Such is the price of fame when word gets around. Jesus heals a leper and now it has become all but impossible for him to enter a town or village without him drawing attention. That’s why he chooses to stay on the outskirts of a residential area, and still people flock to see him.
Perhaps, the writer here wanted to express how magnanimous a personality Christ was and continues to be. For one to attract such crowds there had to be something more than just the miracles. There had to be some connection the masses felt to be so drawn to our Savior. There had to be some message people longed for and could only find it in Jesus.
Healing is a loving act. Whatever may inhibit us from becoming fully alive in our everyday actions should be a grave concern. Because, we’re never truly happy when there’s a scar on our soul. More than the physical handicap seen by the naked eye, the inner wounds and ill feelings affect us psychologically and somehow manifest on our bodies.
When we long for the Master’s touch for cleansing, for us to be made whole, a new life is reborn. We feel more alive than we’ve ever been. It’s difficult to blame the healed leper’s enthusiasm, who for so long had been shunned by society. Hopefully, we can be just as happy when we allow God to take away all that disturbs our minds and extremities, so that we can be found rejoicing in his love once more.