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Exegesis Texts of the Readings
February 15, 2009 Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) Dr. Terrance Callan Lev 13:1-2, 4-46 X 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1 X Mark 1:40-45
When we have believed in Jesus for a long time, it is easy to take it for granted. We can start to think it is obvious that Jesus is the messiah, the savior sent by God. We can also be so focused on the truth of our faith that we do not care about those who do not share it or do not see its implications the same way we do. The reading from the gospel according to Mark tells the story of Jesus’ cleansing of a man with leprosy. A leper came to Jesus and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” “Moved with pity,” Jesus cleansed him. “Then warning him sternly, [Jesus] dismissed him at once. He said to him, ‘See that you tell no one anything....’” The man who had just been cleansed knew that Jesus could cure leprosy with a touch and a word, but Jesus ordered him not to tell anyone what he knew. Mark emphasizes this element of the story to catch our attention. Jesus did not want the man he had healed to tell others about his cleansing. But we know about it, and the story encourages us to ask ourselves how we know. Ultimately, the answer is that Jesus has revealed it to us. If Jesus has concealed himself from some people, he has not concealed himself from us. Each of us who hears this story has come to faith in Jesus in a unique way. But each of these ways is a gift from God; our faith is not the simple recognition of obvious truth. The reading from the book of Leviticus helps us to see that Jesus delivered the man he cleansed from a great affliction. According to the law of Moses, one who had leprosy was unclean. In order to avoid contaminating others with his uncleanness, he had to live apart from them, “making his abode outside the camp.” He also had to warn others about his uncleanness by keeping his garments rent, his head bare, and his beard muffled, and by crying out that he was unclean. When Jesus cleansed the leper, he told him, “go show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed” (see Leviticus 14:1-32). By following the law of Moses in this way, Jesus avoided giving any offense to his fellow Jews. The reading from the first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians is in accord with this. Paul says, “Avoid giving offense, whether to the Jews or the Greeks or the church of God.” Later he says, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” To avoid giving offense is to follow the example of Christ. This passage concludes a long discussion of eating meat that has been sacrificed to idols (see 1 Corinthians 8:1-11:1). Another excerpt from this discussion was the second reading for last Sunday. Some of the Corinthians thought they could eat meat sacrificed to idols because idols did not really exist; others thought they should not, apparently because they considered it participation in the worship of false gods. One of Paul’s main points, summarized in today’s reading, is that the effect of one’s behavior on others is more important than being right. We should give up our rights if they offend others.
© 2009 Terrance Callan |
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