Section 2 Part 4: Jesus heals a leper

Welcome to my Gospel of Mark Series. During 2012-13, each week, I will write a post about the Gospel of Mark as I review and explore each of the 16 chapters and how it may be applied in our daily lives. My goal is to understand and pray the Gospel of Mark.  I hope you will join me on this journey as we travel through the liturgical season of Year B. 

In today's post, we explore chapter 1:40-45 which is Jesus heals a leper.

The story of the healing of a leper is another episode of Jesus attacking evil in the world with authority and divine power. Possibly, Mark has place it here to link two sections which he may have found as collection of stories already existing in an early community tradition.  The first section contains stories of a day in the lif of Jesus at Capernaum, upon which I have already posted (1:21-39), the second is a series of stories about conflicts of Jesus with scribes, which we are yet to reflect upon in future posts. 

In the time of Jesus, leprosy covered a variety of skin diseases. For the Jews, leprosy had always been an uncleanness which prevented people from sharing in ritual worship and in normal social life.  Their concern was the protection of the rest of the community, rather than the unfortunate sufferers themselves, as the Old Testament makes clear in Leviticus 13-14.  Jesus however had a different view.

Jesus shows himself to be one who come to outcast and marginalised people. He is also one who shows respect and obedience for social laws and community traditions instituted for the welfare of all.

We read that Jesus felt a movement of deep compassion within Himself when He heard the cries of the leper and saw him kneeling before him.  In the early manuscripts of Mark's gospel, we see that it was written that Jesus '' felt anger" when He saw the leper. This anger in Jesus against evil fits better with the spirit of Mark's gospel  where Jesus personifies in himself God breaking into our world to free it from evil and human injustices.

The cure of the leper by Jesus is a witness by Jesus to God's concern for the total good of every person and a full participation for everyone in social life and community living.

In our journal and/or our discussion group we may wish to reflect on this passage as follows:

• Name the key points that you have learnt about the person of Jesus in this passage of scripture?
• Reflect on the key words in this passage for they contain the substance and purpose of all the things Jesus said and did- His mission.
• Consider who might be the lepers, the outcasts or marginalised, in society and in what way Jesus can come to them in our times.
• Share the interior feeling of Jesus when he was moved to pity or moved with just anger.
• Consider how do we respond to the lepers we marginalise in society in our life.
• Consider what changes we will make to be moved with compassion to assist them in their healing in our lives.
• Reflect on a time in our lives where we have felt marginalised from our church, work, family or parish.
• How can I  show compassion and just anger to those who are marginalised?
• What is my attitude to the gift of healing?
• Imagine you are the leper. Make a list of areas in my life that need a change of heart and develop an action plan on how this change of heart might occur. (eg name an area and name one/two changes that you will implement with God's help.
• What impact does Jesus healing a leper have on you (1:40-45). .
• How has this passage spoken to you- what does it say to you personally?
  

It is important to remember that St Mark wishes us to know the person of Jesus. 

What does this passage of scripture tell you about the person of Jesus?