The Cleansing of a Leper

Today's Reflections   

 

 

                       

The Cleansing of a Leper 

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Mk 1:40-45

⁴⁰A leper came to [Jesus] [and kneeling down] begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” ⁴¹Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.” ⁴²The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. ⁴³Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once. ⁴⁴Then he said to him, “See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” ⁴⁵The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere.

I do will it. Be made clean. Lepers, because of their sickness, are marginalized. In fact, in the olden times, as a Jew approaches one afflicted with leprosy, the leper has to shout out a warning to the clean one that he is approaching a leper (cf Lv 13:45-46).

In the Gospel, the meeting of Jesus with the leper is a grace-filled encounter. Jesus declares that he is willing to heal the leper who has been banished from family and community. Jesus makes the leper feel the healing presence of God.

In the First Reading, the Philistines are frightened when the Ark of the Lord comes to their place, but they resolve to fight fiercely against the Israelites. And they defeat the Israelites this time, the two sons of Eli are killed, and the Ark of God is captured.

Why does this happen? The Israelites are bringing the Ark of God to assure their victory. They think they can manipulate God into winning the battle for them.

God’s salvation is offered out of God’s goodness, in God’s own time, and is not dependent on human beings. How foolish of us to project to God what we want and expect God to do exactly what we demand!

When you pray,

do you express your total dependence on God?

Say, “If you wish, you can…

I am willing to accept what you will bestow on me.”