1:44 {13} And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the {u} priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
(13) He shows that he was not motivated by ambition, but only by the desire for his Father's glory, and by his love towards poor sinners.
(u) All the posterity of Aaron had the authority to judge a leper.
1:44 Show thyself to the priest. At Jerusalem.
Those things which Moses commanded. See Le 14:4-7 and see PNT Mt 8:4.
1:44 See thou say nothing to any man - But our blessed Lord gives no such charge to us. If he has made us clean from our leprosy of sin, we are not commanded to conceal it. On the contrary, it is our duty to publish it abroad, both for the honour of our Benefactor, and that others who are sick of sin may be encouraged to ask and hope for the same benefit. But go, show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing what Moses commanded for a testimony to them - The priests seeing him, pronouncing him clean, Lev 13:17,23,28,37, and accordingly allowing him to offer as Moses commanded, Lev 14:2,7, was such a proof against them, that they durst never say the leper was not cleansed; which out of envy or malice against our Saviour they might have been ready to say, upon his presenting himself to be viewed, according to the law, if by the cleansed person's talking much about his cure, the account of it had reached their ears before he came in person. This is one great reason why our Lord commanded this man to say nothing.
1:40-45 We have here Christ's cleansing of a leper. It teaches us to apply to the Saviour with great humility, and with full submission to his will, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, without any doubt of Christ's readiness to help the distressed. See also what to expect from Christ; that according to our faith it shall be to us. The poor leper said, If thou wilt. Christ readily wills favours to those who readily refer themselves to his will. Christ would have nothing done that looked like seeking praise of the people. But no reasons now exist why we should hesitate to spread the praises of Christ.
