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Gospel: Mark 1:40-45
A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said,
“If you wish, you can make me clean.”
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand,
touched the leper, 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.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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This man healed from leprosy was quite the salesman!
The Gospel tells us that he was so effective in telling others about Jesus that the Lord couldn’t even reach the edge of town without being bombarded by the sick, the paralyzed, and the possessed.
Everyone wanted the healing and the joy this man received.
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I’m sure we’ve all acted like him before.
Think about how you reacted the day you got engaged; the day you had your first child or grandchild; the day you got into your dream school or landed the perfect job.
When good things happen to us, we simply have to share it; it’s part of being human. Even as I was writing this sermon, a friend texted me saying, “Father, today I’m being sworn in as an attorney. Here’s the YouTube link if you have time to watch!”
Being healed by Jesus was no different.
Although the Lord commanded the leper not to tell anyone, his life was forever changed; he couldn’t hold it in. Something miraculous happened to him and everyone had to know.
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Have we had that same type of experience with faith? Has Jesus changed us so radically that we can’t help but tell others?
It could’ve been a moment of conversion when you felt God presence; when the Lord answered a long-awaited prayer; when he healed an illness; or just the consistent deepening of your faith that brings daily peace.
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This is how the Good News of the Gospel first spread – and continues to spread this day. One person is changed by Jesus, then that uncontainable, life-altering joy is shared with others.
Over time, entire families, communities, even the world is changed.
So, how might you share the joyful nature of your faith today?
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Image credits: (1) ChurchLeaders (2) Our Lady of the Lake RC Church, Lake Havasu, AZ (3) Cool Springs Baptist Church