Charles Spurgeon Commentary Luke 5:12

"And it came to pass, while he was in one of the cities, behold, a man full of leprosy: and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." — Luke 5:12 (ASV)

And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.

There was not much faith there, but faith even as a grain of mustard seed will serve; and therefore Christ did not refuse the poor leper's plea.

Who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

This was splendid faith. Here was adoration of the noblest kind; no angel before the throne of God could render the Son of God more honour than this poor leprous man did. He believed in Christ's power at once to rid him of that otherwise incurable disease: Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

Who, seeing Jesus, fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

He felt that the difficulty lay in the will of Christ, not in his power. No other teacher would have looked at such a man.

Everybody shrank from him, for he scattered defilement wherever he moved. A leper was a being from whom all kept clear, so this one was afraid that the great Teacher was not willing to cure him. "If thou wilt," said he, "thou canst," 'I know that thou canst make me clean.'

And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy:

As far gone with leprosy as he could be; thoroughly tainted, and eaten up with that loathsome disease.

And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy:

What a contrast there was between these two persons,– the Lord Jesus full of purity,– and this man full of impurity,– full of leprosy! He could not be more than full; he had as much leprosy as a man could contain.