Gospel Reflection for Sunday February 14th 2021

The 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jesus heals the leper

The message of healing that we heard about in the gospel last Sunday continues today when a leper comes to Jesus and asks to be healed. The Jewish regulations and laws regarding leprosy are clearly outlined in the first reading from the Book of Leviticus. Those who are lepers are to go to one of the priests; ‘the one who is leprous: they are unclean. The priest must declare them unclean. They are to shield themselves and cry, unclean, unclean.’ As long as they are unclean, they must live apart, outside the camp.’ As well as being physically sick, those who were lepers were seen as sinners who were being punished by God. By the time of Jesus things were much the same if not worse. Lepers, indeed all whom were sick were seen as sinners. They were dismissed, despised, ignored and pushed to the margins of their community and family. They were excluded from all religious and social activities.

This encounter between the leper and Jesus begins in an unusual way. Normally it is Jesus who makes the first move when healing someone; however here it is the leper who takes the initiative and approaches Jesus; ‘a leper came to Jesus and pleaded with him on his knees: if you want to, he said, you can cure me.’  The leper knows the strict religious laws and yet he still breaks them. He doesn’t keep his distance and shout ‘unclean.’ He walks right up to Jesus, falls to his knees and pleads with Jesus to cure him. What courage, strength and humility this leper has. Maybe he recognised Jesus or just heard about him; either way he knows what he must do. Jesus returns the leper’s courage. As the leper reaches out to Jesus, he in turn reaches out, touches and heals him. Jesus not only reaches out to heal the leper, but reaches out across all social and religious boundaries separating the clean for the unclean. Jesus, too, breaks every religious and social restriction. Jesus goes out of his way not only to comfort and heal this leper but to identify with him.

If we are honest with ourselves and God, there are parts of our own lives that we might call ‘unclean.’ Maybe there are things in our past that we have said and done, of which we are not proud. Perhaps there are relationships with our friends and families that are still broken and that hurt after many years. There are so many examples that we could give; take a minute a name one that is important to you at the moment.

The invitation and challenge of this gospel is to follow the courageous humility of the leper. Can I in any way this week follow his example and make his prayer my own? Can I come to Jesus and pray, ‘If you want to, you can heal me?’ If I find the strength and faith to reach out to Jesus, he in turn will reach out to touch and heal me. There is nothing more Jesus wants than to heal and help me; renew and restore to me full health at all levels.

In a beautiful new book just published called, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, which is a modern parable, by Charlie Mackesy, there is profound line; ‘What is the bravest thing you ever said,’ asked the boy. “Help” said the horse.

This week, may we have the faith and find the humility to ask God’s for help, so that we too may be renewed and restored to health at all levels.

– Br Michael Moore OMI