Word to the Wise
Friday, January 9, 2015 - Friday after Epiphany, or Jan. 11
[1 John 5:5-13 and Luke 5:12-16]It happened that there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where Jesus was; and when he saw Jesus, he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said, "Lord, if you wish you can make me clean." Jesus streched out his hand, touched him, and said, "I do will it. Be made clean." And the leprosy left him immediately. [Luke]
In the stories of Jesus' healing miracles, we can become either too accustomed to hearing them or else we can be more concerned with the mechanics (Where did the leprosy go? How did it disappear?) than with the meaning of the incident. In this time of the Epiphany, we might pay attention, in today's gospel, to the fact that the leper somehow recognized Jesus and fell down in worship before Jesus did anything for him! This is the first epiphany in the story.
The second epiphany occurs when Jesus stretches out his hand and touches the leper. In doing this Jesus crosses a line that made him, in the eyes of some folks, unclean as the leper! He shows that he is unconcerned with such "lines." He is more concerned with the person.
The third epiphany occurs when the leprosy leaves the man and the community can see what has happened and the report about Jesus spreads. Perhaps we can ask ourselves about epiphanies of the Lord in our own lives? Is there any encounter that we have had, and do our lives reflect that to others? AMEN