Reversals and taking no offense

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today remind us of the need to deal with circumstances in our lives that result in change that we had not anticipated.

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Gospel Reading from the book of St. Mark 1:40-45https://t.co/X6NnpHIzGF pic.twitter.com/d77Qf0sKkt

— Jovenes de Inmaculada Concepcion (@JDMCIC) February 11, 2018

The Book of Leviticus documents the way those in the community who were deemed to have an infectious skin condition were isolated and shunned.

* [13:45–46] The symbolic association with death is found in the mourning activities in which those diagnosed with these afflictions engage: rending clothes, disheveling the hair, and covering the mouth. They are also excluded from the camp. Cf. examples of exclusion in Nm 5:1–4; 12:14–15; 2 Kgs 7:3–10; 15:5; 2 Chr 26:21. Persons with scaly infections must have been able to pollute others in the priestly system, though this is not stated. Hence, they must cry out “Unclean, unclean!” to warn others of their presence.

In the Letter to the Corinthians, Paul advises a response of avoiding giving offense to people by our actions.

* [10:32–11:1] In summary, the general rule of mutually responsible use of their Christian freedom is enjoined first negatively (1 Cor 10:32), then positively, as exemplified in Paul (1 Cor 10:33), and finally grounded in Christ, the pattern for Paul’s behavior and theirs (1 Cor 11:1; cf. Rom 15:1–3).

In the Gospel from Mark, Jesus authority to heal the leper ironically creates a change in His ability to enter the towns among which He journeys with the Good News.

* [1:40] A leper: for the various forms of skin disease, see Lv 13:1–50 and the note on Lv 13:2–4. There are only two instances in the Old Testament in which God is shown to have cured a leper (Nm 12:10–15; 2 Kgs 5:1–14). The law of Moses provided for the ritual purification of a leper. In curing the leper, Jesus assumes that the priests will reinstate the cured man into the religious community. See also note on Lk 5:14.

Tom Purcell ponders what seems to him is a call to emulate Christ’s attitude.

It seems to me he is calling us to emulate Christ’s attitude – avoid offending people, acting not for self but for others, doing everything for the (greater) glory of God.  When we encounter pain and suffering, disfigurement and other physical woes in the person in front of us, Paul is challenging us to be an imitator of Christ.  Jesus would not walk away, but would engage.  Jesus would not recoil, but embrace.  Jesus would not turn away His eyes, but deeply connect.  Even if Jesus did not cure the physical pain, He would share the emotional turmoil and console.

Don Schwager quotes Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD) on Why did Jesus touch the leper?

"And why did [Jesus] touch him, since the law forbade the touching of a leper? He touched him to show that 'all things are clean to the clean' (Titus 1:15). Because the filth that is in one person does not adhere to others, nor does external uncleanness defile the clean of heart. So he touches him in his untouchability, that he might instruct us in humility; that he might teach us that we should despise no one, or abhor them, or regard them as pitiable, because of some wound of their body or some blemish for which they might be called to render an account... So, stretching forth his hand to touch, the leprosy immediately departs. The hand of the Lord is found to have touched not a leper, but a body made clean! Let us consider here, beloved, if there be anyone here that has the taint of leprosy in his soul, or the contamination of guilt in his heart? If he has, instantly adoring God, let him say: 'Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.'" (excerpt from FRAGMENTS ON MATTHEW 2.2–3)

Friar Jude Winkler explains the Instruction for the community on leprosy in Leviticus and the backstory to the advice of Paul on giving not offense. People, like the leper, recognized the authority of Jesus yet the religious authorities denied His role.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, examines our starting point and asks do we proceed out of love and abundance or fear and hatred? He asserts that how we begin is invariably how we end and how we proceed, so our creation story is important.

The Judeo-Christian creation story says that we were created in the very “image and likeness” of God (Genesis 1:26) out of generative love. The focus is original blessing instead of original sin (which comes two chapters later, in Genesis 3). We are first sent out with cosmic hope rather than a big problem that must be solved. The Holy Spirit holds this divine image within every created thing, and becomes its “soul.” It drives us toward “life, and life more abundantly” (John 10:10). When we start in a positive way instead of with a problem, there is a much greater chance we will remain positive as we move forward. Even the business world today knows that a vision statement must precede and inform the mission statement. As Matthew Fox taught many years ago, Christianity’s contrived “Fall-Redemption” spirituality [1] just keeps digging us into a deeper and deeper hole (my words!). We must return to our original “Creation Spirituality” for the foundational reform of Christianity.

From our original blessing onward we experience circumstances of health and wealth, joy and pain and communion and rejection.

The Eucharist expresses the mystery of Christ's freedom, the gift of liberation; it means love to the end, for only love can liberate. Sharing our life in Christ and in communion with our brothers and sisters, we freely share our gifts and resources, we make moral decisions that take the other into consideration and that promote the good of others and not just ourselves. The risen Christ is the source and measure of the fullness of all freedom.

As disciples of Jesus we seek the best for others and find His Presence in the reversals that we experience. Our original “Creation Spirituality” leads us to a full life (John 10:10) and is crucial for foundational reform of Christianity.

References

(n.d.). Leviticus, chapter 13 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved February 11, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/leviticus/13

(n.d.). 1 Corinthians, chapter 10. Retrieved February 11, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/10

(n.d.). Mark, chapter 1 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved February 11, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/mark/1

(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved February 11, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html

(n.d.). Freedom: Gift and Responsibility “Jesus wants us ... - Diocese of Orlando. Retrieved February 11, 2018, from http://www.orlandodiocese.org/images/stories/wtl/freedom/freedom_video_script.pdf

(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 11, 2018, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/

(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 11, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/