In Israel during the New Testament times, leprosy was a disease that was fear. It was considered the result of punishment for sins, either of the leper or some ancestor. Being sick with leprosy was similar to a death sentence to a life of physical sickness, separation from all social contact (except for other lepers), and an unholiness or impurity a separation from God. A physical death, a social death, and a death before God.
Yet we see in today’s Gospel that the leper had very great faith in Jesus. He does not plead, insist, cry, or complain to Jesus about his condition. He simply kneels before Jesus and says: “If you wish, you can make me clean.” Rather than being a plea or complaint, it is a tremendous public statement of faith. It even seems that he has so much confidence in Jesus that he leaves the possibility of being healed or not up to Jesus. After he is cured, Jesus sends him off to the temple to perform the private prayers and physical inspection in the temple to get what was at that time a sort of “official certificate of healing”.
This cured leper turns into one of the first evangelizers. He does not limit his thanksgiving to a private ceremony and inspection in the temple. He publicly proclaims his faith, confidence, thanksgiving, and encounter with Jesus to everyone he meets on his path. He makes the joy of Jesus’ presence known to all. Public thanksgiving and sharing a faith experience – not proselytizing, not bashing people on the head with the cross. Now a days it is more common for us to be silent (no evangelization) or to judge others (inappropriate evangelization) rather than personally sharing our faith in a public way with family or others.
The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter.
He spread the report abroad
so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly.
Image: https://evangeliodeldiadehoy.com/lo-desconocido-a-dia-de-hoy-acerca-de-lepra-en-la-biblia/