A man with leprosy came to Jesus and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” According to the socio-religious rules at that time in Israel, the leper was not allowed to get so close to Jesus. He did anyway because he was looking for social acceptance and emotional healing in addition to the healing of his leprosy. So instead of asking for the healing of his leprosy, he asked Jesus to make him clean. Feeling unclean is not a physical but a psychological condition. And his psychological problem seems bigger than his physical one.

Looking at the leper, Jesus was filled with compassion. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left the man and he was cleansed. Jesus could have just said the words and the leper would still have been healed. He touched the leper to show his social acceptance of the leper. Had he healed the leper without touching him, Jesus could not have accepted the leper socially. Had he not accepted the leper socially, Jesus could not have healed the leper emotionally.

On the other hand had the leper stayed at a distance from Jesus, Jesus could not have touched him and accepted him socially. It was the leper’s personal responsibility to take his request for emotional healing before Jesus.

Both the leper and Jesus broke the socio-religious rules of their days for the healing of the body and the soul of the leper. Do you think the leper is a socio-religious rebel? Do you think Jesus is a socio-religious rebel?