Matthew 8:4

Why did Jesus tell the cleansed leper to tell no one about his cleansing? Probably Jesus did not want the news of this cleansing broadcast widely because it would have attracted multitudes whose sole interest would have been to obtain physical healing. [Note: Tasker, p. 87.] In other words, He wanted to limit His purely physical appeal since He came to provide much more than just physical healing. [Note: Ned B. Stonehouse, The Witness of Matthew and Mark to Christ, p. 62.] A corollary of this view is that by keeping quiet the leper would have retarded the opposition of Jesus’ enemies who were hostile to Him and who resented His popularity.

More significant is why Jesus told the man to present himself to the priests at the temple in Jerusalem. Jesus was encouraging the man to obey the Mosaic Law concerning the cleansing of lepers (Leviticus 14:2; cf. Talmudic tractate Negaim 14). However by sending him there to do that Jesus was notifying the religious authorities in Israel that someone with messianic power was ministering in Galilee. Since no leper had received cleansing since Elisha had cleansed Naaman the Aramean, the priests should have wanted to investigate Jesus. (Moses had previously cleansed Miriam’s leprosy.)

"Jesus in effect was presenting His ’calling card’ to the priests, for they would have to investigate His claims." [Note: Barbieri, p. 37.]

This investigation by Israel’s leaders-who, we have observed, were surprisingly uninterested in Messiah’s birth-was something Jesus initiated by sending the leper to the temple with his offering. When the priests examined the cleansed leper closely, they would have had to certify that Jesus had genuinely healed the man. Their certification should have convinced everyone in Israel of Jesus’ power.

Matthew evidently recorded this miracle to show that Jesus’ ability to heal leprosy marked Him as the Messiah to all who would pay attention in Israel.

"By recounting Jesus’ response to the most feared and ostracized medical condition of his day, Matthew has thus laid an impressive foundation for this collection of stories which demonstrate both Jesus’ unique healing power and his willingness to challenge the taboos of society in the interests of human compassion." [Note: France, The Gospel . . ., p. 306.]