanded a spiritual sacrifice. Hence he said, As Moses commanded. Lastly, he adds, for a testimony unto them. The heretics understand this erroneously, saying, that it was meant as a reproach to the law. But how would he order an offering for cleansing, according to Moses' commandments, if he meant this against the law?
But if the word is the healing of leprosy, the contempt of the word is the leprosy of the mind.
(Hom. 26. in Matt.) And since frequently men, when they are sick, remember God, but when they recover, wax dull, He bids him to always keep God before his eyes, giving glory to God. Hence it follows, But go and show thyself to the Priest, in order that the leprous man being cleansed might submit himself to the inspection of the Priest, and so by his sanction be counted as healed.
(ubi sup.) Or, for a testimony against them, i. e. as a reproof of them, and a testimony that I respect the law. For now too that I have cured thee, I send thee for the examination of the priests, that thou shouldest bear me witness that I have not played false to the law. And although the Lord in giving out remedies advised telling them to no one, instructing us to avoid pride; yet His fame flew about every where, instilling the miracle into the ears of every one, as it follows, But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him.
For he knew that leprosy yields not to the skill of physicians, but he saw the devils cast out by the Divine authority, and multitudes cured of divers diseases, all which he conceived was the work of the Divine arm.
From majesty alone proceeds the royal command, how then is the Only-begotten counted among the servants, who by His mere will can do all things? We read of God the Father, that He hath done all things whatsoever He pleased. (Ps. 115:3; 135:6.) But He who exercises the power of His Father, how can He differ from Him in nature? Besides, whatsoever things are of the same power, are wont to be of the same substance. Again; let us then admire in these things Christ working both divinely and bodily. For it is of God so to will that all things are done accordingly, but of man to stretch forth the hand. From two natures therefore is perfected one Christ, for that the Word was made flesh.
(Mor. xxviii. c. 13.) Our Redeemer performs His miracles by day, and passes the night in prayer, as it follows, And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed, hinting, as it were, to perfect preachers, that as neither they should entirely desert the active life from love of contemplation, so neither should they despise the joys of contemplation from an excess of activity, but in silent thought imbibe that which they might afterwards give back in words to their neighbours.
Now the perfect healing of one brings many multitudes to the Lord, as it follows, And great multitudes came together that they should be healed. For the leprous man that he might show both his outward and inward cure, even though forbid ceases not, as Mark says, to tell of the benefit ho had received.
Now that He retired to pray, you would not ascribe to that nature which says, I will, be thou clean, but to that which putting forth the hand touched the leprous man, not that according to Nestorius there is a double person of the Son, but of the same person, as there are two natures, so are there two operations.
How typically the leprous man represents the whole race of man, languishing with sins full of leprosy, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; (Rom. 3:23.) that so by the hand put forth, i. e. the word of God partaking of human nature, they might be cleansed from the vanity of their old errors, and offer for cleansing their bodies as a living sacrifice.
And it came to pass, when he was in one of the cities, there was a man full of leprosy. And seeing Jesus, and falling on his face, he besought him, saying, Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean. Well, where the leper is cleansed, the specific place is not expressed, to show that it was not one people of a specific city, but the people of all nations that were being healed. And since the Lord said: I have not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5), he who was excluded by the law, presuming to be cleansed by the power of the Lord, judged that grace to be above the law, which could wash away the leprosy. Indeed, just as the authority of power is in the Lord, so in him the constancy of faith is declared. He fell on his face, which is a sign of humility and shame, so that each one may blush at the stains of his own life. But shame did not suppress his confession; he showed his wound, asked for a remedy. And this very confession is full of religion and faith. If you are willing (he said), you can make me clean. He attributed power to the will of the Lord. Concerning the will of the Lord, however, he did not doubt as if unbelieving in his mercy, but, aware of his own filth, he did not presume.
For His sacred flesh has a healing, and life-giving power, as being indeed the flesh of the Word of God.
But mark, that after a man has been cleansed he is then worthy to offer this gift, namely, the body and blood of the Lord, which is united to the Divine nature.
