THE WORD
Heb 3,7-14 / Mk 1,40-45
The leper came to [Jesus] (and kneeling down) begged him and said, "If you wish, you can make me clean." Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, "I do will it. Be made clean." The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once. Then 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." The 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
IN OTHER WORDS
The man afflicted with leprosy can be called a dead man walking. He is already dead and yet alive. This was the worst scenario a man could be in Jesus' time. But worse than the physical affiction was the psycho-emotional indignation that one had to bear. He was not only driven away by his own family, but even isolated away from the community. The worst part of this condition was that a man inflicted with leprosy was a man condemned spiritually because his condition was a testament about a person who had led an immoral life. So when Jesus healed the man with leprosy, he was totally reconciled not only to his own family and society but even to God. Jesus showed us that no man was a hopeless case. Certain considerations have to be made on how the miracle happened. It can be noticed that the leper had the courage to approach Jesus and in humility knelt and begged him specifically to heal him. This indicates that if one is truly sincere in his heart in seeking for healing, the Lord, who is compassionate, will take pity and lend a healing hand. Jesus sternly warned the healed person not to publicize the incident. However, joy and happiness overwhelmed the healed one; he could not contain the wonderful miracle that happened and he simply had to share this delightful feeling of being "saved." This is a picture of a truly converted person who became a passionate witness and evangelizer. We ought to emulate him. Jesus nevertheless followed the legal requirements that the person healed had to present himself before a priest for a confirmation of his healing. Though Jesus was beyond human laws, He still respected the human conditions of His time.
- Fr. Jose Caballes, SVD
The Word in other words 2017
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
