Jesus: Touching A Leper, Breaking The Law?

Jesus healing a leper is one of the miracles of Jesus and is described in the Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In the story, a man with leprosy approaches Jesus and asks to be healed. Jesus touches the man, and he is instantly healed of his leprosy.

The question of whether Jesus broke the law by touching a leper is a complex one. Hebrew law, as stated in Leviticus 5:3, forbids touching lepers as they are considered unclean. However, it is argued that Jesus, being God, was not at risk of infection and thus broke the letter of the law but not its spirit. Jesus, as a priest, also had the legal right to touch and heal lepers. Furthermore, the act of touching was common among miracle healers, and Jesus, as the Holy One, could not be defiled by touching the leper.

The story of Jesus healing a leper demonstrates his power and authority to heal and establish a holy community of believers. It is a step towards the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven, where cultic purity transforms into a moral activity for his followers.

Jesus technically broke Mosaic law by touching the leper

Jesus could have healed the leper without touching him, as he did when he ""cast out the spirits with a word" in verse 16. However, Jesus's touch served a greater purpose. His touch not only spread the cure but also demonstrated his divine compassion and established his authority and power.

Jesus superseded the Levitical law, which forbids a clean person from touching an unclean person. By doing so, he symbolically took on the man's curse and performed a Messianic miracle, foreshadowing his role as the suffering King on the cross.

While Jesus technically violated the letter of the law, he did not break the spirit of the law. The purpose of the law was to quarantine an unclean person and prevent the spread of disease. As Jesus was God and was not at risk of infection, his touch did not violate the intent of the law, which was to protect others.

Furthermore, Jesus, as a priest, had the legal right to touch and cleanse the leper. The Law of Moses explicitly allowed priests to touch lepers during the cleansing rituals described in Leviticus 14.

Jesus was not at risk of infection and was therefore breaking the letter of the law, not the spirit of the law

The letter of the law versus the spirit of the law is a common debate in the context of rules and legislation. The letter of the law refers to the exact and literal interpretation and application of the law, while the spirit of the law refers to the intention behind the law.

In the case of Jesus touching a leper, it can be argued that Jesus was not at risk of infection and therefore broke the letter of the law, but not the spirit of the law. The law, as stated in Leviticus 5:3, was intended to prevent the spread of disease by prohibiting physical contact with lepers. However, Jesus, being God, was not at risk of contracting or spreading the disease.

Jesus's touch was an act of compassion, and by touching the leper, he demonstrated his willingness to set aside the letter of the law for the greater purpose of healing. This interpretation aligns with the belief that Jesus came not to abolish the law but to fulfil it (Matthew 5:17).

Jesus's actions also reflect his role as a priest, who was permitted to touch lepers as part of the cleansing ritual outlined in Leviticus 14. As a priest, Jesus had the legal right to touch the leper and convey cleansing to him.

Furthermore, Jesus's touch symbolised his willingness to take on the uncleanness of others and offer them healing and redemption. This act foreshadowed his sacrifice on the cross, where he took on the sins of humanity to offer salvation.

In conclusion, while Jesus's touch may have technically violated the letter of the law, it was in alignment with the spirit of the law, which was to protect the community from disease and offer healing to those in need.

Jesus was a priest and had a legal right to touch the leper

Jesus was a priest and, as such, had a legal right to touch the leper.

Jesus is referred to as a priest in the Bible, and his actions throughout the Gospels reflect this. Priests were tasked with serving as mediators between humans and God, and Jesus did exactly that. He taught the law, purified the unclean, cleansed the temple, forgave sins, and prayed for his disciples.

Jesus' actions as a priest are particularly evident in his healing of a leper. In Leviticus 13–14, God assigned priests to render a verdict on leprosy. In Matthew 8, Jesus goes beyond this and, instead of issuing a judgment, puts his hands on the leper and makes him clean. By doing this, Jesus communicates his cleanness to the man through physical touch.

After healing the leper, Jesus sends him to the priests, demonstrating that he has the power to make lepers clean. This act of healing brings holiness, as promised in Ezekiel 44:19. In this way, Jesus' healing of the leper is a glimpse of the new creation and an indication that his offer of forgiveness is accompanied by the power to heal and raise the dead.

