The wretched plight of a leper is easily noted in scriptures. A clear distance was maintained from anyone with the plague for two reasons. Firstly, it was contagious at that time. For fear of spreading the disease, a leper was quartered far away from the rest of the society. Secondly, it was averse to the purity advocated under the law. Someone who, though free from the plague, comes in contact with a victim becomes immediately unclean for a certain period of time. So, apart from the physical discomfort that a leper suffers due to his body eating away, there was the emotional toll of loneliness by being secluded to the outskirts of the community. From these, one can understand the desperation of the leper who came and fell before Jesus and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Luke 5:12 NKJV.

Love will win where power fails. Again, not everybody requires a touch of power, but a touch of love is a daily need in every life and in every place.

In response to this, Jesus reached out His hand and touched him. That was a touch of power as the man got healed immediately. Beyond this, it was a touch of love. No one knows exactly how long the man had been afflicted with leprosy. What is clear is that he had not received a touch of love and affirmation for as long as the disease lasted. Due to its dramatic effect, many people are eager to have power gifts. We want the blind to see, the deaf hear, and the dead raised. As important as this is, it will fall short unless it is accompanied by a touch of love. Love will win where power fails. Again, not everybody requires a touch of power, but a touch of love is a daily need in every life and in every place.