The Cleansing

Gospel: Lk 5:12-16

While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. And he charged him to tell no one, but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.

“Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”  This struck me when I read today's Gospel. The man full of leprosy had acknowledged Jesus as his healer. And with great faith, he begged saying those words and was healed; thus showing Jesus as the great healer. We all acknowledge that Jesus is the great healer but it was the man’s faith that had healed him.

At some point in our life, we had become like the man full of leprosy in the sense that we are unclean. By being unclean it means that we have been doing things which are not pleasing to God. And when we do things which are not pleasing to God, we commit sins. During the times we were unclean, did we have that desire to beg Jesus and make us clean?

The Gospel today gives us a picture of how a man full of leprosy became clean. And it was the man’s faith that made him clean. Every time we commit sins, let us try to reflect on this Gospel. The Lord is inviting us to be like the man full of leprosy who believed that He is the great healer. Moreover, we all know that God is always ready to cleanse us if we really asked for it. But it is not merely on how we ask God that we be made clean. Our cleansing comes within our hearts. Look inside your heart. Is it filled with great faith?

“Your faith has healed you.”