Readings: I - Gen. 17:1, 5, 9-10, 15-22
II - Mt. 8:1-4
JESUS CLEANSES A LEPER
The Gospel passage of the day is about the cleansing of a leper. The lepers were considered as sinners and outcasts in the Jewish society. They lived in the outskirts of the town. They were forbidden to have any contact with the people who had no leprosy. As Jesus was accompanied by great crowds, a leper accosted Jesus with great courage saying, “Lord if you choose, you can make me clean”. Jesus with great compassion touched him and said, “I do choose. Be made clean”. The courage of the leper and the compassion of Jesus restored the leper back to his normal life.
In the Letter to the Hebrews we read, “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” (Heb. 2:18). But, there are times when the burden of the problems block us completely from raising our hearts and minds to God. We get drowned in a thimble of water and struggle, instead let us have courage to place all our trust and hope in the Lord for he can wipe away every tear from our eyes (Rev. 21:4). God in His compassion wishes that we be healed and relieved from all sin, sickness, problems, worries, anxieties, guilt, fear and be restored to our identity as children of God.
Let us bring all our problems unto the mighty hands of God with great courage and wait for His compassion by repeating the prayer the leper in the silence of our hearts, “Lord Jesus if you choose you can solve my problem (mention your problem)”.
