In today’s Gospel pericope, the Lord Jesus stretches and touches the Leper, considered the untouchable man. Jesus’ touch has erased all social prejudices and religious concepts that are not yet perfect for Leper or the sick people. The pericope shows that Jesus has perfected all imperfections into perfection while directly impacting every aspect of religion and society down to the reality of each individual.
JESUS’ POWERFUL TOUCH
Religiously: When many people would have believed that the Leper, the sick person (maybe he, himself) had done something wrong, then God was punishing him/her for some unfaithfulness or violations of the Law. In this context, Jesus’ touching and healing actions have transformed each person’s perception of the sick person, thereby turning the sick person into a collaborative agent in glorifying God.
Socially: The Leper was considered as an outcast man. He was believed to be contagious and beyond any human touch, for touching him would cause a risk of infection, break God’s Law, and defile oneself. The fact that Jesus reached out his hand and touched him in this aspect further shows God’s boundless sympathy for him.
Physically: The Leper death is only on the matter of when. However, that Jesus had touched him, the Leprosy immediately disappeared. In this aspect Jesus healed the sick man’s physical body and also showed the Great Mercy of God when It was through this healing that the Leper was put back in the right position. Evidence that after being healed, he freely interacted with people and talked about what Jesus had done for him; in other words, society accepted and respected him. Jesus raising his hand to touch the Leper was not simply eliminating social prejudice or healing the sick. Still, more importantly, Jesus spread God’s wholeness to purify what is unclean and bring all imperfections into perfection. The power and impurity of the world cannot influence the man who belongs to God.
BEING TRANSFORMED BY JESUS
Great faith from the Leper by saying, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” There are two aspects: First, he convicted that Jesus can, Jesus’ power over his sickness; on the other hand, he offered his wants and needs, but much more he respects Jesus’ will; in other words, he submitted his whole life to Jesus’ will. That faith is so great in so far as we can link with Jesus’ faith when he prayed to the Heavenly Father: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done.” With such faith, Jesus responded to his wish, “I do will it. Be made clean.” Being healed, “the man went away and began to publicize the whole matter.” The Oxford Bible Commentary, edited by John Barton and John Muddiman, affirmed that Mark’s narrative emphasizes the success of Jesus’ activity as a healer.
A great humble heart leads to great faith, one of the two instances in the Old Testament in which God is shown to have cured a leper, Naaman. He was humbled when he heard the servant girl go to see the prophet, Elisha. He was humbled when he heard his servant should not give up. He was humbled when he heard about Elisha’s servant accepting to drown himself. He entered the water seven times and was finally healed in humility and trust in God. Today’s pericope, the Leper humbled himself, came to Jesus, kneeled down, and begged; it shows that condition to be healed, a humble heart must exist in man. Believing means eliminating all distance in the relationship with God; the first reading shows that Leprosy has to cry out “Unclean, unclean!” as a costume to avoid contacting him (the sick person). The Leper in this pericope did the opposite side; he approached Jesus and talked to Jesus. This further shows that his faith in Jesus was so strong that it broke the Law.
Gospel passage echoes as a testament to the transformative and redemptive power of Jesus, inviting individuals to approach Him with humility, faith, and a willingness to submit to God’s will. Through the healing of the Leper, Mark emphasizes the success of Jesus’ ministry as a healer, inviting all to embrace the boundless mercy and transformative touch of the Savior.
TRAN VAN LUC, Sch.P.
February 11, 2024 | Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mark 1: 40-45: A great prophet has arisen in our midst, God has visited his people.
A 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.
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.
But he being gone out, began to publish and to blaze abroad the word: so that he could not openly go into the city, but was without in desert places: and they flocked to him from all sides.
VAN LUC TRAN
Piarist
Br. Tran Van Luc Sch. P. hails from the Archdiocese of Hanoi, Viet Nam. He is a Marketing graduate, joined the Piarist Fathers in 2014. He took Philosophy units at the Adamson University and Certificate for Practical Social Skills Class at HCMC Youth Employment Service and Vocational Training Center. He is the writer of several books, like, “Hanh Phuc & Khon Ngoan; Tien Van Tam-Nha Giao Duc…” Currently, he is taking Master of Arts in Theological Studies (MATS) – Maryhill School of Theology.
