Now there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where he was; and when he saw Jesus, he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said, "Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean." Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, "I do will it. Be made clean." And the leprosy left him immediately. Then he ordered him not to tell anyone, but "Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them." The report about him spread all the more, and great crowds assembled to listen to him and to be cured of their ailments, but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray. (Lk 5:12-16)
The man with leprosy recognized Jesus as the Lord. He would have heard about him. He would have seen Jesus healing people form their sicknesses etc. His knowledge and his experience of people having been healed gave him the courage and the faith to fall prostrate in front of Jesus. As he approached Jesus he was full of faith and he knew that Jesus could do this and that is why he said “If you wish you can make me clean”.
Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. Jesus made the move towards him. The move was very personal and assured him of his closeness and support. His physical closeness was strengthened by his willingness to heal him. Jesus also had power over evil. He was ready to confront evil and overcome evil. His victory over evil is immediate.
Jesus wanted the man to continue his life as a normal person and follow the rules and regulations of the religion and the society. Jesus did not want the man to be attached to him rather fall in line with the society. A person is complete only when he is back to his normal way of life in the society.
