Who was Simon the Leper?

Response

Simon was a very common name during New Testament times, and at least eight men with that name are mentioned in the Bible. Simon Peter was one of the closest companions of our Lord. “Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;”, (Matthew 10:2). Simon the Zealot was another of Jesus’ disciples. “Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphæus, and Simon called Zelotes,”, (Luke 6:15). Simon of Cyrene “And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.”, (Matthew 27:32) carried Christ’s cross. Therefore, “Simon the Leper” was a title used to distinguish this Simon from others in the Bible.

Simon the Leper appears in a brief but impactful scene documented in Matthew 26:6–13 and Mark 14:3–9. One night, while Jesus was in Bethany, He and the disciples were invited to dine at the home of Simon the Leper. As Jesus reclined at the table, an unnamed woman entered, broke an expensive flask of perfume, and poured the oil over the Lord’s head, anointing Him in a lavish act of worship. The disciples were upset by the woman’s use of valuable resources. However, Jesus instructed them to let the woman be, “for she has done a beautiful thing to me” “When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me.”, (Matthew 26:10, ESV). Her anointing was a fitting tribute to the Messiah-King and a preparation for His burial.This dinner at Simon the Leper’s home occurred approximately one week before Jesus was crucified.

Similar but distinct incidents are recounted in Luke 7:36–50 and John 12:1–8. The occurrence in Luke took place at the residence of another Simon, known as “Simon the Pharisee,” with a woman identified simply as “a sinner.” The event in John occurred on a separate day and involved Mary of Bethany.

Who exactly was Simon the Leper? This is a question that has long fascinated Bible students and scholars. Some propose that Simon was the father of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, or the husband of Martha, in an effort to link Simon the Leper with the anointing described in John 12. What we do know for certain is that this Simon resided in Bethany and that he was (or had been) a leper. It is highly likely that Simon the Leper was one of the many individuals whom Jesus had cured during His ministry.

Regardless, Simon the Leper could not have been afflicted with leprosy when Jesus visited his home. According to Leviticus 13:46, lepers were deemed unclean and were required to “live outside the camp.” They were to reside alone and were not permitted to live indoors. Anyone who shared a meal with a leper would also have been considered unclean. Therefore, many scholars believe that the Lord had healed Simon of leprosy, and, out of gratitude, the healed man welcomed Jesus and His disciples into his home for a meal.