Jesus Ministers to Outcasts
February 8
Matthew begins this chapter with two stories. Here, Jesus ministers to outcasts, again demonstrating His universal influence and ultimate plan to reach all types of people.
Jewish Law prohibited anyone from touching lepers, lest they themselves become unclean. Leprosy generally refers to any number of skin diseases, including leprosy specifically. To protect the general population, lepers were required to live outside the camp as the people of God wandered in the wilderness between Egypt and the Promised Land.[1] (Numbers 5:1–4)
Additionally, lepers had to dress in such a way that they were easily identified, lest someone who touched them would be made unclean until evening. (Leviticus 13:45–46; Leviticus 22:6–7) So, in reaching out and touching the desperate leper (making physical contact with an unclean person), Jesus would also have become unclean. This law would also apply to the unclean woman who touched Jesus’ clothes. (Mark 5:27–28) But, of course, the pure Jesus could never become unclean.
Matthew also tells us about a centurion who asks Jesus to heal his servant, this time without a touch. A centurion was a Roman soldier who commanded one hundred soldiers. The centurion understood the concept of authority. He lived it every single day, both as a follower of his superiors and leader of his inferiors.
Submission is a big deal. It isn’t a negative word. It’s a military word. What military would be successful without an authority structure? Imagine a buck private, fresh out of boot camp, trying to tell a general what to do. It would be a catastrophic failure, and it could lead to utter chaos and a possible loss of life!
Application
Authority is also a big deal in the Kingdom of God. While some might think they can “command” Him to do their bidding to provide health and wealth, God is not mocked. He is not our cosmic genie. He will not be commanded. He is not obligated to do anything. He is God!
As we grow in our faith, we will see the importance of aligning our lives with His authority structures. But, as I have said many times, the first two basic rules in Biblical Christianity are:
1.) God is God.
2.) We are not.
[1] Anytime anyone approached, lepers were required to call out, “Unclean, unclean!” Isn’t it amazing that Moses established such rules before modern science invented the practice of quarantining sick individuals? How did he know? Perhaps God told him.
© Copyright 2026 Craig Beaman