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Gospel: Matthew 8: 1-4
When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.
And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said,
“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”
He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,
“I will do it. Be made clean.”
His leprosy was cleansed immediately.
Then Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one,
but go show yourself to the priest,
and offer the gift that Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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After the fall of the Romanian dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu, in 1989, numerous orphanages were opened to the world’s eyes. Thousands of children were discovered after having lived for years in unimaginable conditions.
Many were so neglected they could not relate to others. They could not speak. They could not give or receive affection. Psychologists believed these children’s inability to relate to other people was the result of being denied the gift of human touch… for most of their life.
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In today’s Gospel, a leper falls at the feet of Jesus after years of neglect. The curse of leprosy was not only physical; it was also psychological, spiritual, and emotional. Lepers were forced to separate themselves from the rest of humanity.
According to Jewish Law, they had to keep their hair disheveled, wear a bell around their neck, and whenever another person neared, they’d have to shout, “Unclean! Unclean!”
I wonder how long it had been since this poor leper experienced the gift of human touch. A year? Two years? Ten?
Imagine going just a month without a hug, a handshake, or a pat on your back.
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Suddenly, this leper’s luck changes. He spots Jesus off in the distance. Rushing through the crowds, he throws himself down, and in a stunning display of faith says, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”
Notice his confidence and humility. He doesn’t doubt the Lord’s power to heal, but he doesn’t demand, he simply asks for Jesus to heal him.
The Lord could’ve done so with the power of his voice. But he kneels down and touches him, ending that awful streak of neglect. Here the Lord’s love for humanity is revealed.
In touching the man, Jesus becomes ritually impure, and symbolically takes the leprosy upon himself. It also represents what he will do for all of us when he takes our sins upon himself, dying on a cross.
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What might this mean for us?
There is no limit to the Lord’s compassion, certainly for the sick, the suffering, and the neglected. Part of our mission as Christians is to embody that same divine love, extending it to others.
How might I show such compassion to person in need today?
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Image credits: (1) Christ the Consoler, Saatchi Art (2) The Robot Report (3) Human Touch, Manning and Co.