1 When Jesus came down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. 2 Behold, a leper came to him and worshiped him, saying, “Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.”

3 Jesus stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, “I want to. Be made clean.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 Jesus said to him, “See that you tell nobody, but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

Matthew 8:1-4 - World English Bible

After his first discourse (Matthew 5-7), Jesus came down from the mountain and encountered a leper. Instead of remaining in quarantine as the Law demanded, the ill man engaged the Lord, implicitly making him unclean. But that did not stop the man from recognizing the power of Jesus and making a request for healing. The Lord agreed and touched the man, making himself ritually unclean, yet cleansing the leper. Then, Jesus sent the man on his way, commanding the man to show himself to the priests to fulfill the Law and to testify to the power of the Lord.

Notice in the encounter that, through healing, Jesus possessed the power to declare what was clean and, implicitly what was not clean. His authority replaced that of the priests and the scribes. He made the sick and sinner clean, not through isolation, but through engagement. His touch cleansed.

Have you a desire to have the Lord touch you today?