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It's entirely possible that the survival, at all, of the lepers was a "compassionate" provision in its day that
tried to balance the need for community protection with the survival needs of the individual sufferers.
Laws and the institutions that enforce them have a way of moving from one era's "progressive" under-
standing to a later era's "strict constructionist" reaction against new ways of engaging a particular social
problem. It's a healthy tension, because certainly not every new idea is a good one, nor is every old idea
exhausted of virtue. The key seems to be in revisiting these issues with the most human, and most Di-
vine, heart available to us, as Jesus did. He was neither unimaginatively rigid, nor carelessly unaware of
the value of tradition.
The Gospel reveals a vision of Jesus being confronted by a communal locus of fear in the person of the
leper, a dreaded outcast. "Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, and touched him." The picture is
complete with the three requirements of human intimacy. First, Jesus was moved by emotion, a transla-
tion between the spiritual world and the physical. Secondly, there is a specific mention of His
"stretching," an act that takes physical time and conscious intention. Finally, there is the
touch, the direct, risky contact between two individual persons. The effect of His intimacy was
immediate, as the leper was cleansed.
This extraordinary interpersonal moment was followed by Jesus' authoritative direction to pro-
ceed to the priests according to the law. In the strictures of Leviticus, only the priests could
declare the man "clean," after a series of rituals and examinations. The priests were the public
health authorities, and their processes were well-regulated, but free of human intimacy. The
religious authorities had long-ago transmuted the original nomadic sentiments of responsible
communal protection into the self-serving power of class protection. Thus, inter-class inti-
macy was a thing to be despised.
The healed leper, of course, disobeyed Jesus. His joy overflowed to such a degree that he
could not contain the truth of his miraculous encounter within himself. We never find out
whether or not he fulfilled his legal obligation with the priests--that is unimportant in this pas-
sage. We do know that, even after he is warned to keep the matter private, he spreads his joy
and wonder like the Psalmist who advises, "Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice."
We can surmise that Jesus knew that once He'd let the cat out of the bag, the inevitable would
follow. He would begin to be cornered by all sorts of pursuing crowds, which would make be-
ing able to have those intimate moments harder and harder. The political game was also on.
Once Jesus began these moments of human and Divine touching, He would increasingly
threaten the institutional structures that could offer only judgment and sanction. It was time for
a new understanding of the heart of the law, and those who held the entrenched power would
unlikely yield to change without a mortal fight. The way to the cross was crystalizing. It was
the on road of the outlier.
Prayer
How many times I have fled the touch of your intimacy, Lord? Please continue to call me
back. Heal me and encourage me to touch You in others.
_______
Don Milici
Parishioner