Sunday 15 February 2009

Background

The story of the leper being healed is included by the writer ofMark's Gospel as an event at the very beginning of Jesus' ministry,as part of his proclamation of 'the message' in homes andsynagogues. There is an implicit reminder here of both the'Jewishness' of the context and culture (in Jesus referring to"what Moses commanded"), and of the fact that Jesus had not yetcaused upset and outrage amongst the religious leaders of theday.

It is understood that in the Gospel stories the term 'leper' mayrefer to a person with any kind of severe skin disease, not onlyleprosy. The significance of the word is that it designated theperson an outcast from family and society, and from their faithcommunity. This social exclusion was rooted in the fear of catchingthe disease because of close physical contact, and theunderstanding that such a person was ritually 'unclean'.

The dramatic healing of such a person was bound to attractattention, yet this was clearly not the prime intention, accordingto the Gospel writer. In fact, the incident demonstrates that Jesuswas keen that it should not attract undue attention, and that thereligious traditions and rituals with regard to proving the realityof the healing should be upheld.

This 'good news' however, could not be kept secret. Mark's Gospeloffers this story as one that sets the scene for all that is tocome in Jesus' ministry. It also carries the seeds of words andimages that Christians in every generation have chosen to use inrelation to their spiritual experience.

To Ponder

Who do you see as being the 'lepers', or thosesocially excluded in today's world?

Who are those willing to overcome or dispel theirfears, in order to stretch out a hand to them?

How does the language of 'being made clean' speakto your deeper spiritual needs?