Give that Guy a Cigar!

A reader writes:

I noticed a nifty parallel in today’s readings:

Today’s first reading ends with:

[stuff about lepers and how to treat them]… As long as this sore is upon him, he shall declare himself unclean, since he is in fact unclean. *He shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp.*

Then the Gospel reading ends with:

[stuff about Jesus healing lepers]… *it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places*, and people kept coming to him from everywhere.

Isn’t this interesting? In the first reading, outside the town is the punishment for lepers, and people stay away from them. In the Gospel, Jesus himself, *right after healing lepers*, takes this same punishment on voluntarily, and people who could stay in town go out of town to be with him.

It’s also interesting that the parallel passages are both at the end of the readings, to make the parallel even clearer.

Cool, huh?

Very cool! Nice catch. Don’t think for a second that connection was accidental.