Jesus' priesthood is also evident in his ability to purify the temple. In 1–2 Chronicles, priests sanctified the Holy Place of God. Jesus does the same when he drives out the money changers in Matthew 21:12–17, declaring the temple unclean and driving out those defiling it.

Furthermore, Jesus' authority to forgive sins demonstrates his priesthood. In Mark 2, Jesus forgives a paralytic, inciting the scribes to question who can forgive sins but God alone. Jesus' reply makes clear his divinity and authority to forgive, which supersedes that of the Levitical priests.

Jesus' priesthood is also seen in his sacrifice of himself as a sin offering, as well as in his prayers for his people.

Therefore, Jesus' actions as a priest, including his healing of the leper, demonstrate that he had a legal right to touch and cleanse those who were unclean.

Jesus was God, and so could not be defiled by touching the leper

Jesus, being God, was not defiled by touching the leper. He was in no risk of being infected and was therefore breaking the letter of the law, but not the spirit of the law. People were not supposed to touch lepers because the disease would spread, but Jesus touched the man so that the cure could spread.

Jesus was tasked with something that had never been done before: healing a Jewish leper. The leprosy cleansing ritual of Leviticus 14 had never been instituted because God had not yet provided a cure for the disease. The similarities of leprosy and sin led rabbis to conclude that God intended to associate the healing of leprosy with the arrival of the Messiah. Jewish Rabbis concluded that the first person to heal a leper would be the Messiah Himself.

Jesus, being God, was not defiled by touching the leper. He was in no risk of being infected and was therefore breaking the letter of the law, but not the spirit of the law. People were not supposed to touch lepers because the disease would spread, but Jesus touched the man so that the cure could spread.

Jesus, being God, was not bound by the law that forbade a clean person from touching an unclean one. Instead, he established his authority and power by touching the leper and healing him. This act was a picture of what Jesus would do for humanity as the suffering King on the cross. By touching the leper, Jesus took upon himself our unclean state and, in exchange, made us clean.

Jesus, being God, was not defiled by touching the leper. He was in no risk of being infected and was therefore breaking the letter of the law, but not the spirit of the law. People were not supposed to touch lepers because the disease would spread, but Jesus touched the man so that the cure could spread.

Jesus, being God, was not bound by the law that forbade a clean person from touching an unclean one. Instead, he established his authority and power by touching the leper and healing him. This act was a fulfilment of the law, not an abolition of it.

Jesus was establishing the church and replaced the ceremonial law

The ceremonial law, or the Law of Moses, is divided into three components: the moral law, civil law, and ceremonial law. The ceremonial law deals with the sacrifices, festivals, rituals, and cleanliness standards of the Jewish religion. It includes instructions on how to regain a right standing with God, remembrances of God's work in Israel, and specific regulations meant to distinguish Israelites from their pagan neighbors.

Jesus came to fulfill the law and establish the church. In doing so, he replaced the ceremonial law. This is demonstrated in several ways. Firstly, Jesus performed Messianic Miracles, which were miracles reserved specifically for him and not permitted to be performed by any other man. One such miracle was the healing of leprosy, which had never been cured before. By healing the leper, Jesus superseded the Levitical law, which forbids a clean person from touching an unclean person, thus establishing his authority and power.

Secondly, Jesus himself was without sin and embodied cleanliness and holiness. Therefore, when he touched the leper, he did not become unclean but instead took upon himself the man's uncleanness and made the man clean. This act symbolized what Jesus would later do for humanity on the cross, where he took upon himself our unclean state and, in exchange, made us clean.

Thirdly, Jesus' touch demonstrated genuine compassion, which has no limits, and we are called to be imitators of this kind of love.

Finally, the ceremonial law pointed to Christ and was fulfilled by his life, death, and resurrection. When Jesus died, the veil of the Temple was torn, signifying that the separation between God and His people had been removed by Christ's perfect atonement, and thus eliminating the need for further sacrifices.

Therefore, through his actions and his sacrifice, Jesus established the church and replaced the ceremonial law.

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