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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.” Luke 5:12
What a perfect prayer! This leper, likely shunned by the
townspeople, including his own family, had been reduced to a life
of isolation and rejection. Some might have pitied him, but out of
fear of contracting his dread disease, they kept their distance.
The emotional and social isolation he endured would have been even
more painful than the physical suffering caused by leprosy. This
miracle takes place shortly after the people in Jesus’ hometown of
Nazareth rejected Him. The Nazarenes’ rejection stemmed from a
sense of entitlement; they saw themselves as God’s chosen people
and thus believed they were entitled to His grace and blessings.
When Jesus confronted their false beliefs, they became hostile and
even attempted to kill Him. As a result, He left Nazareth and
continued His ministry in Capernaum and other towns. Jesus did not
perform miracles to impress others or to win their esteem. Instead,
He performed miracles for those who already exhibited deep faith.
The miracles were not only intended to reveal His identity but were
primarily acts of love meant to invite the faithful to believe more
deeply. This leper is a perfect example of such faith. First, the
man approached Jesus and “fell prostrate” before Him. In doing so,
he professed his faith in Jesus as the Messiah. This act of faith
was enough to open the floodgates of God’s blessings. The leper
believed and worshiped first, and because of this, God’s grace was
poured out upon him. Too often, we seek blessings first, as if we
are entitled to anything from God. We might say, “Please do me this
favor, Lord, and then I will believe.” But that is not how it
works. Jesus is God and must be treated as such. Whether we are
blessed or not, whether we suffer or not, we must worship God
because He is God. This leper understood that. The leper’s prayer
for healing is also a model of humility and trust. He did not
directly ask Jesus to heal him. Instead, he professed his faith in
Jesus’ ability to heal, saying, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me
clean.” This expression of faith unlocked the tender compassion of
our Lord, who responded, “I do will it. Be made clean.” When you
pray, do you tell God what He should do for you? Do you present Him
with a list of your ideas and expectations? If so, try setting
those aside. Begin your prayer by worshiping God simply because He
is God. When it comes to your needs, place them before Him with
trust, but avoid telling God what to do. God knows what is best for
you. Presenting your needs to Him should not be a plea for Him to
fulfill your will; rather, it should be an act of trust, believing
that He will do what is best according to His will. We must desire
nothing other than that.
Reflect today on the example of this leper. Though the disease of
leprosy is a dreadful affliction, the leper’s model of prayer is
truly admirable. Consider whether you follow his example. Love,
worship, and profess your faith in God, and then entrust yourself
to His providential care, ready to embrace His will no matter what
it may be. This form of holy detachment will unleash God’s mercy
and provide you with what you need most—God’s will.
My miraculous Lord, too often I come to You with my needs,
telling You what I want You to do for me. Please grant me a humble
and faith-filled heart like that of the leper. May my first prayer
always be one of worship. May my worship lead to trust so that Your
will, not mine, may be done in my life. Jesus, I trust in
You.
Image: NT140.Jesus Heals Ten Lepers by pcstratman,
license CC BY-SA 2.0
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