Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)
Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46/Psalm 32/1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1/Mark 1:40-45
Our Gospel for this Sunday shows the mercy and compassion of our Lord towards the poor. The Lord Jesus cleanses a leper out of mercy and compassion for the leper. Jesus shows His mercy and compassion to the leper who begged with all humility to cleanse him from his leprosy. Being the merciful and compassionate Lord as He is, Jesus grants the request of the leper and cleanses him from his leprosy.
During the time of Jesus, whenever a person has leprosy, he would be declared unclean by the Jewish authorities. Just as how the Lord instructed Moses and Aaron in the First Reading, the Jewish authorities declared a person unclean if a person has any infections in his skin, especially leprosy. They were separated from society, their families and their friends until they are cured or until they die. Whenever there would be people passing by places where there are lepers, the lepers would have to shout, "Unclean! Unclean!" just so that those passing there won't be affected. Lepers lived very hard lives.
The leper, upon hearing the news about Jesus Christ, did not hesitate to approach Jesus and ask for His mercy. He trusted that Jesus would be show mercy to him. He trusted that the Lord would cleanse him from his leprosy.
Jesus, being the merciful and compassionate Lord, granted His request. The Lord's reply to the leper's request, "I do will it. Be clean." He showed His mercy and compassion towards the leper. The Lord knows how hard it is for the leper. The Lord knows that the leper is living a very hard life away from his loved ones. He was one with the pain and suffering that the leper experienced. At the request of the leper, Jesus cleansed the leper of his leprosy.
At once, the leper was cured. The leprosy was gone from his skin. The skin of the leper was back to normal. He was healed from his disease. What Jesus did for the leper gave the leper great joy. The leper is finally free from the disease that separated him from his family and friends. After a very long period of time, the leper can finally go back to his loved ones.
Like the leper, let us trust in the mercy and compassion of our Lord. Our Lord is truly merciful and compassion. He will show us His mercy and compassion when we ask. The Lord will listen to the plea of a sincere heart. God will never refuse to show His mercy and compassion to a person who is sincere and poor in heart.
