We are used to hearing or saying these words ourselves when our Heavenly Father asks us the question: Are you willing? However in Matthew chapter 8, it is Messiah who says I am willing in answer to the mans question who was afflicted with tzara’at/leprosy.

There are some interesting insights we can glean from these verses in Matthews gospel that we may not have seen before, or may have overlooked; simply because we think we know the story and our understanding of Hebrew and Judaism is limited.

Starting in verse 2, the man knelt down. This is a sign of submission and worship, a humbling of self and not caring what the accompanying crowds thought. The first of the 10 sayings (10 commandments ) in the Torah, commands that you shall have no other gods before Me or bow down to them. This may be his desperation to be cleansed and returned to the community overcoming fear of consequences of what would appear to others to be bowing down to someone other than YHVH of Israel. Or it may have been that he was witness to many miracles and knowing Torah prophecies, believed in his heart Yeshua/Jesus was the promised Messiah.

 

By the first century Judaism had developed a list of major signs that the true Messiah could be expected to give as proof of His identity, 16:1-4; which is what the Pharisees were asking for in 16… Healing leprosy was one of them and another was the casting out of deaf, dumb and blind demons as He did in 12:22, 23. Specifically mentioned in John 9:32 32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.

Other major signs that the true Messiah could be expected to give as proof of His identity:

Lineage from David: The Messiah is expected to be a descendant of King David.

Restoration of Israel: The Messiah will gather and restore the Jewish people to their homeland.

Peace and Justice: The Messiah will establish a reign of peace and justice, ending conflict and oppression.

Miraculous Signs: The Messiah will perform miracles, including healing the sick and raising the dead.

Knowledge of God: The Messiah will have a deep understanding of God’s will and teach it to the people.

Universal Recognition: The Messiah will be recognized and accepted by all nations as a leader and savior.

The diverse communities of first-century Judaism had a variety of messianic expectations and hopes. The priestly led community at Qumran, for example, anticipated two anointed figures,

a royal messiah from the line of David

and a priestly one from the line of Aaron (1QS 9:11).

Other groups, like the Sadducees, had little to no interest in a coming Messiah, content as they were with the political status quo and their own (priestly) leadership. Despite this diversity, there is good evidence for a strong and persistent expectation for the coming of a king from the line of David, who would free the nation, crush Israel’s enemies, and establish a kingdom of righteousness and justice centered in Jerusalem. When Peter says, “You are the Messiah,” it is likely that he has this expectation in mind.

A second statement from the man was his statement of faith in 8:2, you can make me clean. His question was… if He was willing not that He was not able to do what he was asking!

in Hebrew clean is the word tahor which means to be clean not only from the skin disease of leprosy, but also ritually clean according to the Torah; where the person no longer must be separated from the community.

The adjective טָהוֹר  tahor, describes that which is entirely free from defilement, whether ceremonial, physical, moral, or spiritual. Strongs 2889

From the outset of Israel’s covenant life, clean defined the way to properly approach the true Holy God. “You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean” Leviticus 10:10.

This was ceremonial purity under the Law and the priestly legislation teaches that purity is not an option but is essential for covenant relationship. Failure to preserve this cleanness, whether through contact with death, disease, or moral offense; resulted in exclusion from worship until cleansing procedures were completed.

Yeshua/Jesus response was immediate and He answered his question…. I am willing. And then He spoke the result. Be cleansed. Speaking of Himself as I Am, in Hebrew Anochi/anoki, which is how our Heavenly Father declares Who He is. His serious self-revelation אָנֹכִי gives the personal pronoun I with added emphasis of self-assertion. Ex 3:14

He says in verse 4 ‘Tell no one.’ This seems like a strange thing to say and yet it was no doubt because at that time, He didn’t want to make known publicly the fact that He was the Messiah. The people were looking for a Messiah Who would liberate Israel from Roman oppression and rule Israel in glory; they were not looking for a Messiah Who would die a criminals death. This request of Yeshua/Jesus wasn’t honored because the people were too excited and couldn’t keep quiet about what was happening.

In the rest of verse 4, He tells the man that in order to bear testimony to the people, he was to go and let the cohen/priest examine him and secondly he was to offer the sacrifice that Moshe/Moses commanded. So the cleansing/healing itself was a witness to the crowds and furthermore He was saying do what the Torah commands after recovery from such a skin disease. Lev. 14:1-32. This was both a witness to the Priest and most importantly a clear reference that He had not come to do away with Torah commands but to fulfill them, to complete them and follow them as they were supposed to be followed; and was another indication that He was the awaited Messiah. He did not violate any of the Torah commands and directions for living a life before the Lord.

7 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Matthew 5:17-20.

Yeshua/Jesus summarized His relationship to the Old Testament/TaNaKH. 

