Thoughts for the Day

When Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him; and there was a leper who came to him and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.’ He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, ‘I do choose. Be made clean!’ Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Then Jesus said to him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.’

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Our reading from Matthew's Gospel today gives us the healing of the man with leprosy - a dreadful bacterial disease then and now that 'eats' away at the body. The man has such faith that he breaks through the taboos that should have held him apart from the crowd and kneels before Jesus to make his humble request. In response Jesus touches the man and he is healed. There are other stories of leprosy in both the Hebrew scriptures and the New Testament among them the story of Moses' sister Miriam (Numbers 12.1-15) and the healing of 10 lepers (Luke 17.11-19), and often these stories have a deep spiritual and symbolic meaning. Leprosy was often viewed as a symbol of sin, impurity, and separation from God, but the miraculous stories of healing and restoration, illustrate God's power to cleanse both body and soul.

So who are today's 'lepers' or social outcasts? Well beside those with Hansen's disease (Leprosy) it could be any number of those we prefer to reject from society - murderers; rapists; child abusers; bullies; fraudsters; liars; thieves; or those who mistreat the vulnerable. But we also know that the world often sees some of these as upstanding citizens, they have not all been judged and sentenced to prison. Indeed many of us know, as I do, that our names could be added to the list. We may not have carried out any of the above list, but we are just as capable of carrying out dozens of unkind and unloving sins, that can grow worse over the years. Just as leprosy separated people from their community, sin separates us from God and those around us. The need for cleansing, both physical and spiritual, is of the upmost importance.

These stories about lepers remind us of the power of faith and humility, and of the need to recognise our need for God's help. It is faith that opens the door to experiencing God's blessings. Jesus' compassion, and his willingness to touch and heal a leper, reveals that God's love knows no boundaries. He reaches out to all of us who often feel broken offering us healing and hope. This message is as relevant today as it was in biblical times—God's love and grace are available to all who seek Him, regardless of their past or present circumstances.

Father-God,
as Your Son healed the leper of the disease
that separated him from people and from You,
may we acknowledge our own sins,
often hidden and unacknowledged,
and bring them to You asking for forgiveness.
Give us the determination to change our life,
and constantly measure it against the rule of loving You,
and loving others as we would hope to be loved.
Amen.