1 Sam 4:1-11 / Mark 1:40-45
In a competition or in sports, winning is not everything. Or so it may be said. But still no one likes to be the loser.
But in a war, winning is not just everything - it's the only thing. To lose a war would be to lose your life as well.
As we heard in the 1st reading, in the battle engagement with the Philistines, the Israelites were defeated and about four thousand of their troops were killed.
In the face of such a tragic defeat, the question was raised: Why has the Lord allowed us to be defeated today by the Philistines?
Yet, even without further consideration, the Israelites made the rash decision to bring the ark of the Lord into battle, thinking that it will boost confidence and morale.
But the question is not about confidence and morale. The question is about whether they were with the Lord or not.
And it was clear that their hearts were not with the Lord, and that resulted in another tragedy - the Israelite army of thirty thousand was slaughtered and the ark of the Lord captured.
All because they didn't want to answer the question that they themselves raised: Why did the Lord allow us to be defeated?
The leper in the gospel passage would also have asked: Why did the Lord allow me to be afflicted with this horrible leprosy?
The quest of an answer led him to fall on his knees before Jesus with this plea: If you want to you can cure me. And we know what was the reply of Jesus.
Of course the Lord wants to heal us, help us and even fight our battles for us. We only need to be with the Lord, for without the Lord, we will always be losers.