Authority over Ritual Purity
The touch of Jesus cleansed a leper, and the forbidden physical contact did not render him unclean – Mark 1:40-45.
His touch cleansed a leper from ritual
impurity, restoring him physically AND religiously. And Jesus touched
him BEFORE he was cleansed of his ritual defilement. Any concern over contracting “uncleanness”
did not stop the Messiah from healing a son of Israel- (Mark 1:40-45).
Leprosy was a skin ailment and one of the most feared afflictions in the
ancient world. Contracting it meant inevitable death after an extended period of
suffering and isolation, and worst of all for a Jewish victim was his exclusion
from the religious life of the nation.
FEARSOME DISEASE
A man who contracted
leprosy became “unclean,” ritually defiled, and remained so unless
healed miraculously by God, an extremely rare event in the Old Testament record.
And his
condition had to be certified as “clean” by a priest even after his
being physically healed before he could be restored to the community.
And that
process required that he perform certain rituals. Thus, leprosy meant
banishment to a slow, painful, and lonely death - (Numbers 12:10, 2 Kings
5:1-2).
Lepers were
outcasts, and their “unclean” status prohibited them from entering Jerusalem
or the Temple where atonement for sin was made. They were excluded from the spiritual
life of the covenant community and cut off from the presence and forgiveness of
God.
Lepers
were required to maintain a repugnant appearance, bare their heads, and announce
their presence. The rule in Second Temple Judaism was for the leprous person to
remain at least fifty paces from others - (Leviticus 13:45-46).
In Mark,
a leper approached Jesus near enough for physical contact, and certainly less
than the fifty paces required by the “tradition of the elders.” Regardless
of other considerations, Jesus was moved with compassion by his plea.
CLEANSING THE UNCLEAN
The
passage states that Jesus “stretched out his hand and grasped” the leper. This indicates
a deliberate act done without hesitation. The Greek word rendered “grasp”
means more than simply “touching” someone. It denotes “taking hold, grabbing,
clinging to” someone or something - (haptomai; Strong’s - #G680).
To touch any
leper would render an Israelite “unclean.” Such a change in status would
necessitate undergoing the rituals required by the Torah to cleanse the
defilement. But that did not concern Jesus. He did not disregard the Law, but he
did relativize its requirements when confronted with a genuine human need.
In the religion of Israel, a cured leper was not “healed” but “cleansed.” And when this leper approached Jesus, that is what he asked - to be “cleansed.”
Being
delivered of leprosy means physical healing, but much more is implied by the
word “cleansed.” To be ritually “clean” enables a man to participate
in the religious life of the community.
Jesus
ordered the now “cleansed” leper to show himself to a priest for
examination. Only the priestly authorities could declare him “clean.”
And instructing
the man to follow the required regulations was an act of compassion. The sooner
this was done, the sooner he could be reintegrated into the community.
But instead
of going to the priest, the leper went about broadcasting what Jesus had done,
and this made it difficult for him to preach in the local villages, so instead,
“he was outside in desert places.”
The story ends
ironically. Rather than render the “Son of Man unclean” as defined by the
Law and “tradition of the elders,” the touch of the Nazarene, who was NOT
a priest, cleansed the “unclean” leper.
And while
Jesus did not reject the Levitical purity codes, his act anticipated their obsolescence.
In his kingdom, all citizens are cleansed of sin’s stain by his one sacrificial
act.
