Are We Lepers in Quarantine

 Got a letter from Joan ..taking some heavy hitting pain meds for her pain....she seems so ....I don't know what to say...remember her in your prayers.


I thought of this while reading my Bible commentary this morning. 

Mark 1:40-42

In this scripture a man with leoprosy came and "If you will, you can makee me clean."  

Leprosy in those days is a horrible disease and it disfigures one to a great extent...sore everywhere,  limbs rotting off.  If you had it you were quarantined from everyone...sound familiar. >?  You had to give warning of your "uncleaness" by saying "unclean" all the time you were in public.  No one touched you and most did not get near...you had to keep your upper lip covered walking about. The leper had to dwell alone outside of town.  The disease was one that slowly coroded a persons body until he died but the worst was the social isolation they had to endure until then.  Mentally and personally, they were as diseased as their bodies, you might say. 

To me our long and continuing isolation, social distancing on so many levels, makes me consider:  Are we treating ourselves and others as if we have leprosy.?  You are a leper, can't be around you.  I am a leper, you can't be around  me.  Are we doing to ourselves and each other  what the people of Jesus's  day were doing to lepers?  Are we saying unclean about ourselves by wearing a mask?  Are we saying  unclean of others if they don't wear a mask?   

I don't know.  All I know is that Jesus saw the man's faith in that he had the guts to violate the  law and come near Jesus.  He saw the man's allegiance when he said ' I know you can do you it if you want  to."  He bet his miseable life on Jesus and was rewarded for it.  



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