I read a article with a different take on Sunday’s reading, where Jesus cures a leper.

In this story the leper says to Jesus, “You can cure me if you will.”

Jesus says, “I do will.”

He cures the leper and, sternly, says not to tell anyone but to go show himself to the priest.

There’s a bit of a whiplash in those few sentences. Jesus cures instantly with a very kind remark, and then immediately becomes very serious and dismisses the leper, curtly, with instructions which the leper proceeds to disobey. The leper goes to the priest but he also talks far and wide about what Jesus did.

I’ve always wondered a bit why Jesus told this leper not to talk

Tom Hoopes has a fascinating thought about this story. (https://media.benedictine.edu/this-sunday-stop-making-the-lepers-costly-mistake) He points out the effect of the leper’s disobedience. The leper, having been cured, ignores, or forgets, or pays no attention to what Jesus said, about not telling people. Perhaps the instruction made no sense to him. He spreads the news far and wide, and Jesus can no longer travel around freely. In fact he has to stay in deserted places rather than going into towns and villages. People must travel to those places to see him.

The effect of the leper disobeying Jesus, is to reverse their positions, sending Jesus out in to the desolate and barren places that are the usual habitat of lepers. Meanwhile, the leper gets to rejoin society.

I can sort of imagine the leper saying that he was only reporting something wonderful. Why shouldn’t he talk about it as widely as possible? But the effect of his disobedience was quite clear and quite detrimental.

Food for thought!