I really struggled to come up with a homily this weekend. It didn’t help that we have readings which focus on the gruesome disease of leprosy. And every time I hear them, I have to share an awful joke about the leper colony, you know, the one where I ask: “do you know why lepers can’t play hockey? Because there would always be a face off in the corner! But above all, it’s been difficult to write a homily for these readings because they seem so simple, straightforward, and obvious. What more is there to add to the first reading? It is very clear on the matter. If anyone thinks that he has signs of leprosy, he must present himself to the priest for inspection. If he has the dreaded disease, the unlucky leper shall keep his garments torn and his head bare, and shall cry out, 'Unclean, unclean!' and live apart from everyone else, keeping himself in strict quarantine.
And what of the gospel, where Jesus is approached by a leper? We know how the story goes, Jesus allows the man to come to him and he has pity on him. Jesus heals the leper of his horrible illness and tells him to go quietly to receive a clean bill of health from the priest. The moral lesson of the miracle is pretty clear; we are all spiritual lepers, outcasts because of our sinfulness and we need to approach Jesus to be cleansed of our sinfulness. But, as always, Scripture has much more to teach us than we first realize.
Leprosy was one of the most feared diseases in ancient times. The skin infection started small, almost imperceptibly, but soon spread throughout the victim’s body. Slowly, the leper’s body would rot and give off a disgusting smell. As explained in today's First Reading, lepers were excluded from society and left to die a slow, painful, humiliating death in order to protect the rest of society. To come into contact with a leper would also make one unclean, since their disease was believed to be a sign of God's punishment.
Theologians and spiritual writers have always seen in this Old Testament conception of leprosy a symbol of sin. Sin is a kind of spiritual leprosy. It slowly disfigures our souls and spreads into every corner of our lives. It destroys us and our ability to love other people. It cuts us off from the purpose of our life and our role in human society. Just as leprosy starts small but spreads and grows, so one sin, one betrayal of our conscience or one disobedience of Church teaching can easily become something that overtakes us and begins to rot our entire soul.
Therefore, when Jesus reaches out and touches this leper, and heals him, it is much more than just another miracle. It is a revelation of Christ's entire mission. He is the Redeemer, the Savior; he is the one who comes into this fallen, sin-infected world and, with the power of his mercy and grace, cleanses it and gives it a new start. And he does the same thing with each one of our lives, as often as we need it, especially in the sacraments and teachings of the Church he founded to save us.
St. Mark points out a subtle detail in this encounter we should not overlook. Jesus cured the leper by touching him. Think about that for a moment. Jesus was the all-powerful Son of God. He didn't have to touch this leper; in fact, it was against Jewish law to make contact. A word or a wave of his hand would have done the trick, fulfilled the law, and been a lot more pleasant that touching the rotting flesh of this nasty, smelly, leper.
And yet, Jesus does touch him. As a matter of fact, he makes a point of touching him. Jesus goes beyond what is strictly necessary, because he wants to show us that his love is super-abundant. Jesus touched the leper for our benefit, just as he suffered the scourging, the crowning with thorns, the way of the cross, and his long, painful crucifixion. He knows that it is hard for us to trust him, to come to him with our wounds, sins, weaknesses, and failures. He knows it's hard for us, and so he makes it easier, by showing us he is much bigger than all of that. He longs to forgive us, to save us, to give us a fresh start, as often as we need it, if only we give him the chance. None of our hidden leprosies surprise or repel him; he knows us too well; he loves us unconditionally.
But there is one last detail about this miracle that we should not overlook. St. Mark tells us that the leper "came to Jesus," close enough to kneel in front of him. This was something that was absolutely forbidden. Normally, if a leper tried to approach a healthy person, he would be met with a barrage of stones to keep him away. Why would he approach when everyone knew the law required him to keep his distance? Something about Jesus must have inspired confidence. The leper must have sensed that Jesus would not be afraid or disgusted by him. And the leper was right. Jesus does not run away or yell for him to keep his distance but simply says "I do will it (be made clean) and heals him - something no one else could or would do.
Is this how we think of Christ? Do we have that same confidence in Our Lord? Jesus has chosen to stay as close to us as he was to that leper, by touching us in the Eucharist. In every Catholic Church, Jesus is truly present in the Tabernacle, body, blood, soul, and divinity. When we drive by a Catholic Church, Jesus is reaching out to us just as he did to this leper. He is inviting us to come up close to him, to kneel down in front of him, and pour out all our miseries, hardships, confusions, and needs. He wants us to pray the same beautiful prayer of the leper today: "Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”
Perhaps the only question left to ask ourselves, do we really want to be made clean?
