Coffee With God

 

Reflection:

Luke 5:12-16

The word ‘quarantine’ has become one of the most repeated words around the world, thanks to the pandemic that even after two years of its outbreak, continues to create chaos in our lives. Today’s Gospel talks about a clear case of quarantine of the times of Jesus! A leper came close to Jesus. He was breaching the norms of religion and society. People affected with leprosy were regarded as cursed by God and had to be quarantined, live far away from others. If anyone came in contact with a leper, he would be contaminated and become impure! But the leper in the Gospel today had great courage. He broke the norms of religion and society to get close to Jesus with a request: Lord, if you want, you can heal me! Jesus indeed heals him – not just from his physical ailment, but heals him from his solitude – he touches the leper. For a daring act from the leper, a daring response from Jesus: By touching him, Jesus faces the risk of being branded as impure. “For me you are not an untouchable!” He cures him of his illness, saying: “I want it, be cured!” The leper, in order to approach Jesus, had violated the norms of the law. But then, Jesus also breaks the norms of his religion and touches the leper to help that socially outcast man. Faith moves not only mountains—it moves the hands and heart of God as well. The Gospel says, Jesus forbade the cured man from speaking about the healing. But, the person, perhaps out of sheer joy of being healed, started freely proclaiming and telling the story everywhere. Therefore, Jesus could no longer go openly into any town, but stayed outside in deserted places (Mk 1:45) Why? Because he had touched the leper! According to the law, Jesus became impure and therefore should be in quarantine! He could no longer enter into the cities. And Mark says that the people did not care at all about the regulations of the law. Moreover, they flocked to him from all the surrounding places (Mk 1:45). Total Subversion! The healing story teaches us a lesson: Do not be afraid of breaching the norms of the traditions if such norms prevent you from approaching God and living his commandment of love.