Have you ever carried a piece of shame like a second skin—something you hide because you think it will make you unlovable or untouchable? The story of the man with leprosy cracks that silence open. It shows a God who meets our worst fear: the belief that we are beyond contact, beyond cleansing, beyond community. Today this ancient scene speaks to the heart that longs to be seen and healed.

In Matthew 8:1–4, Mark 1:40–45, and Luke 5:12–16 we read similar but distinct accounts: a man with a contagious skin disease approaches Jesus, kneels or falls on his face, and begs to be made clean. Jesus responds—moved with compassion—declaring “I will; be clean,” and by touch (Mark and Luke emphasize the touch) the man is healed. Jesus then directs him to show himself to the priest and offer the prescribed sacrifice (Matthew and Luke note this), and he asks that the man not tell others (though Mark notes the healing became widely known). This episode appears in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) but not in John; each writer highlights different details—Matthew stresses authority and worship, Mark the compassion and the publicity, Luke the personal plea and ritual obedience.

Don’t miss how weighty this moment is: Jesus isn’t simply a miracle-worker who keeps a safe distance—he breaks purity boundaries, touches what society says must be isolated, and restores the person’s place in community. That reveals the kingdom’s ethic: healing is relational and restorative, not merely therapeutic. It’s also a scandalous grace—healing offered freely to one who couldn’t “earn” it. The challenge is clear: the Gospel calls us to risk vulnerability—to come, to kneel, to admit we need cleansing—and to let grace remake our status before God and others.

Today, live this truth in one small, concrete way: name one person you avoid (a neighbor, coworker, or family member) because of their difference or “mess,” and reach out—invite them for coffee, sit with them, or offer a short prayer for them. Or, if you’re carrying private shame, kneel in honest prayer and ask Jesus for that same cleansing courage; then obey one next step he gives, however vulnerable it feels. Grace meets us where we are and sends us back into community.