THE COMMON ENGLISH BIBLE
A man with a skin disease approached Jesus, fell to his knees, and begged, “If you want, you can make me clean.”
41 Incensed, Jesus reached out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do want to. Be clean.” 42 Instantly, the skin disease left him, and he was clean. 43 Sternly, Jesus sent him away, 44 saying, “Don’t say anything to anyone. Instead, go and show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifice for your cleansing that Moses commanded. This will be a testimony to them.” 45 Instead, he went out and started talking freely and spreading the news so that Jesus wasn’t able to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, but people came to him from everywhere.
MY SPIN
A man with a bad skin condition -- probably leprosy -- went to Jesus and fell to his knees in front of him. He started to beg, "Please! You have the power to fix me -- if you want to."
Angry at the disease, Jesus reached out his hand and actually touched the unclean man. "I do want to," he said. "Be clean!"
Instantly, the skin condition disappeared and the man became ritually clean.
Then Jesus put on his sternest voice and commanded the healed man to say nothing about the incident to anyone. "Just go show yourself to the priest, and as commanded in the book of Moses offer the required sacrifice in thanksgiving for your cleansing. You don't need to say anything because this will be strong enough testimony to make the point." Jesus sent him on his way.
No surprise -- the man couldn't keep his mouth shut. He started telling everyone. Over and over again he kept blabbing the story.
After that, Jesus was an instant celebrity. He couldn't go anywhere without attracting an immobilizing crowd. So he stuck to the isolated spots, but people from everywhere still managed to find him.
