32 This is the law of him in whom is the plague of leprosy, whose hand is not able to get that which pertaineth to his cleansing.

The rest of this chapter will deal with other forms of “leprosy,” such as mold in a house, but first we have this final verse describing the plight of the cleansed leper, and it is a particularly moving description of his vulnerable state. Here he is described as one “whose hand is not able to get.”

We spoke already of how the priest had to come to the leper where he was to initiate the cleansing ritual, as the leper could not at first come to the tabernacle. Also, the leper might not have been able to work for some time, and may have had limited resources, and we discussed the allowances made for simpler offerings in case he was destitute. In short, God was well aware that the leper would not be able to get, and He would meet the leper where he was.

This is the essence of true charity. To find those “whose hand is not able to get,” and to provide for them. To give gifts that cannot be repaid. To make real what was impossible. As we become acquainted with our naturally damned state and the gift of redemption through Christ, we realize that God has rescued us where we could not help ourselves, and now we are expected to do the same for our brothers and sisters.