Clearly, He came to fulfill the law and the prophets, not to destroy them. He taught and obeyed the law, and His death satisfied the ceremonial laws.

Yesua/Jesus’ purpose was not to abrogate or change the Word, neither to dissolve it, nor make it no longer valid or applicable to our lives. 

The predictions of the Prophets concerning the Messiah would be realized in Yeshua/Jesus; the Holy standard of the Torah Law would be perfectly upheld by Messiah, the strict requirements personally obeyed, and the ceremonial observances finally and fully satisfied.

The Prophets words will be fulfilled; the Torah Law or instructions for life, will continue to accomplish the purpose for which it was given. Isaiah 55:10–11.
Heaven and earth will pass away but My words will never pass away.
Next, consider what Messiah did do. He said that He came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. In other words, His purpose was to establish the Word,

to embody it, and

to fully accomplish all that was written.

Christ is the culmination of the law. Romans 10:4.

Yeshua haMashiach/Jesus Christ fulfilled the Prophets in that, in His first coming alone, He fulfilled hundreds of prophecies concerning Himself. Examples at: Matthew 1:22; 13:35; John 19:36; Luke 24:44.

Messiah fulfilled the Torah Law in at least two ways:

as a teacher and as a doer.

He taught people to correctly obey the Torah Law originally given to Moses by the Father and not all the added oral laws of the Pharisees do’s and don’ts . Matthew 22:35–40; Mark 1:44, and He obeyed the Torah Law Himself, John 8:46; 1 Peter 2:22.

In living a perfect life, Messiah fulfilled the moral laws; in His sacrificial death, He fulfilled the ceremonial laws. Messiah came not to destroy the Torah system but to build upon it. He came to complete the already established Covenant and add onto it what we term as the ‘New’. This new is specifically that because of His sacrificial death and shed blood, no more physical animal sacrifice was needed to pay the price for sin.

He made it very clear in Matthew 15:1-9.

So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word[b] of God. 7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. Thus you nullify the word of God.

This phrase highlights the tension between human traditions and divine commandments. The word of God refers to the Scriptures, which were considered the ultimate authority. The religious leaders of Messiah’s time often lifted up their traditions to a level that was above and overshadowed the Scriptures. This echoes Isaiah 29:13, where YHVH criticizes those who honor Him with their lips while their hearts are far from Him. The nullification implies a deliberate undermining of the Father’s authority, which is a serious charge against the religious leaders of the day.

by the tradition you have handed down.
The tradition, refers to the oral laws and customs developed by the Pharisees and scribes, which were meant to interpret and apply the written Law of Moses. These traditions, known as the “Oral Torah,” were eventually codified in the Mishnah. The phrase “handed down” suggests a generational transmission, indicating that these practices were deeply entrenched. This reflects a broader cultural context where oral tradition was a primary means of preserving and transmitting religious teachings. Messiah criticizes these traditions for overshadowing the true intent of His Father’s commandments.

And you do so in many such matters.
This indicates that the issue at hand was not isolated but part of a broader pattern of behavior. The religious leaders were consistently prioritizing their traditions over YHVH’s commands. This critique is not limited to the specific example of Corban which was mentioned earlier in the same chapter, but extends to various aspects of religious life. It underscores a recurring theme in Messiahs ministry:

the call to return to the heart of Torah law,

which is love and justice,

rather than mere ritual compliance.

This critique aligns with other scriptural passages where Messiah challenges the Pharisees, such as Matthew 15:8,9 and 23, where He condemns their hypocrisy and legalism.

This is so very important as there are many teachings that say now that we are under grace and the previous covenants from the Torah do not apply to all believers. This would mean that the instructions given to the children of Israel in the form of the 10 sayings/commandments are null and void, so therefore people can steal, murder, commit adultery, have idols and worship other gods and all the things we are required not to do.

This is like our idiom of throwing the baby out with the bathwater! People who want to believe we have a free ticket to heaven without the commitment and obedience to the Fathers Word, saying God is love, He understands my heart, and there’s grace for everything; simply want to live life on their own terms. The boundaries of living a morally observant Word based life, are there for our protection because He loves us.

Messiah is willing… the question is, are we willing to truly follow Him in the Way? Because if we are, then He will not only make us clean but He will make us whole.

Shalom shalom

‘Mishpachah’

‘Family/Tribe’

משפחה

Mish-pa-KHa,

friends, visitors and every reader…

Please don’t leave this page before making certain you are His

and are truly born again from above.

Know of a certainty that Jesus/Yeshua is

your Redeemer, Savior, Lord

and soon returning King

and that you have a personal relationship with Him.

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

It’s all about Life and Relationship, not Religion.

NOT SURE? YOU CAN BE..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry.

I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus.  Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’ name. Amen.