Luke 5:14

So far as renouncing all human glory went, He forbade the man to publish abroad the cure; but so far as the honour of the law was concerned, He requested that the usual course should be followed: "Go, show thyself to the priest, and present the offering which Moses commanded." For the figurative signs of the law in its types He still would have observed, because of their prophetic import.

The authority of power in the Lord is here compared with the steadfastness of faith manifest in the leper. He fell on his face because it is a mark of humility and modesty that each feel shame for the sins of his life, but shyness did not restrict his confession. He showed the wound, he begged for the remedy, and the very confession is full of piety and faith. "If you will," it says, "you can make me clean." He conceded the power to the Lord's will. But he doubted concerning the Lord's will, not as if unbelieving in piety, but as if aware of his own impurity, he did not presume. The Lord replies to him with a certain holiness. "I will: be clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him." For there is nothing between God's command and his work, because the work is in the command. Thus he spoke, and they came into being. You see that it cannot be doubted that the will of God is power. If, therefore, his will is power, those who affirm that the Trinity is of One will affirm that it is of one power. Thus the leprosy departed immediately. In order that you may understand the effect of healing, he added truth to the work.

He is commanded to show himself to the priest and sacrifice for his cleansing. In offering himself to the priest, the priest may understand that he was cured not by the ordinance of the law but by the grace of God above the law. When the sacrifice is performed according to Moses' precept, the Lord shows that he did not destroy the law but fulfilled it. Furthermore, by proceeding according to the law, he was seen to heal above the law those whom the remedies of the law had not healed. "For the law is spiritual," and therefore it is seen that a spiritual sacrifice is commanded.

But lest leprosy should become rife among us, let each avoid boasting after the example of our Lord's humility. For it follows, And he commanded him that he should tell it to no one, that in truth he might teach us that our good deeds are not to be made public, but to be rather concealed, that we should abstain not only from gaining money, but even favour. Or perhaps the cause of His commanding silence was that He thought those to be preferred, who had rather believed of their own accord than from the hope of benefit.

And that the Priest also should know that not by the order of the law, but by the grace of God above the law, he was cured. And since a sacrifice is commanded by the regulation of Moses, the Lord shows that He does not abrogate the law, but fulfil it. As it follows, And offer for thy cleansing according as Moses commanded.

Or because the law is spiritual He seems to have commanded a spiritual sacrifice. Hence he said, As Moses commanded. Lastly, he adds, for a testimony unto them. The heretics understand this erroneously, saying, that it was meant as a reproach to the law. But how would he order an offering for cleansing, according to Moses' commandments, if he meant this against the law?

(Hom. 26. in Matt.) And since frequently men, when they are sick, remember God, but when they recover, wax dull, He bids him to always keep God before his eyes, giving glory to God. Hence it follows, But go and show thyself to the Priest, in order that the leprous man being cleansed might submit himself to the inspection of the Priest, and so by his sanction be counted as healed.

(ubi sup.) Or, for a testimony against them, i. e. as a reproof of them, and a testimony that I respect the law. For now too that I have cured thee, I send thee for the examination of the priests, that thou shouldest bear me witness that I have not played false to the law.

(de Qu. Ev. l. ii. qu. 3.) He seems here to approve of the sacrifice which had been commanded through Moses, though the Church does not require it. It may therefore be understood to have been commanded, because not as yet had commenced that most holy sacrifice which is His body. For it was not fitting that typical sacrifices should be taken away before that which was typified should be confirmed by the witness of the Apostles' preaching, and the faith of believers.

Anyone can see the profound and mighty mystery of Christ written for our benefit in Leviticus. For the law of Moses declares the leper defiled and gives orders for him to be put out of the camp as unclean. What if the malady is relieved? It commands that he should then be capable of readmission. Moreover, it clearly specifies the manner in which he is to be pronounced clean....We may see, then, in the birds (offered at the cleansing of the leper) Christ suffering in the flesh according to the Scriptures but remaining also beyond the power of suffering.... That the one bird then was slain, and that the other was baptized indeed in its blood, while itself exempt from slaughter, typified what was really to happen. For Christ died in our place, and we, who have been baptized into his death, he has saved by his own blood.

He says then, for a testimony unto them, because this deed makes manifest that Christ in His incomparable excellence is far above Moses. For when Moses could not rid his sister of the leprosy, he prayed the Lord to deliver her. But the Saviour, in His divine power, declared, I will, be thou clean. (Numb. 12:13.)

And he commanded him to tell no one. Why is he commanded to tell no one, unless to teach that our benefits are not to be made public, but kept hidden? So that we may abstain not only from the reward of money, but also of grace.

