And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying,
I will; be clean.
And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Read Chapter 8
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Jesus, stretching forth his hand, touched him. By the law of Moses, whosoever touched a leper, contracted a legal uncleanness: but not by touching in order to heal him, says Theophylactus. Besides, Christ would teach them that he was not subject to this law. (Witham)
"Touched him. "To shew, says St. Cyprian, that his body being united to the Divinity, had the power of healing and giving life. Also to show that the old law, which forbad the touching of lepers, had no power over him; and that so far from being defiled by touching him, he even cleansed him who was defiled with it. (St. Ambrose)
When the apostles healed the lame man, they did not attribute it to their own power, but said to the Jews: Why do you wonder at this? Or, why look you at us, as if by our power or strength we have made this man to walk? But when our Saviour heals the leper, stretching out his hand, to show he was going to act of his own power, and independently of the law, he said: "I will. Be thou clean "to evin...
Jesus did not say, “Be clean,” but rather responded to the leper’s assumption, saying, “I will. Be clean.” This left no doubt as to whether the leper’s assumption was correct. Jesus simply approved it. The apostles would speak from an entirely different assumption when they later said to the amazed crowd, “Why do you stare at us as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?” The Lord, who often spoke with modesty, obscuring his own glory, speaks here in a way so as to establish the opinion of those who were amazed at his authority: “I will. Be clean.” Many and great were the signs that he would offer, but only here has he uttered this distinctive word about his own authority. Jesus confirmed the assumption with respect to his authority by purposely adding, “I will.” The important thing was not that he said this but that he responded approvingly to what was being said and confirmed it. The cleansing followed immediately. The Gospel of Matthew, Homily
But the apostles not so: rather in what way? The whole people being in amazement, they said, Why give heed to us, as though by our own power or authority we had made him to walk? But the Lord, though He spoke oftentimes many things modestly, and beneath His own glory, what says He here, to establish the doctrine of them that were amazed at Him for His authority? I will, be thou clean. Although in the many and great signs which He wrought, He nowhere appears to have uttered this word. Here however, to confirm the surmise both of all the people and of the leper touching His authority, He purposely added, I will.
And it was not that He said this, but did it not; but the work also followed immediately. Whereas, if he had not spoken well, but the saying had been a blasphemy, the work ought to have been interrupted. But now nature herself gave way at His command, and that speedily, as was meet, even more speedily than the evangelist has said. For the word, immediately, falls far short of ...
