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When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.
And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said, “Lord, if
you wish, you can make me clean.” Matthew 8:1–4
To do homage to another is to publicly express reverence and
respect. This is what this leper did to Jesus. He “did him homage.”
But the leper went even further. He also expressed his certain
faith that Jesus could cure him if He wished to do so. And Jesus
did desire this. Jesus stretched out His hand to touch the leper
and pronounced the words, “I will do it. Be made clean.” And with
that, the leper was cleansed.
The first thing to note in this passage is that Jesus “touched” the
leper. This was a forbidden practice, since lepers were unclean,
and touching them could spread their disease. But Jesus broke the
norm and touched the man, revealing to him his innate
dignity.
It’s interesting to consider the question: Who paid whom a greater
act of homage? Was the act of homage shown by the leper greater? Or
the act of touching and cleansing the leper greater? Though we need
not compare these two acts, it is helpful to reflect upon the
profound fact that Jesus did show a form of homage to this unclean
leper.
As was said above, to do homage to another is to publicly express
reverence and respect to them. Without a doubt, Jesus did just
this. He not only honored the leper by His touch and healing, but
He publicly expressed His love and respect for this man through
this act.
Of course, the homage we owe to God is unique. It is the homage of
worship. We must bow down before Him, surrendering our lives in
total abandonment and trust. We must honor Him as God and express
our love accordingly. But, in addition to Jesus showing His
almighty power by this miracle, He also sets for us an example of
how we must treat others. Every person, because they are made in
the image and likeness of God, deserves our utmost respect, and
they deserve to receive that respect in a public way. We must
continually seek to honor and respect others and express that honor
and respect for others to see. This is especially difficult when
the person we are called to show respect for is considered by
others as “unclean.” The leper is only a symbol of the many types
of people whom the world considers unclean and unworthy. Criminals,
the poor, the confused, the sinner, the homeless, the political
opponent and every other person in our world deserves our utmost
respect and reverence. Doing so does not justify their sin; rather,
it cuts through the surface and looks at their innate
dignity.
Reflect, today, upon the act of homage done by this leper to Jesus.
And then reflect upon the act of homage Jesus offers this leper by
publicly confirming his innate dignity. Who in your life is
represented by this leper? Who is “unclean” because of the
condition of their life, the sin they commit, or the public stigma
they have? Whom is God calling you to reach out and touch with love
and respect, for others to see? Seek out the leper in your life and
do not be afraid to imitate this holy act of homage exemplified by
our Lord.
My holy Lord, You are worthy of all adoration, glory and homage.
You and You alone deserve our worship. Help me to continually
discover Your hidden presence in the lives of those around me. Help
me, especially, to see You in the leper of our day. May my love and
respect for them flow from my love for You and become an imitation
of Your act of love for all. Jesus, I trust in You.
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Featured image above: Christ Healing the Leper, from The
Story of Christ By Georg Pencz, via Wikimedia Commons
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