The Blood of Christ

200 Wotds: Jesus heals the leper, but suddenly becomes a ‘leper’ himself

The healing of the leper gives rise to a depth of meaning.

Level One

Leprosy is very debilitating and deathful. Look up images on the internet. Physically, the disease wreaks havoc upon those who contract it.

The only way to contain the disease is through isolation. Thus, not only is there a physical malady, but social dislocation as well.

In ancient Israel, leprosy means no participation in temple worship. Community faith celebration is excluded.

Level Two

Jesus heals the leper, but suddenly becomes a ‘leper’ himself:

Jesus could no longer go openly into any town, but had to stay outside in places where nobody lived (Mark1).

Level Three

The cleansed leper is told by Jesus to show himself to a priest and offer the prescribed sacrifice for cleansing, which is:

Take two clean birds, one sacrificed and the other to be dipped in the blood of the sacrificed bird, allowing it to fly away free (Leviticus 14).

Our good friend Mary Healy comments:

If the cleansed leper had complied with Jesus’ word, he might have discovered a symbolic image foreshadowing Jesus’ own sacrifice (Gospel of Mark, 54).

All healing flows from the blood of Christ.

Amen.