12 While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” 13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him. 14 Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” 15 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. (Luke 5:12-16)
Here we see a man with leprosy, upon seeing the Lord Jesus, he humbly prostrated himself on the ground, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” He believed that the Lord Jesus had the power to heal, and that he could be healed if the Lord was willing. The Lord Jesus reached out and touched him, saying, “I am willing; Be clean!” His leprosy was immediately healed.
Leprosy was considered a very serious matter among the Jews. Nearly two long chapters in Leviticus address this issue (chapter 13, 14). According to the law, a person with leprosy must absolutely not live among the crowd, but must “live alone outside the camp” (Leviticus 13:46). Normally, people should not touch a leper to avoid contamination, but the Lord Jesus touched him, and cleansed him. After his healing, the Lord Jesus told him not to tell anyone, but to show himself to the priest and then offer a gift according to the Old Testament law.
2 “These are the regulations for any diseased person at the time of their ceremonial cleansing, when they are brought to the priest: 3 The priest is to go outside the camp and examine them. If they have been healed of their defiling skin disease, 4 the priest shall order that two live clean birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop be brought for the person to be cleansed. (Leviticus 14:2-4)
Here according to Leviticus, after a leper was cleansed, he should be brought to the priest for verification, and after confirmation of cleansing, a gift should be offered.
45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere. (Mark 1:45)
Jesus told the man not to tell anyone, but he spread the news, preventing Jesus from openly entering the city and hindering His work.
We see that many people came to Jesus to hear His word and to be healed of their sicknesses, but Jesus withdrew to the wilderness to pray. This shows the importance of prayer.
