The Leper: Mark 1:40-45

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The Leper

As Jesus’ exciting first day of ministry in Capernaum ends,  “the whole town was gathered at the door”. The next morning “ very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed,” Mark’s Gospel notes. (Mark 1: 29-39)

Jesus often went by himself to deserted places to pray, but in today’s gospel (Mark 1:40-45) a “deserted place” is where he meets a leper.  Lepers were banished to deserted places then, outside the towns, for fear their disease, their “uncleanness”, might infect others.  “Social distancing” at its extreme. 

Rembrandt (above) has a wonderful sketch of Jesus and the leper. Peter and another follower seem to be hiding behind him, keeping their distance from it all, but Jesus reaches out and touches the leper kneeling before him.

Jesus is keenly aware of human suffering wherever he finds it, in the towns and villages he visits or in deserted places where people hide from it. Like Peter and the others we’re often afraid of people like lepers, people suffering so much we think we’re going to be overwhelmed by their suffering. 

And so we avoid the deserted places where the lepers are. (Maybe too the desert place of prayer where we met God) We hide from the sufferings of the world. “Keep it away,” we say.

But Jesus leads us to the leper. He helps us see suffering and then reach our hands out to it. 

Notice the last line of today’s gospel reading: “He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere. “(Mark 1: 45) Mark says a lot in a few words. Is Mark saying Jesus is always in deserted places; they’re privileged places where we can find him?

2 thoughts on “The Leper: Mark 1:40-45”

  1. cenaclemary12's avatarcenaclemary12

    Seek and you shall find…God is readily there, willing to help and heal, even if you are in a place off the beaten path. Brings to mind images of Mother Teresa in the streets of Calcutta, seeking the sick ones, even those lying in the gutter.

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  2. cenaclemary12's avatarcenaclemary12

    “Does Jesus eventually leave the “deserted places” for “other towns and places”, or does Mark mean to say he remains in them; they’re privileged places where we can find him?”
    In my humble opinion,
    Jesus stayed out of heavily populated places,
    He went outside city walls, crowded spaces.
    Those who wanted healing,
    Sought him out kneeling,
    Under an olive tree.
    He heard their cries of desperation,
    He turned toward the ill,
    Dispensed his mercy pill,
    He never withheld God’s salvation.

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