One day, a leper went to Jesus and knelt before him. That is scandalous in and of itself. In Jesus’ day, lepers were required to keep their hair disheveled, wear a mask over their mouths and noses, tear their clothes, cry out “unclean, unclean” anytime someone might get near them, wear bells, and do everything possible to keep their distance from uninfected people.
Often, their flesh was rotting and they were missing fingers or toes and covered with sores. If a dirty, homeless man covered in sores sat beside me on the bus and said, “I’ve got Covid and some skin diseases, I hope you don’t mind me sitting here,” I’d be looking for another seat on the bus. More likely, I’d be looking for another bus.
Jesus should have been repulsed by the leper, but instead of running the other way, he got closer to the man and reached out and touched him, all in full view of the crowds around him (Matthew 8:1-3). Imagine that — a Jewish rabbi seeking to gain popular approval as the anointed one of God, while going against the social and religious rules of the day and touching the untouchable.
Then, Jesus healed the man. I think Jesus was demonstrating that religion is more about having compassion for others than about following rules.
Jesus came to overhaul our understanding of what it means to be good. Being good has less to do with being religious than with having compassion. Being good isn’t just about avoiding sexual sin and not committing adultery, it is about treating people with respect and dignity instead of as objects of our own desire. Being good isn’t just about not murdering or harming others, it is about getting over our anger and resentments, and understanding and appreciating the perspectives of others.
It is not just about getting the outside of the cup clean; it is about getting the inside of the cup clean. It is about learning to love people like Jesus loved them. It is about getting over our need to always protect ourselves and our reputation. It is about being filled with compassion for others and caring for them.
Remember the story of the woman at the well in John 4? Exhausted from a long journey, Jesus was sitting beside a well in Samaria when a Samaritan woman with a reputation of being sexually immoral went to draw water. Jesus engaged her in conversation and asked her for a drink. The woman was dumbfounded.
Based on his clothing, Jesus was obviously a Jew. Jews hated Samaritans and were supposed to avoid all contact with them. Jews also avoided public contact with all women. So, it was scandalous when Jesus, a single Jewish man, initiated a conversation with a sexually loose, single Samaritan woman.
Why did Jesus break the rules? He wanted to bring salvation to this person who needed his compassion, so she could turn her life around and get connected to God.
On another occasion, Simon the Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him at his house (Luke 7:36-50). A prostitute who loved Jesus heard about it, and she went to express her love for him. She made her way to the feet of Jesus, who was reclining at Simon’s table. She poured out her tears and her alabaster jar of perfume on his feet, wiping them with her hair and kissing them. It was quite the sensual, socially uncomfortable scene.
The Pharisee remarked that if Jesus were really a prophet, he would know what kind of woman this was who was touching him and not allow it. Jesus did not defend himself, but he did defend the woman, turning the tables on the Pharisee.
He confronted him with the truth: Simon had not provided water to wash his feet, but the woman was washing his feet with her tears; Simon had not anointed Jesus’ head with perfumed oil, as was the custom when one wanted to honor a guest, but the woman had anointed his feet with her own costly perfumed oil; Simon had not greeted him with a kiss, but the woman was kissing his feet.
Simon showed Jesus neither honor nor love, but the woman had shown him both. Jesus forgave the sins of the prostitute, but salvation did not enter the heart of the condemning Pharisee who had invited Jesus into his home not to love him, but to judge him. Jesus was not too worried about the woman breaking the rules of social customs, he concerned himself with the hearts and souls of people, no matter who they were.
We may encounter someone who is not living up to our expectations about hygiene. Do we love them and find ways to express our compassion for them without having to make them change? We may hear someone taking the Lord’s name in vain and using profane language. Do we realize that Jesus loves them and cares about them? Are we willing to visit the sick, the prisoner, the homeless, and the downtrodden? Are we willing to seek the lost sheep and help them find their way back to the shepherd? Do we value those whom some may say are valueless, and bring honor to them?
Are we will willing to be the hands, feet, voice, and touch of Jesus? This is our calling.
Dan Darby is a retired United Methodist Church minister.
