To read the texts click on the texts: 1 Sam 4:1-11; Mk 1:40-45
The healing of a leper, which is our
text for today, is also found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, but both
Matthew and Luke omit the emotional reactions of Jesus found in Mark. The term
leprosy was used for any kind of skin disease, and those with such kind of
diseases were considered as unclean and not allowed to be part of society. They
had to live on the outskirts of the city, and had to make their presence known
whenever they entered the city, so that others could avoid any kind of contact
with them and so not get contaminated.
In this miracle, Jesus not only heals
the leper, but also reaches out and touches him. This probably means that Jesus
cannot be contaminated or made unclean by anything from outside. It could also
indicate Jesus’ wanting to reach out to the leper in a personal manner and
treat him as a full human being.
The prayer of the leper is a lesson for
each one of us on the meaning of prayer. In his prayer the leper both
acknowledges his dependence on Jesus through the words, “If you will” and also
has faith in the ability of Jesus to heal through the words, “you can make me
clean”. Prayer means to acknowledge our dependence on God and also to have
faith that God can do what to us may seem impossible.
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