12th week in Ordinary Time (B) : Friday 25th June 2021

“Nothing is impossible with God”. We have heard this statement many times before, and perhaps it may have become a cliche to some of us. Others may have become sceptical about this statement, especially in the face of the challenges facing society and the world. But today, we are reminded again that “nothing is impossible to God”.

How else can a man who is almost a hundred years old and whose wife is about ninety years old, able to bear a child? Even as Abraham bows before God, he is cynical at the thought that, at his age, God is promising to give him a son. God, however, takes no offence at Abraham’s cynicism and continues to unfold His plan. God’s choice of an elderly couple to be the father and mother of the nation of Israel is intentional. God can do what human beings consider to be impossible.

When the leper approaches Jesus, his situation seems “impossible”. In the presence of a large crowd, where many people would have shunned and ridiculed him as an outcast, the leper takes the courageous step to come before Jesus and plead for his healing. Jesus’ gesture of stretching out his hand and touching the leper before the whole crowd is intentional. He wants to show them that “nothing is impossible with God”.

Human being’s scepticism, cynicism, and even lack of faith cannot stop God’s plan or acts of love and mercy. Like Abraham and the leper, we have to bow down before God and humbly surrender ourselves to His will.