And go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, as a testimony to them, etc. He is ordered to show himself to the priest, so that the priest might understand that he was cured not by the order of the law, but by the grace of God above the law; however, to offer a sacrifice, so that the Lord might show that he did not abolish the law, but fulfilled it: for walking according to the law, he healed those above the law whom the remedies of the law had not healed. And well he added, As a testimony to them, that is, if they believe in God, if the leprosy of impiety departs. But if it moves someone how the Lord seems to approve a Mosaic sacrifice, as the Church has not received it, let them remember that the holy sacrifice of sacrifices, which is his body, had not yet begun. For he had not yet offered his own holocaust in the Passion. But it was not fitting to remove the significant sacrifices before that which was signified was confirmed by the witness of the preaching apostles and the faith of believing peoples. Because this man typically designates the languid human race by sins, rightly he is described not only as a leper but also as full of leprosy. For all have sinned and need the glory of God (Rom. III). That is, so that, with the Savior's hand extended, that is, with the incarnate Word of God, and touching human nature, they might be cleansed from the diversity of the ancient error, and might be able to hear with the apostles: Now you are clean, because of the word that I have spoken to you (John XV); and those who were separated from the camp of God's people as abominable for a long time, might once again be rendered to the temple and offered to the priest, of course to the one to whom it is said: You are a priest forever (Psalm CIX), hearing from the Apostle: For the temple of God is holy, which you are (I Cor. III); and they might offer for their cleansing as Moses commanded, that is, they might present their bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God (Rom. XII).

But mark, that after a man has been cleansed he is then worthy to offer this gift, namely, the body and blood of the Lord, which is united to the Divine nature.

And he commanded him to tell no one. After the cure of the disease, the Evangelist here subjoins the instruction of the one cured. But Christ teaches the cured leper, and in him anyone else, three things: the first is that the proclamation of praise is not to be sought: the second, that the office of the priest is not to be despised: the third is that the commandment of the Law is not to be passed over. The first of these directs the intention: the second, the affection: and the third regulates the action.

He instructs therefore first that the proclamation of praise is not to be sought, when he says: And he commanded him to tell no one. He does not say this because he wished that the man would not speak, since the man preached this everywhere, as is said in Mark, chapter one; but he instructs by his own example to avoid praise. Whence Bede: "He gives an example so that his own, in the great things they do, may wish to be hidden; but that they may benefit others, they are revealed against their will." Ambrose also says this in the Gloss.

Whence note that there is a precept of execution, as in Exodus, chapter twenty: "Honor your father"; and of testing, as the precept to Abraham concerning the immolation of his son, Genesis, chapter twenty-two; and a precept of instruction, as here. Whence this man did not sin when he spread abroad his name.

Chrysostom, however, says that it was a command, but for a time, out of caution, lest, if perchance the priests heard that he had been healed by Christ, they would not receive him as clean when he presented himself to them, on account of the hatred they bore toward Christ.

The first interpretation, however, seems more correct, because He commanded this to other sick persons, who nevertheless did not observe it, according to what is said in Mark 7 concerning the deaf and mute man who was healed: "The more He commanded them, the more they proclaimed it." And rightly so, because, according to what is said in 2 Corinthians 12, "I ought to have been commended by you"; yet no one ought to praise himself unless compelled by the necessity of another. Hence the Apostle: "I have become foolish; you compelled me." Therefore he said that he had become foolish, because he seemed to have acted against the counsel of the wise man: Proverbs 27: "Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips."

He also teaches, secondly, that the office of the priest is not to be despised, when He adds: But go, show yourself to the priests, because their office was, according to the Law, to expel lepers and to receive those who had been cleansed, as is stated in Leviticus 13 and 14 throughout nearly the whole of those chapters. Now this office of discerning leprosy was committed to the priests, although it might seem to pertain more to physicians, because to them the wounds of mortal sins, which are signified by leprosy, are to be shown in the time of revealed truth, according to that passage in Ecclesiasticus 18: "In the time of sickness, show your manner of life," because, as is said in Proverbs 28, "he who conceals his crimes shall not prosper"; hence, although the Lord cleanses through interior contrition, He nonetheless binds one to sacramental confession. In this command, moreover, He teaches that the priestly office is to be venerated by all, and that it is necessary for the healing of sins. And this is the principal reason for this command. There are, however, also other reasons: namely, that they might be moved to good, having seen the miracle of the certain healing of the leper; and that they might be witnesses of the miracle; and lest He should seem to oppose them; and that the priestly dignity of Christ and the grace of the New Testament and priesthood might become known to them, which can not only show one who has been healed, but also heal.

He instructs thirdly that the precept of the Law is not to be disregarded, when he adds: And offer for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, as in Leviticus 14, cleansed lepers are commanded to offer two living sparrows and a cake of bread and a measure of oil. These were ceremonial matters, and yet the Savior wished them to be offered, in order to show that the Law is good and divinely given, against the perfidy of the Manicheans: Romans 7: "The Law indeed is holy, and the commandment holy, just, and good"; and this, because they still remained in force, since the truth had not yet been revealed: whence the Interlinear Gloss says that "the signs ought not to be taken away unless the things signified have first come." — But those signs of the Law did not give health, but showed it and confirmed it by testimony: and therefore he adds: For a testimony to them: which can be read in two ways: offer to them for a testimony, namely of your healing; or: offer, so that this may be to them for a testimony that you have been healed, and so that they may no longer be able to harm you, since they will have received from you testimonial gifts. And note that this phrase for a testimony to them does not refer to the precept of Moses, but of the Lord. Whence Chrysostom: "Do not understand it as though Moses commanded for a testimony to them, but rather: go and offer for a testimony to them," so that he might receive from them a testimony before the people. For, as is said in 1 Timothy 3, "it is necessary for the Saints to have a good testimony from those who are outside." Whence also the wondrous work of Christ ought to be approved by the testimony of those who lay in wait, for the perfect establishment of faith and its strengthening.