Mark 1:40

A leper. [First Healing of Leprosy, Mark 1:40-45 = Matt. 8:2-4 = Luke 5:12-16. Major comment: Mark. See Early Galilean Ministry; The Ministry of Our Lord; on miracles pp. 208-213.] Opinions differ as to whether this miracle occurred after the Sermon on the Mount, as in Matthew, or during the course of the first tour of Galilee, as here. Mark generally observes what seems to be a more nearly chronological order of events, whereas Matthew often deviates from a time order to achieve a topical arrangement. Therefore the order given in Mark appears preferable. Accordingly, this healing is perhaps the only specific incident recorded in connection with the first journey Jesus made through Galilee. See pp. 191, 192, 274.

This miracle is recorded in Matt. 8:2-4 and Luke 5:12-16, but Mark’s account is more detailed. Later Jesus healed other leprosy victims (Matt. 26:6; Luke 7:22; 17:12-14; cf. DA 557) and sent out His disciples to do the same (Matt. 10:8).

As to the nature of “leprosy” in ancient times, see the word in the SDA Bible Dictionary. On its diagnosis and the laws of segregation and ritual purification, see Lev. 13 and 14.

The Jews popularly regarded leprosy as a divine judgment on sin (to which also they attributed being born blind; see John 9:2). They had imbibed an old pagan idea (see an Old Babylonian omen text in Archiv für Orientforschung 18:62 naming certain symptoms, apparently of leprosy, as meaning abandonment by God and man). Hence they made no efforts toward alleviation or cure; indeed, they knew no remedy for true leprosy — only isolation. (And even past the mid-20th century, quarantine continued as a standard procedure everywhere; since then new drugs have allowed outpatient treatment and made isolation unnecessary.)

If thou wilt. Three great obstacles probably presented themselves to the mind of this afflicted man, any one of which might have been sufficient to make the prospect of healing seem remote, if not impossible. In the first place, as far as is known, there was no record of such a healing since Naaman’s, some 800 years before. A second obstacle, even more formidable, was the popular belief that he was under the curse of God. Would Jesus be willing to heal him? The third obstacle presented a more practical problem. How could he get near enough to Jesus to present his requests? The ritual law strictly forbade him to approach or mingle with others, and wherever Jesus went the people thronged about Him. This effectively barred the suffering man from Jesus’ immediate presence.

Make ... clean. Gr. katharizo, “to cleanse,” rather than therapeuo, “to heal,” “to cure.” In both OT and NT times victims of leprosy were spoken of as “unclean,” needing “cleansing,” rather than “sick,” needing “cure.” This distinction in terminology reflects the idea of ritual cleansing.