Deformation of the Soul
One of the most common ailments within the Gospels is leprosy, an infectious skin disease that seems to have been rampant at the time of Jesus and even before, as we hear in today’s first reading. We don’t see leprosy too often today because we understand the disease better and are now able to treat it more easily. But its prevalence in Scripture has a much deeper significance than simply a disease; leprosy was once considered to be far more transmissible than it actually is, and it did not target any specific demographic. The rich, as well as the poor, were susceptible to suffering from it, and there does not seem to be any specific lifestyle that aggravated its symptoms. In a culture that firmly believed that physical suffering was a punishment for spiritual malevolence, public figures of faith simply could not risk getting the disease; as a result, lepers lived in colonies far removed from civilization, and leprosy became a disease synonymous with social exclusion.
Christ’s fearlessness in the face of leprosy certainly indicated his power to heal and to perform miracles, but like every action in the life of Christ, his works have a much more profound meaning than what appears on the surface. In reaching out to those afflicted with leprosy and healing them of the disease, Christ went after those on the most extreme margins of society. In the modern age when we have a better understanding of the “stranger” and people who come from different backgrounds than us mostly due to the development of communication technology, it is pretty easy to be charitable and serve those who may be considered on the margins (this also means that there is no excuse for us not to reach out and serve them today). But leprosy was different. By placing himself in their presence, Christ risked his physical health as well as his spiritual health. He also risked being rejected from participating in society in any form. It didn’t matter to him; he clearly wanted to send a message that he was coming for the lost and for the rejected, and he was going to wipe away every tear from their eye and every affliction they suffered. Christ didn’t just spend time with them, he healed the core of their social and physical suffering.
Leprosy takes on a different meaning today. Lepers are rare, and those who suffer from the disease can be cured. We also know not to be so afraid of their presence, given that the disease is not as infectious as we once thought. But although the physical deformation caused by leprosy is not a prevailing issue among those who are concerned with moral behavior, there still exists today a deformation of the soul that has taken the place of diseases like leprosy. These are the afflictions that cause social exclusion, that make virtuous people squirm, and that push people to the fringes of society. If we want to listen to Christ rather than have his message fall on deaf ears like the people of Nazareth in today’s Gospel, we should model his behavior. Would you be willing to sacrifice your apparent social standing to reach out to those truly rejected by society and bring them back to God?
Today's Readings:
