Jesus Comes to Make Us Whole
January 16, 2025 - Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
Mark 1:40-45
The story of Jesus healing a leper takes on a fresh resonance in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. Like leprosy, Covid-19 is an infectious disease that led to strict measures to protect society—quarantine, distancing, and isolation. The Book of Leviticus similarly prescribed that lepers live outside the community and announce their condition by shouting, “Unclean, unclean!” (Lev. 13:45). These rules were meant to prevent the spread of disease.
But the Gospel turns this narrative on its head with its powerful and surprising message.
Breaking Barriers to Reach Jesus
In the story, the leper does the unthinkable. He breaks the rules. He doesn’t stay outside the camp or warn people of his presence. Instead, he runs straight to Jesus and boldly declares, “If you wish, you can make me clean” (Mark 1:40).
Why take such a risk? For the leper, Jesus wasn’t just another healer—He was his only hope. Leprosy in Jesus’ time was more than a disease; it was a death sentence. The leper’s desperation and faith pushed him to act.
He wasn’t alone in this kind of boldness. Mark’s Gospel tells of others who overcame barriers to reach Jesus. A woman suffering from constant bleeding—a condition that rendered her ritually unclean—touched His garment in secret to be healed. A blind beggar cried out persistently, even when told to be silent. These stories remind us that coming to Jesus often requires perseverance and courage to break through obstacles, whether external rules or internal doubts.
Leprosy and the Symbol of Sin
Beyond its physical reality, leprosy carries a deeper symbolic meaning — it points to the reality of sin. Just as leprosy made someone ritually unclean and isolated, sin separates us from God and others. And like an infectious disease, sin can spread its effects. Toxic relationships, harmful habits, and corrosive ideologies can contaminate our hearts and communities.
The healing of the leper is part of Jesus’ mission in Galilee, where He taught in synagogues and cast out demons (Mark 1:39). Interestingly, Mark often refers to demons as unclean spirits (Mark 1:23-25), connecting physical and spiritual uncleanliness. Jesus’ power over these forces reveals His ultimate mission: to restore wholeness to humanity.
Faith, Humility, and Wholeness
The leper’s approach to Jesus teaches us a profound lesson about faith and humility. He doesn’t demand healing. Instead, he kneels before Jesus, entrusting the decision to His will: “If you wish, you can make me clean.”
Jesus’ response is filled with compassion and power: “I do will it. Be made clean” (Mark 1:41). In that moment, faith meets mercy, and the leprosy disappears immediately.
This story shows that Jesus doesn’t merely fix symptoms—He restores the whole person. He removes what isolates us, what separates us from God and others. He recreates us, making us fully human again, reflecting the image and likeness of God.
The Gospel's Invitation
The leper’s story invites us to examine our own lives. What obstacles keep us from approaching Jesus? Are there areas of uncleanliness—sins, doubts, or fears—that we need Him to heal?
Jesus came not just to heal physical ailments but to make us whole, to destroy the power of sin, and to bring us back into the community of God’s love. His mission continues today, calling each of us to trust Him, approach Him with humility, and let Him transform our lives.
Let us come to Him with the faith of the leper, confident in His power and His desire to make us clean. Amen.