Breaking the Word

 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.  

 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news of him spread throughout the whole region. He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all.  He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord." Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, "Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, "Isn't this the son of Joseph?"  (Lk 4:14-22)

 

 

Jesus was regular for Sabbath prayer in the synagogue (according to his custom). Besides, he was also, probably, regular in reading the scriptures and commending on it. He was appreciated by all for his preaching. (He taught in their synagogue and was praised by all). He did not start his preaching ministry only after his Baptism. He had been doing this even before beginning his public ministry.

 

He preached on the word of God and he founded (based) his life on the word of God. Word of God gave him the goal of his life and word of God was the motivating and guiding principle of his life. (Man does not live on bread alone but from every word that comes forth form the mouth of God). Word of God was life for Jesus. He read the word of God; he preached on it; he lived by it for he was the word.

 

Word of God was not some theoretical, philosophical ideas for Jesus. Word of God put him right in the midst of people. The people among whom he continued his ministry were: poor, captives, blind, and oppressed. These were the people who suffered political, social and physical ailments. He was among the suffering people.