Reading
Mk 1:40-45
40 A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
41 Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.
43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” 45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.
Meditation
Up to this moment Jesus had only privately manifested his critical attitude towards the farisaic law; now instead he openly puts himself against it, touching the leper to heal him. This "break up" is possible because with him the kingdom of God is inaugurated and the slavery of the law is replaced by the new covenant between God and man for grace.
Kneeling, the leper shows his humility towards Christ, and proclaims the certainty of being healed, showing a firm trust, which will make him get exactly what he hopes for. The compassion of Jesus, literally his "emotion" (Greek "splenchnizomai") is found only in the synoptics and indicates both his humanity and God's merciful nature.
Jesus in healing the leper does not need to address a prayer of supplication to God but speaks with authority: "I am willing. Be clean!"; this testifies to his divine nature and his acting in synergy with the Father, in the Holy Spirit. The verb used to "heal" is the Greek katharizo, whose proper meaning is that of "purify". The action of Christ not only heals the body but regenerates the spirit.
Once the leper was healed, Jesus "sent him away" (v. 43), because the touch of his healing hand restores the freedom of the children of God. Paul will say, in the letter to the Romans: "The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship" (Rom 8:15). True religion is not psychological dependence, alienation, but the maturation of our person, which opens up to a dimension of gratitude towards God and generosity towards others.
Jesus' command to the healed leper not to tell anyone anything is aimed at preventing the crowd and the curious from being attracted solely by the healing power of Crist. But despite this prohibition, the healed leper begins to spread the news (v. 45); it is difficult to hide such a sensational event. On the other hand, even going to the temple for a sacrifice of thanksgiving the healed leper would have generated great amazement, since in the whole Bible we find only two cases in which God heals a leper (Num 12:10-15; 2 Kings 5:1- 14).
After having performed miracles and preached, Jesus returns in search of deserted places, to devote himself to prayer. This is the twofold movement of the Logos - eternally generated by the Father - who comes in the world, and return to the Father to celebrate its glory.
Prayer
Purify our souls and our bodies Lord, so that we can be a sacrifice pleasing to you, proclaiming your praise in the world. Amen.
- Rev. Dr. Luca Vona
