Show Yourself to the Priest Matthew 8:4

Matthew wrote how Jesus completed the Sermon on the Mount, and “When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. And, behold, there came a leper and worshiped him, saying, Lord, if you will, you can make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” In chapter eight and verse four of his book, Matthew shared how Jesus said to the leper, “show yourself to the priest” where we read:

And Jesus said unto him, See you tell no man; but go your way, show yourself to the priest,

and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

The verse reads, “And Jesus said unto him, See you tell no man; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, ...” Matthew began with the words, “and Jesus” which refers to the One whose name means “Jehovah is Salvation” and is “the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate” “said unto him” which means “uttered, declared and proclaimed to the leprous man”, “see you tell” or “take heed, beware and look to bring word, speak to or share with” “no man” which means “not one person whether male or female”; “but” or “rather, moreover and” “go your way” which means “depart, withdraw yourself and retire as if shrinking out of sight”, “show yourself” or “expose, give evidence and prove yourself” “to the priest” which refers to “toward the one who offers sacrifices and in general is busied with sacred rites”. Jesus told the “leper” who was “cleansed” not to “tell” anyone what happened to him, but rather “give evidence” to the “priest” concerning his “cleansing”.

The verse goes on to say, “... and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. ” Matthew continued with the words, “and offer” or “bring and present” “the gift” which means “the gifts of sacrifice or other gifts offered to God in expression of honor to Him” “that Moses” or “the one whose name means drawing out and was the legislator of the Jewish people and in a certain sense the founder of the Jewish religion” “commanded” which means “assigned, ascribed, prescribed, appointed and defined”, “for a testimony” or “as a witness and evidence” “unto them” which refers to “toward the priests”. Jesus continued His instruction to the “cleansed leper” as He referred to presenting the “gift” about which “Moses” wrote which would serve as a witness to the “priests”.

When we think through Matthew's words in this verse, we see how Jesus employed an Old Testament instruction given by Moses as to what “lepers” were to do who were “cleansed” from their “leprosy”. (see Leviticus 13-14). When a “leper” was “cleansed”, he was to go to the priest with a “gift” in hand not only to worship and thank the Lord for his “cleansing”, but also to bear witness of their healing. Jesus instructed the “cleansed” “leprous” man to obey Moses' law for “cleansing”which would bear witness of what Jesus did for him. God desires a relationship with people through His Son Jesus, and when they “yield” their lives to Him, He “cleanses” them from their “sin” and in response they are to give praise to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who alone is able to forgive and make one clean.

Next time Matthew shares how, “a centurion” “came unto” Jesus, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.