Why Leprosy?

---REPOST FROM XANGA JANUARY 2011---

i always wondered why God chose to highlight leprosy of ALL the diseases. it seems like Jesus is always healing lepors. I can't really remember any other specific disease that the Bible mentions that Jesus healed (other than tumors), although I know there were TONS of them. but why always mention leprosy?

i think I have found a possibility.
When Pharaoh was holding the Israel captive in Egypt, God sent Moses and Aaron to lead the people out of slavery. Moses and Aaron were equipped by God to perform miracles, many of which Pharaoh's magicians duplicated (but usually not to the same degree). After Moses had given the message of the Lord to Pharaoh who replied with a hardened heart, God moved on to bigger attacks - plagues.
One of the plagues was boils and leprosy brought by dust (exo 9:8-12).
A few chapters later in Exodus 15:26, God promises Israel that if they do what is right in His eyes, then He will not bring any of the diseases that were brought on Egypt.
This is why leprosy is so important. It was a deal from God. The character of God that was exemplified through this deal was His role of Healer
When Jesus came, He manifested God's role of Healer in plain sight. Leprosy was important to Israel. It's the reason lepors became outcasts - because they had sinned against God in order to receive their disease. It wasn't crazy discrimination -- it was reasonable. This just makes Jesus' healing of lepors so much more powerful. He was not only healing Israelites, but He was healing people that had sinned against Him.