2 Kings 5:1-14, Mark 1

Both our reading from 2 Kings and our gospel from Mark 1 feature God curing lepers, so I find myself wondering, "How are we afflicted with leprosy today, and how does God heal us?"

Obviously, one can literally be a leper, but there is also metaphorical leprosy. If we think of leprosy as a negative condition that makes a person an outcast, what leprosies do we have? There are certain diseases, such as AIDS. There is mental illness. There are addictions. There is poverty.

What other leprosies are there?

How does God heal us, make us clean? There are support groups. There is medication. Of course there are also the miraculous healings.

Can Sunday worship be a cure for leprosies? On Sunday, we gather to be one. We may have afflictions that alienate us from others, but on Sunday, those afflictions often recede because of the power of the Spirit-guided, Word-infused communion of saints.

(from www.goodpreacher.com/blog/)