Matthew 8:1-4
“Notice what you notice.” When much of these Gospel writings are so familiar, some days it’s hard to “notice what you notice”. That was the case today for me. Still, one item was confusing to me: …go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them (v. 4b). Those last few words, “for a proof to them” or “as a testimony to them” – I wondered why Jesus needed the man’s “proof”. But then again, the issue of proof stands out.
Some thoughts… (1) If the man goes to the priest and offers his gift for his cleansing, how does the priest know that he ever had leprosy in the first place? Would the priest have known the man already? Was the man a Synagogue regular, even with his leprosy? (2) Was Jesus proving Himself by establishing the man’s proof? But that doesn’t make sense, since Jesus also told the man not to tell anyone else. (3) Was Jesus’ focus the priest and his belief? That is, in Jerusalem Jesus is regularly doing battle with the Temple leaders. But up in Galilee, away from Jerusalem, did Jesus wonder whether the Synagogue priests might be ripe for seeking His kingdom? (4) Was Jesus establishing the man’s faith by asking him to go one step further, thereby fulfilling the Law?
I tend to like #3, but it seems awfully far-fetched to imagine that Jewish priests, Galilean or Judean, would be fertile soil for Jesus’ Gospel. I like the thought of it all, but not the reality. Again, questions and no real answers…
Slava Bohu!!