leprosy

In today's gospel Luke 5:12-16, we meet a leper, one who is "full of leprosy." Now picture that in your mind for a moment.  This man is ugly and probably dirty even filthy.  He also had lepromas or tumors on the skin.  He may have had pieces of fingers and even toes deformed by the skin infection leaving him with stumps.  He was a man who was hated by others and more than likely hated himself.


This  man approaches Jesus for a cure. My first thought is what were other people doing as he approached.  My guess is they ran or at least quickly maneuvered themselves so that they would not touch or be touched by this outcast.  They may have even looked away or even hid their children from the disgusting creature.

At the same time, people probably stared or even glared at him.  How dare he break protocol.  I can imagine the questions rolling through the minds of those on lookers, "how dare he?", "who does he think he is?" and so on and so forth.

IT was definitely not a welcoming crowd.  It was hostile and could turn violent at any moment.

Think of the courage the leper possessed.  Think of the confidence he mustered as he approached.
That in itself is a beautiful lesson.  Against all odds, he seeks help.  He lets nothing stand in his way of his goal.


Hee is a man filled with shame and guilt and self-loathing.  Yet, Jesus still stretches his hand to touch him.  Even when we despise ourselves it is not a true measure of God's deep affection for us.  God's affection for us is often deepen than our own sense of shame or disgust.  Our feeling toward ourselves does not determine God's love for us.

Jesus touches the untouchable.
As christians we are to do the same.

Jesus sent the man forward to carry out the prescribed ritual.  At some point take time to read Leviticus 14.  Think about the prescribed ritual.  It takes 8 days before the man would be allowed back in the circle of his family and friends.

The ritual is charity.  JEsus prescribes the ritual for all of those who doubt, all of those who are nay sayers.  Even if they doubt Who Jesus is they would still hold on to the old way of doing things. So rather than debunking the old way he incorporates it in the healing.  This way the man was assurred of his place back in community.

JEsus doesn't dispense from ritual.  There are many in our society who despise the Catholic church because of her rituals.  Yet, the ritual itself can be healing and cleansing.

Lastly, Jesus prays.

Today set aside some time to pray. Remember pray is just like party but with out the t and a few letters scrambled around.  Prayer is to breathe in the presence of God.  Today when things get hectic, pause for a moment and take a deep breath and breathe in the presence of God.