The Outcast

Hello everyone,

Some time after the miraculous catch of fish that I discussed in my previous post, Jesus comes across a man with leprosy.  Leprosy led to a person being ostracized by the community, due to the contagiousness of the disease, plus the disease was associated with ritual uncleanness. People had more than one reason to avoid a leper. Jesus did not allow either reason to keep him from showing this man compassion. 

The man fell down in front of Jesus and began begging Jesus to heal him.  He displays both humility and faith. He first humbled himself before Jesus, bowing down in front of Jesus. But, we also see the man’s faith by what he says to Jesus.  Leprosy did not have a cure, but he believed that Jesus could make him ‘clean.’  This statement implies healing, but also deals with the ritual uncleanness that kept the man outside of normal society.  

The man used the word ἐὰν θέλῃς, (ean thelays) which means ‘if you want’ or 'if you are willing.’  The man was placing this all in Jesus’ hands.  If Jesus desired for the man to be clean, he would be.  The good news for the man was that Jesus was willing.  And so he was healed. 

Jesus, always compassionate, even reaches out and touches man in order to heal him.  He didn't have to do that, but he did it anyway. The ostracized leper had to appreciate the touch of another human being. Darrell Bock points out the approachable nature of Jesus here. (Bock, 474)  Even the outcast can come to Jesus and be welcomed and even healed. 

Then, Jesus commanded this former leper to not tell anyone about the healing, but instead to go and show himself to the priest, to be declared ‘clean.’ According to Bock, the ritual to be declared ‘clean’ was an eight-day process that involved offering sacrifices.  (Bock, 476.) Jesus instructed the man to go see the priests in keeping with the law of Moses.  In reality, there was no need for this, since Jesus had made the man clean.  He was clean.  However, we see Jesus, with this action, upholding the law.  

It is likely that Jesus told the man to remain silent about the healing to prevent undue popular excitement over Jesus' miraculous work. (Bock, 476)  It didn’t work.  News about Jesus and his miraculous healing power spread rapidly and large crowds of people would gather to hear him teach and to be healed.  Obviously, Jesus is not in Jerusalem here, he is in Galilee.  Later, after his death and resurrection, were these people open to the message of the Gospel, due to what Jesus had done here?  Was he planting seed for his future church?

This section ends in verse 16, mentioning that Jesus would often go away to desolate places to pray. Jesus talked to the crowds and offered them healing, but there were times when he needed to get away from them and be alone with God.  He sought out solitary places in order to pray.  Solitude and time alone with God as necessary.

Tom 

    Darrell Bock, Luke, Volume 1 - 1:1-9:50, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Baker Academic, 1994.