Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying as he did so, “I am willing; become clean.”
tombstones force conciseness
for some future reading
a summary
what was possible
was implemented
however weakly
an inspiration
however lofty
still stands
and pulls
memorials for nations and cultures
shape our reading
art occurred
but never enough
to offset
genocide
individual heroes
stand against
excusing mediators
true believers
still we work
honoring both
thankful for models
revealing investment needed
that a small group
can make better
committed to maps
based on actual
lay of the land
connects more strongly
energy is compassion
compassion energetic
This is one of those interesting moments for translators as they feel their way through descriptive choices. Is Jesus indignant that he would ever be thought to choose to not heal? Is Jesus simply compassionate because that is who beloved people are? Is Jesus angry or, here, incensed at one satanic disorder of the world or another?
Regardless of how you parse Jesus’ internal state, externally his hand is extended, contact is made, and cleanliness is announced.
A measurement of what is religiously and culturally clean or unclean goes beyond the space left on this page. Look up the 8-page article, “Clean and Unclean”, in the New Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible.
Initially we have a touch and announcement that moves beyond the binary of clean and unclean as measured and judged by standards old and new. This opens possibilities of a different cleanliness than that of surfaces.
Cleanliness experienced through belovedness-healing can change relationships with current religious mores and cultural norms even before a cure and risk a return before a priest says so.