THE LEPER
At the time of Jesus, there were four categories of persons that were just regarded as dead people: the poor, the blind, the childless and the leper. Of these categories, the leper was considered the worst: an outcast, unclean and most loathsome. He was separated from the rest of the community and could not even come near the village. Like every disease at that time, leprosy was looked upon as a punishment for one’s sin. In fact, it was the very symbol of sin. To be cured of leprosy was a miracle comparable to reviving a corpse and only God could work such a miracle. We can then understand better, the story of the Ten Lepers who came to Jesus, as recorded in Luke 17:11-19.
In this story, the ten lepers came to Jesus for a cure, but they had to stop at a distance and cry out “Jesus, Master! have pity on us” (vs.12-13). Jesus, not wanting to claim credit, had to send them off saying, “Go and show yourself to the priest” (v.14), and they were cured on the way (lesson for modern healers who like to claim all the credit). Finally, Jesus wondered why only one of them (a foreigner) returns to give thanks and asked, “ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine?” (v.17). A similar story is also recorded in the Old Testament (2Kgs:5ff), where a foreigner, Naaman the leper who was hitherto worshipping Rimmon seeks a cure and Elisha the prophet sends him off to the Jordan. On his way, he got his cure and returns to give thanks.
The above stories and images have some symbolism. They speak to us first and foremost about the significance of leprosy and the leper in the Bible: Leprosy represents sin and the leper, the sinner like you and I. Although we are sinners, we can no longer be kept back from God’s house. By turning back to Jesus, the leper is no longer a foreigner because God has sent the one who has power to cure leprosy; Jesus Christ into the world
(Lk 7:22). This story speaks to us about the miraculous power of God to heal and the necessity of man to give thanks to God for his healing power, both in the physical and spiritual sense. Humankind is no longer divided between the healthy and the sick (lepers), the upright and the sinners, those who are beloved and those who are hated by God. Pope Leo, in his recent encyclical ‘Delexi Te’ urges the whole world to do away with a religion that excludes people, that passes judgements, that condemns the unclean because salvation is for ALL.
