And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
Matthew 8:2–3
Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
In Israel at that time, to get within a stone’s throw of someone so diseased was to jeopardize your own righteousness and reputation. So that is the danger Jesus is faced with. The man comes near Jesus—but not too near.
What does Jesus do? He reaches out and touches him. The beauty of this is beyond words. Jesus doesn’t need to come in contact with the man in order to heal him. There are many accounts where all he does is say the word and people are healed, even people a county away. Yet he touches him. Why?!
Because this is the one thing the man needs. No one has touched him for a very long time.
Citation: John Eldredge, Restoration Year