BIBLE STUDY #76
SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
February 12, 2012

Reading 1
Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,
"If someone has on his skin a scab or pustule or blotch
which appears to be the sore of leprosy,
he shall be brought to Aaron, the priest,
or to one of the priests among his descendants.
If the man is leprous and unclean,
the priest shall declare him unclean
by reason of the sore on his head.

"The one who bears the sore of leprosy
shall keep his garments rent and his head bare,
and shall muffle his beard;
he shall cry out, 'Unclean, unclean!'
As long as the sore is on him he shall declare himself unclean,
since he is in fact unclean.
He shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp."

The Word of the Lord

Reading 2
1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1

Brothers and sisters,
Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do,
do everything for the glory of God.
Avoid giving offense, whether to the Jews or Greeks or
the church of God,
just as I try to please everyone in every way,
not seeking my own benefit but that of the many,
that they may be saved.
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

The Word of the Lord

Gospel
Mark 1:40-45

A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said,
"If you wish, you can make me clean."
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand,
touched him, and said to him,
"I do will it. Be made clean."
The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.
Then, warning the him sternly, he dismissed him at once.

He said to him, "See that you tell no one anything,
but go, show yourself to the priest
and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them."

The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter.
He spread the report abroad
so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly.
He remained outside in deserted places,
and people kept coming to him from everywhere.

The Gospel of the Lord

Reflection

Leprosy is a terrible disease that separated the sufferer from society. If the priests declared someone to be a leper, they had to “dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp (see first reading).” This means that they had to fend for themselves, finding their own food, clothing, and shelter, which would have been near impossible because they had to stay away from everyone. When someone neared, they had to shout, “Unclean, unclean.” Being a leper was known as a “living death.”

The term ‘leprosy’ included many forms of skin disease. As we see in the first reading from Leviticus, it could include “a scab or pustule or blotch which appears to be the sore of leprosy”, or it could be leprosy itself. To protect and preserve the health and well being of the community, lepers needed to be removed from society. It was harsh, but the only way to stem the spread of the disease to others.

Falling on his knees was an act of worship by the leper, and his begging can seem to be like a prayer. He is giving divine status to Jesus. He prays, "If you wish, you can make me clean." Curing a leper was like considered as marvelous as raising the dead (Numbers 12:10-12, 2 Kings 5:7). This is an important Christological revelation: only God can raise the dead, therefore Jesus is God.

Jesus is “moved with pity,” not the usual reaction to a leper. A meeting with a leper could turn violent; at the least, people would be repulsed and stay at a safe distance. Look how desperate the leper was: normally, he would never come close to a person. Jesus was his last hope. He is not only our last hope, but our only hope.

By touching the leper, Jesus becomes unclean. It shows the depth of his compassion for the suffering. We will see throughout the Gospels his compassion for the poor, marginalized, suffering, sinners, and outcasts of society. The least of society has become the most favored by God.

The actual healing comes about by Jesus’ word and command: "I do will it. Be made clean." The leper was healed immediately and totally, as normally happens with Jesus’ cures in the Gospels. Jesus desires all of us to be healed. It probably won’t happen immediately and totally as it did with the leper, but his healing power is available to us, as it was to the leper. While we may not be healed physically, Jesus healing power is there for us spiritually, which is the more important kind of healing.

Jesus dismisses the healed man with the warning, "See that you tell no one anything.” This is another appearance of the Messianic Secret, in which we need to take these healings in context with the whole life of Jesus, including his death and resurrection.

He also tells him, “go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them." This suggests his acceptance of the Law, and it certainly seems necessary for this man to rejoin society and his family. In Leviticus, the man would have been required to undergo an elaborate ritual. Since priests were available throughout the country, he wouldn’t need to go to Jerusalem. The priest would examine him and see that he was healed. There would be a sacrifice that the healed man would make as a public sign of his healing.

Jesus knew that the healed man would let the religious authorities know how he was healed and by whom. This would show these leaders that Jesus participates in God’s power to heal and to save, and that he has authority over the Law. People would have seen leprosy as God’s punishment for sin. Healing the leprosy is tantamount to forgiving the sin. This healing also shows Jesus power to forgive sins, which only God can do.

The second reading is about respecting the consciences of other people. Some thought it was sinful to eat food that was offered to idols since it made one complicit in idolatry, while others didn’t, on the basis that since these idols didn’t exist, it was a non-issue. Paul said we should respect each others consciences. It wasn’t important whether someone ate this food or not; what’s important is that we “do everything for the glory of God.” Bickering and arguing is fruitless and can be sinful. We let respect others and let them be, and live good lives as witnesses to God’s love.

Fr. Phil