Mark 1:⁴⁰ A leper came to (Jesus) begging him, and kneeling (the leper) said to him, “If you choose, you can make me clean.” ⁴¹ Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I do choose. Be made clean!” ⁴² Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.

This is the kind of thing that made the Pharisees (leaders tasked with teaching the people of Israel the laws and rules of God) crazy. On the one hand it is a wonderful miracle that Jesus healed a man with leprosy. On the other hand, there is no way a man of God should touch a leper – under any circumstances – making himself ritually unclean. To them, Jesus was a walking contradiction. The fact that so many people were following Jesus served to elevate their anxiety. Eventually, of course, they had Jesus put to death.

I’m pretty sure if Jesus were walking around today he would be breaking rules we think are sacred, loving on the wrong kinds of people. People we think are “bad” or “wrong”. Has me thinking… Lord help us to see the persons in our lives we can love in your name. Amen.