SPIRITUAL LEPROSY

I am for sure, many of us will not even the see the picture below.  The moment we see this picture, a type of aversion engulfs us, a feeling of uneasiness crushes our mind.  Yes, this is a sample for leprosy.  Though there are medicines in these modern times to treat the leprosy, in the Old Testament it considered as the curse from God, and that person will be kept outside of the City until he is cured and certified by the high priest that he is ok.  In Old Testament there is a famous passage which narrates the leprosy of Naaman in 2Kings 5:1-15.  We feel dislike towards leprosy or lepers because we are fine and healthy.  May be physically we are alright, but spiritually we are lepers.  We are affected with Spiritual Leprosy.

The person who is affected by leprosy will have imperfect limbs, with no finger, nose, toe and etc.  Many of us think that this is because of the effect of the disease.  But the research shows that they loose not because of the disease.  It is because of the numbness.  Lepers will not have any feelings in the affected area, even if you cut the fingers they won't feel anything.  So, when they sleep the rats come and eat away their limbs, because of the numbness (feelinglessness) they do not know this.

In the same way we are affected in our life.  Without Prayer, Bible Reading, Sacraments, without going to the Church a kind of spiritual numbness creeps into our hearts.  There is no feeling of sin in our conscience.  Just take for granted, in the name of culture, fashion, modernity, we just loose the feeling of dignity and modesty.  Anything that gives comfort is alright.  Nothing is sin.  As a result without our knowledge we loose the grace of God, gift of God, Spirit of God, providence of God, protection of God exposing ourselves to all types of dangers of soul.

In the case of Naman the leper, his spiritual leprosy has to be cleansed fist than his physical leprosy.  He was affected by the leprosy of 'pride'. He was strong with leprosy and we too are the same.  The prophet sends the word to obey.  But he didn't.  The Bible says 'He thought' (2Kings 5:11). We also think many things instead of obeying to the Word of God.  When he obeyed he found the grace of God, praises the mercy of God, believes in the presence of God (2Kings 5:15) and at the end he could meet the Man of God, the prophet Elisha.  And he became perfect, like a child, entered into the Kingdom of God.  Do you know what he took with him when he went back to his country??? He came with silver, gold and all types of ornaments but went with two sack loads of soil from the land of God (2Kings 5:17).  The soil from God's land is more worth than any silver and gold.  To be a stupid for the sake of God is better than to be wise in the Godless position.

Let us come to our senses as the prodigal son (Luke 15:17), let us get rid of our spiritual numbness, senselessness, and turn back to God with raising up our imperfect limbs, becoming conscious of our imperfection, even from a distance like that of the ten lepers (Luke 17:12) let us shout: JESUS, MASTER! TAKE PITY ON US! He will help us to come to our senses and we shall be alive and active with the grace and mercy of God.