I’ve seen a bunch of people talk about how Jesus wasn’t afraid of social distancing and touching the sick, mentioning the people with leprosy He healed. Some quick facts about that:

Leprosy in the Bible was not leprosy we know today AKA Hanson’s disease. Biblical leprosy is really a word used for a catch-all of skin conditions: Psoriasis, eczema, and the like. Some were probably actually contagious, some were just autoimmune conditions.

Being a “leper” in Jesus’ times was more about the metaphorical uncleanliness than the physical. Lepers were legally considered dead and shunned by society. The sickness of the lepers were more about their status and how they were treated than anything happening in their bodies.

When Jesus healed the lepers, it was not about him not being afraid of sickness, but about him rejecting the marginalization of bodies that led to the legal death and ostracization of human beings. It was a resurrection of their legal status allowing them to be a part of society

I believe the story of Jesus and the lepers is a revelation of how Jesus heals fully - not just restoring our bodies but our relationship with our neighbor and communities.

So, no, this story isn’t an excuse to not exercise caution around the sick, but it is a call to reject the marginalization of bodies deemed unclean in society and to bring them back into community.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk