Oh, to be a leper in those days. Lepers were considered unclean by the Jewish faithful. They were outcasts. They were accused of being lawbreakers, sinners. Throughout the Gospels, they had a nose for Jesus. And Jesus did not disappoint.
We see the compassion, the power and the wisdom of Jesus in this Gospel reading. We see a picture of what Jesus is all about. He does not drive away all of us who have sinned. We may feel like a leper at times, thinking that we have no right to speak to Jesus. But Jesus continues to meet the desperation of human need with an understanding compassion. Jesus reached out and touched that leper. In touching that leper, he shows us that the kingdom of God he proclaims is accessible to all through his grace. He breaks down the barrier for lepers erected by the Jewish community. Jesus touches all of us who feel unclean. To Jesus, none of us are unclean. To Jesus, we are human souls in desperate need of his healing.
Jesus fully knew what the ramifications of his action were. His action could be understood as a direct and willing violation of Jewish purity laws. But Jesus has the leper show himself to the priest, who can declare him cleansed from leprosy.
Jesus is here to cleanse us. We are made clean by him every time we partake in the sacraments. But we still must live in this society and do what is prescribed by law.
Even though Jesus told the man not to tell anyone anything, he tells all who would listen. Just as Jesus insists on proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God, this man cleansed of leprosy does the same thing. In a sense, Christianity is even more contagious than leprosy.
We do not see too many lepers these days, even though leprosy is still contagious. But as Christians, are we contagious? If we truly are to live out our call as Christians, we will be carriers of the good news. We are carriers of the good news when we speak out against injustice, promote helping the very poor, strive for peace and bring out the best in others. We are carriers of the good news when we go out and testify to the healing power of Jesus. When we do that, we are contagious with the love of God.
We come to the table of the Lord not for an antidote for what makes us contagious, but to be more infectious. Let us pray that by partaking in the body and blood of Christ, we realize how infectious we can be.
Father Beeson is pastor of St. Pius V in Cannon Falls and St. Joseph in Miesville.
Sunday, Feb. 11
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