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SUMMARY
Luke 5:12 captures a profound moment in Jesus' ministry, illustrating His divine authority over sickness and His boundless compassion for the marginalized. As Jesus ministers in a city, He is approached by a man suffering from advanced leprosy, a condition that rendered him an outcast from society and worship. Despite his desperate state, the leper demonstrates remarkable humility and faith, falling before Jesus and declaring, "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean," thereby acknowledging Jesus' inherent power and submitting to His sovereign will. This encounter sets the stage for a miraculous cleansing that transcends physical healing, signifying spiritual restoration and the breaking of societal and religious barriers.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Luke's account of the leper's healing employs several potent literary devices to enhance its impact. Symbolism is paramount, as leprosy itself functions as a powerful symbol of sin, uncleanness, and separation from God and community. The leper's desperate state mirrors humanity's spiritual brokenness and alienation from a holy God. Jesus' act of cleansing, therefore, symbolizes His greater power to purify humanity from the defilement of sin. There is also a strong element of Pathos, evoking deep sympathy for the leper's plight—his physical suffering, social ostracization, and the profound humility of his desperate plea. The scene is imbued with emotional weight, drawing the reader into the leper's experience. Furthermore, a subtle Dramatic Irony is present: while the Mosaic Law prescribed that touching a leper would make one unclean, Jesus, the embodiment of purity and holiness, touches the leper and, rather than becoming unclean Himself, makes the leper clean. This reversal underscores Jesus' divine nature and His authority over the Law's ceremonial requirements, demonstrating that He is the source of true purity.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
The healing of the leper in Luke 5:12 is a profound theological statement, showcasing Jesus' unique authority as the Messiah and the nature of His kingdom. It demonstrates that Jesus' power extends beyond physical ailments to encompass ceremonial impurity and social ostracism, thereby challenging the rigid boundaries of the Old Covenant purity laws. His willingness to touch the leper, an act that would have rendered any other person unclean, reveals His divine prerogative to make the unclean clean, signifying His mission to bring holistic restoration—physical, social, and spiritual—to humanity. This miracle points to the ultimate cleansing from sin that Jesus would accomplish through His atoning work, making a way for all who are "unclean" by sin to be reconciled to God and brought into His community. It underscores that true purity comes not from ritualistic separation but from transformative encounter with the Holy One.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The encounter in Luke 5:12 offers a timeless blueprint for approaching God with our deepest needs. The leper, utterly undone by his condition and societal rejection, approached Jesus not with demands, but with a profound blend of desperate faith and humble submission. He recognized Jesus' absolute power ("thou canst") while entrusting himself entirely to Jesus' perfect will ("if thou wilt"). This posture challenges us to examine our own prayers and petitions. Do we truly believe in Jesus' limitless ability to intervene in our lives, no matter how dire our "leprosy" (be it sin, addiction, broken relationships, despair, or physical illness) may seem? And are we willing to surrender our desires to His sovereign wisdom, trusting that His will is always good, even if it differs from our immediate expectations? This passage also calls us to embody Jesus' compassion. Just as Jesus reached out to the most ostracized individual of His day, we are challenged to identify and minister to the "outcasts" in our own communities—those marginalized by society, forgotten by the church, or suffering in silence. Our faith should lead us not to recoil from the unclean, but to extend the cleansing, healing, and restoring love of Christ.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Was leprosy in biblical times the same as modern Hansen's disease?
Answer: No, the biblical term "leprosy" (Hebrew: tzara'at, Greek: lépra) was a broader category than modern Hansen's disease. It encompassed a variety of chronic, often disfiguring, skin conditions, and even mildew or mold on clothes and houses. While Hansen's disease may have been included, the biblical description and the associated ritual purity laws in Leviticus 13 and Leviticus 14 indicate a range of afflictions that rendered a person ceremonially unclean and socially isolated. The emphasis was less on the specific pathology and more on the ritual impurity and separation it caused.
Did Jesus break the Law by touching the leper?
Answer: From a strict ceremonial perspective, touching a leper would indeed render a person ritually unclean according to Leviticus 5:3. However, Jesus did not break the moral law, and His actions consistently demonstrated His divine authority over the ceremonial law. Rather than becoming defiled by the leper's uncleanness, Jesus' purity and power were so overwhelming that He imparted cleanness to the leper. This act was a powerful demonstration that He was not merely a prophet but the Lord of the Law, capable of reversing the flow of impurity and bringing about true cleansing and restoration. His touch was an act of divine compassion and power, not a violation.
What does "if thou wilt" imply about God's will in healing today?
Answer: The leper's "if thou wilt" (Greek: eán thélō) reflects a humble submission to God's sovereign will, even while expressing absolute faith in Jesus' power ("thou canst"). This phrase acknowledges that while God is always able to heal, the timing and method of healing, or even whether healing occurs, ultimately rests in His perfect wisdom and purpose. For believers today, it encourages a posture of persistent prayer and faith in God's power, coupled with a trust in His ultimate plan, which may include healing, or may involve strengthening through suffering, or even glorifying Him through death. It reminds us that God's will is always good, even if it doesn't align with our immediate desires, and that His ultimate desire is our spiritual wholeness and conformity to Christ (Romans 8:28-29).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The physical cleansing of the leper in Luke 5:12 serves as a powerful microcosm and foreshadowing of the ultimate spiritual cleansing accomplished by Jesus Christ. Just as the leper was an outcast, defiled, and separated from community due to his disease, humanity is spiritually "leprous" through sin, alienated from a holy God and deserving of eternal separation (Romans 3:23). No human effort or ritual could truly cleanse this deep-seated impurity. However, Jesus, the sinless Son of God, willingly entered our "unclean" world, not to be defiled by it, but to conquer its power. His compassionate touch on the leper prefigures His willingness to take on our sin and impurity, ultimately bearing it on the cross (1 Peter 2:24). Through His sacrificial death, Jesus became the ultimate High Priest, offering a perfect and eternal sacrifice that truly cleanses us from all sin and purifies our consciences (Hebrews 9:14). The leper's restoration to society and worship points to our spiritual restoration and reconciliation with God, allowing us to enter His presence with boldness through Christ's blood (Hebrews 10:19-22). Thus, the healing of the leper is not merely a historical miracle but a vivid illustration of the gospel message: Jesus Christ has the power and the will to make clean those who are utterly defiled by sin, bringing them into a new covenant of grace and a life of full communion with God (Jeremiah 31:31-34).