When it comes to the miracles that Jesus wrought in the Gospels, there is a curious difference between the incidents that we encounter in the synoptic Gospels and the signs that John chooses to accentuate in the fourth Gospel. By and large, the healings and cures that Jesus performs in the synoptic Gospels are initiated by the one needing the healing. Jesus does not heal without being asked or approached by the person seeking his help. So as we read in today’s Gospel passage, the leper approached Jesus and politely asked Jesus if curing his leprosy was consistent with Jesus’ mission. Jesus’ positive answer is a response to the man’s faith, demonstrated by the fact that he understood that Jesus’ mission was not simply to be a healer.
Think about the man at the pool of Bethesda in St. John’s Gospel. Jesus asks the man, “Do you want to be healed?” This too, while it may seem a rhetorical question, is a matter of faith. Jesus is asking the man if he understands who Jesus is and if he is able to live with the consequences of placing faith in Jesus. At the same time, Jesus makes it clear that the man must ask for the cure.
Jesus asks the same question of us. Do we really want Jesus to intervene in our lives? Do we understand the consequences of expressing faith in Jesus? Being made whole means that we have no excuse to expect others to meet our needs; instead we will have to be active. Hence the importance of Jesus’ question to the paralytic: are you willing to stand on your own two feet, both physically and socially? We need to question – and also to allow God to question – our desire for wholeness. Do I really want to be healed?
In the first reading, the Israelites thought that just because the ark was present at the site of battle, that God would defeat their enemies. The Philistines thought much the same thing. However, God’s presence in our midst is not some lucky charm. Rather, being in God’s presence should remind us that God expects us to act accordingly. If we need God’s healing, then we must approach God just as the leper approached Jesus.
Are we willing to do the work necessary to be made whole again? That can be as simple as following the doctor’s instructions or it can also mean breaking out of a certain mindset of letting others care for me rather than doing what is necessary for myself. Like all questions asked by the Gospel, there are no easy answers. There are only challenges.
Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator