Outcast

"As long as the infection is present, the person shall be unclean. Being unclean, that individual shall dwell apart, taking up residence outside the camp." - Lev 13:46 *

"A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, "If you wish, you can make me clean." Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, "I do will it. Be made clean." The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. " - Mark 1:40-42

While healing anyone is a miracle in of itself, what probably shook the Jewish community more was that Jesus helped a leper - an unclean, diseased and outcast member of society. Someone that was instructed by law to remove themselves completely, and would have been shunned by the community Jesus was preaching to. But we're witness to an amazing act - someone who had only heard of the good things Jesus was doing decided to disobey that law and come find him - because he believed that Jesus could heal him. And even more amazing - Jesus doesn't push him away (as others would have done), but rather recognizes his belief and makes him clean!

While lepers are not common in our society anymore, there are plenty of other reasons we make others feel like outcasts. Maybe they don't look like us, sound like us, or believe in the same things as we do. But we can be like Jesus to those people - maybe not healing the physical ailments, but by giving them love and hope - the very things that brought the leper to Jesus.

From there, it's out of our hands.


*Author's note: Normally I like to keep the verses as a part of this blog as small as possible. I thought it was important to highlight the accompanying verse from the first reading, which is woven into the Jewish law at the time.