Jesus & the Leper

Practice Homily

 on 

Mark 1:40-45

Setting:

Our Lord and His disciples, are walking the dusty roads of Galilee, journeying from village to village. As they continue on their way, the word soon spreads like wildfire, “Jesus of Nazareth is here!”

Characters:

On the outskirts of one such town, we behold a suffering leper, an outcast from society, living on the fringes, forsaken, alone, and desperate. Mention of Jesus' name has stirred something deep within himself, something that he has not felt in a very long time: Hope! Hope in the power of God and His mercy. The leper hobbles over and painfully kneels down at the feet of the Master, not presuming to reach up to him, but begging to be made clean, if only Jesus will will it. Christ looks down with compassion and indeed wills it!

Outstretched Arm:

He stretches out His hand, in a manner like the famous Sistine Chapel depiction of God the Father reaching out his powerful arm to bring Adam to new life. Looking deeper here, we catch a glimpse of the mystery of the Incarnation: for God so loved the world that He sent His only son, Jesus to reach out across the divide between heaven and earth, and by His power of holiness, conquered the uncleanliness of sin and restored to communion, those furthest away from Him.

Cure & Secrecy:

And so, at Jesus' touch, the leper is cured. After healing him, Jesus tells him that he should go and tell no one of what has happened. Why does our Lord ask for secrecy? Perhaps He was worried that it might stir up His enemies to attempt to sidetrack His ministry before the appointed time of His Passion. Regardless of the reason, the now cleansed leper cannot hide his joy and praise any longer and soon word of the cure races out of control.

Following the Father's Will:

Jesus now finds himself surrounded by crowds pressing in on every side, something that it seems that He was attempting to avoid. Perhaps His original route must now be altered. And yet, now He will encounter many more souls yearning to be healed. It is all the will of the Father, for God Himself can make good out of any situation, even those times when we aren't completely faithful to His commands.

Reconciliation & Cleanliness:

The gift that the leper received was beyond his wildest dreams. What a cure! To be made clean, not only of physical infirmities, but of all spiritual ones as well! Through His power, mercy, and love, Christ sees beyond the outward dirtiness of our sins and restores to us the clean, white, spiritual garments of our baptism through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. He is here waiting for you. Let us follow the example of the leper and embrace Jesus' outstretched hand of healing. For truly, cleanliness is next to godliness.