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Kent Hughes · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Hughes on lepers - Lepers were typically beggars because there was no way they could support themselves. Sometimes their families deposited food in remote places. They customarily lived in bands—fellow outcasts (cf. 2 Kings 7:3; Luke 17:12). (See Luke: That You May Know the Truth)
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Hughes adds "We can hardly imagine the humiliation and isolation of this leper's life. He was ostracized from society because it was thought at that time that leprosy was highly contagious (which it is not). He had to assume a disheveled appearance and cry, "Unclean! Unclean!" whenever he came in range of the normal population. Think about how you would feel shouting this while entering a grocery store or a mall—the pervasive sense of worthlessness and despair." (See Mark - Jesus, Servant and Savior) And bowed down (NAS marginal note "worshiped") before Him - Mark 1:40+ has falling on his knees before Him. Luke 5:12+ has he fell on his face. He was now face to face with Jesus or more accurately "face to foot!" This is fascinating. An unclean person (1) approaching Jesus and (2) kneeling down, falling on his face, bowing down, where the verb translated bowing down is translated elsewhere worship some 49 times! The first use of proskuneo in the NT is of the magi who asking King Herod "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship (proskuneo) Him.” (Mt 2:2+, cf the magi in Mt 2:8, 11+) Bowed down (4352)(proskuneo from pros = before + kuneo = kiss or adore) means to prostrate oneself in homage before another in the full sense of worship, not mere reverence or courtesy. When Jesus Christ was born into this world, He was attended and worshipped by angels. (Lu 2:13f). This is the very verb Satan used in his temptation of Jesus promising “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship (proskuneo) me.” (Mt 4:9+) Jesus replied “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP (proskuneo) THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’” (Mt 4:10+). Proskuneo represents the most common Near Eastern act of adoration and reverence and also carries the idea of profound awe and respect, attitudes that this leper definitely manifests. Some believe that the root word kuneo may be related to kuon which is the Greek word for dog and which then could be picturing a dog licking his master's hand. In summary, the word proskuneo literally means to kiss toward someone, to throw a kiss in token of respect or homage, to prostrate oneself in homage, to do reverence to, to adore and so to worship and show respect. In the ancient Oriental (especially Persia) the mode of salutation between persons of equal rank was to kiss each other on the lips. When the difference of rank was slight, they kissed each other on the cheek. When one was much inferior, he fell upon his knees touched his forehead to the ground or prostrated himself, and as he was bowing down he would be throwing kisses toward the superior. It is this latter mode of salutation that is intended by the Greek writers in the use of the verb proskuneo and this was the posture taken by this unclean leper! And said, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." - Said is in the present tense indicating that he repeated this statement. And don't miss this "poignant picture—the leper, still prostrate, repeating in the hoarse voice typical of those with advanced leprosy." (Hughes) The same phrase is used also by Mark and Luke, also voiced from a position of humility and neediness. He was a perfect picture of Matthew 5:3+ "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The leper knew Jesus could cleanse, but his question was would He cleanse? Obviously the leper recognized there was something about Jesus because he called Him ''kurios'', the first place He is called Lord in the Gospel of Matthew. And remember that this was the Greek word used to translated the Hebrew word Jehovah or Yahweh in the Old Testament. So the Jews who heard him address Jesus this way would surely have wondered about this association. While kurios could also mean something like our respectable "Sir," it is almost certain the leper meant it as more than "Sir," for not only did he call Jesus Lord but he approached Him as Lord. As Spurgeon said "Those who call Jesus ‘Lord,’ and do not worship Him, are more diseased than the leper was.” I One can only imagine what those in the large crowd were thinking. Here is an unclean person approaching Jesus. What would He do? If He is the Messiah (they might reason), surely He would tell this "unclean" one to leave His presence! But of course the crowd the not comprehend His divine compassion for humanity. The phrase "if you are willing" is a third class condition which indicates the leper was not making presumptuous request for Jesus to heal him. In other words the third class is something that is undetermined, but which has the prospect of being determined, and thus was a hopeful doubt (so to speak) for this leper.
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Hughes - What is important to note is that leprosy, or Hansen's disease as it is better know today (after the man who diagnosed its cause), is not a rotting infection as is commonly thought, nor are its horrible outward physical deformities imposed by the disease (See picture). In recent years, the research of Dr. Paul Brand and others has proven that the disfigurement associated with Hansen's disease comes solely because the body's warning system of pain is destroyed. The disease acts as an anesthetic, bringing numbness to the extremities as well as to the ears, eyes, and nose. The devastation that follows comes from such incidents as reaching one's hand into a charcoal fire to retrieve a dropped potato, or washing one's face with scalding water, or gripping a tool so tightly that the hands become traumatized and eventually stumplike. In Third-World countries, vermin sometimes chew on sleeping lepers. Thus, Dr. Brand, after performing corrective surgery on a leper, would send a cat home with him as normal post-operative procedure. Dr. Brand calls the disease a "painless hell," and indeed it is. The poor man in our story had not been able to feel for years, and his body was full of leprosy, mutilated from head to foot, rotten, stinking, repulsive. (See Mark: Jesus, Servant and Savior)
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Hughes - "leprosy is a contagious disease") but in fact it is NOT highly contagious. Bill Gaither wrote the words of the famous song He touched Me in 1963 being inspired by Jesus' touch healing the leper (in Mark 1:41). He touched Me Shackled by a heavy burden 'Neath a load of guilt and shame Then the hand of Jesus touched me And now I am no longer the same. He touched, oh, he touched me And oh the joy that floods my soul! Something happened, and now I know He touched me, and made me whole. Since i've met this blessed savior Since he's cleansed and made me whole I will never cease to praise him I'll shout it while eternity rolls. Oh! he touched me! Oh! he touched me! He touched me! And Oh the joy that floods my soul! Something happened, and now I know He touched me, and made me whole. Kent Hughes - We learn valuable lessons from the healing of this leper. Anyone wanting Christ's spiritual healing must put these lessons to work in his or her own life. We must come to Christ with a deep awareness of sin. Do we acknowledge that we are sinners and that we have nothing in ourselves to commend us to God? Do we mourn our sins? If so, we are ready for Christ's healing touch. We must bow before him in humble reverence—submit to him as our only hope and tell God that if he does not save us, we will be lost. We must believe he can make us clean. Do you believe? "He himself bore (your name)'s sins on the tree, so that (your name) might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds (your name) has been healed" (1 Peter 2:24). (See Luke: That You May Know the Truth)