We profess that Jesus came from heaven as the gift of God to his beloved people, in order to save us from our sins. The gospels recount many occasions where Jesus met with people who were considered to be excluded from society, but people who always remained precious in the eyes of God. Evidence of this appears in today's gospel passage, where Jesus encounters a man who is filled with leprosy (Lk 5:12-16).
The man cries out: Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean (Lk 5:12) and Jesus response demonstrates warmth and willingness: I do will it; be made clean (Lk 5:13). I wonder - and we are not told - whether there were ever cases of Jesus encountering such prayers, where the cries went unheeded.
Jesus only asked one thing in response to his generosity: Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed (Lk 5:14). Even today, we live within an established code of conduct, an established value system. Jesus never sought to ignore the rules, merely to show us another way that is focused on love. Even today, he continues to call us to this standard: inviting us and encouraging us always to live by love, love for everyone.
Have a great day.
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