Leprosy, aka Hansen’s Disease, was a terrifying malady. Before understanding the importance of hygiene, and the discovery of medical intervention that ameliorates the disease, those infected were shunned, excluded from society, put in isolated colonies, where they waited to die. Even today, the image of a leper stirs fears. Pariahs, the excluded, are still defined, labeled and subject to revulsion.
In Jesus’ time, anyone who had any kind of abnormal skin condition was considered a leper, and driven out of the safety of family, tribe, community. If the “leprous” condition cleared up, the proper course was to show oneself to a priest and make an offering to God as proof of cure. Then you could return to your relatives and responsibilities. And if someone, even accidentally, came into physical contact with a person with a suspicious skin condition, they immediately and automatically became unclean and outcast themselves, and were required to isolate themselves for a set period of time.
Early on in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus has been instrument of several cures and exorcisms in Capernaum. Instead of setting up his ministry there, he feels called, through prayer, to bring the Good News and to heal in the other towns of Galilee. He travels about and shares his message of the immanence of God’s Kingdom in the local synagogues. He freely exercises his gifts to restore people to wholeness with those who were ready and able to believe that God deeply desired them to be well and at peace, as Jesus taught.
In between towns, in the open country, a person with a virulent skin condition came up to Jesus and fell on his knees. (Mark 1:40-45) The leper, pleaded with Jesus, “If you want to, you can make me clean again.” Jesus, moved with deep emotion, replied, “Of course I want you to be well. Be cleansed!” And totally against all prudence, Jesus reached out and touched the suffering person, apparently not caring about the consequences for himself. Immediately the skin condition disappeared, The leper was no longer leprous.
Jesus’ concern was that this outcast return home as soon as possible, so he strongly advised, “Go, right away, show yourself to the nearest priest, and make the required offering! Don’t stand around talking about this .” What did the man do? He went around spreading the story about what Jesus had done for him and how – “He touched me.” As a result, Jesus wasn’t able to enter any town. No matter. Crowds still found him, and his mission of love and truth grew.
We too may live in fear of “the leper.” Fear of the unknown, of what might possibly happen, can pull us back from acting with compassion. We become more concerned for ourself, for our reputation, maybe for our safety, and we don’t do what we are moved in our hearts to do for the other. Jesus gives us an example that, even if something does happen to us, there are still opportunities to love and to grow, in places we didn’t expect..
Jana Buckley says:
I always enjoy getting the ‘bigger picture’ painted for me. The scene as it would play out when one reads between the lines and peeks behind the scenes. When after touching the leper Jesus could not enter any town, at least within shouting distance, this awakened me to what the ‘why?’ might have been. Love it!