Sunday Homily, February 11, 2018, 6th Ordinary Time
Welcome in out of that 26 degree cold, Dear Emma and Dear Beth.
Readings:
Leviticus 13, 1-2, 44-46, If a man is leprous, the priest shall declare him unclean
Psalm 32, I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble.
Corinthians 10, 31-11, Whatever you do, do for the glory of God.
Mark 1, 40-45, A leper came to Jesus
I bet I can guess why Ben & Olivia are not here today. Like 26 degrees!
On the readings:
- The book of Leviticus is the third book of the Hebrew Bible. Most of Leviticus is written as God’s speeches to Moses on Mt. Sinai which Moses repeated to the Israelites. It’s almost all about rituals and moral practices to follow in order to live in ritual purity. It describes the many ways you can be ‘unclean’; today’s reading is one example. Leviticus describes many rituals and rules to be followed. Like the stories in Genesis and Exodus these rules were created to give the Israelites a special identity, to help hold them together during the Babylon captivity in the sixth century B.C. And it worked.
Our dearest Candle Lighter of The Week in action.
- In First Corinthians Paul tells the early Christians in Corinth to not be obsessed about Jewish food laws when eating with others. In this same letter before today’s passage Paul said, “I’m not going to walk around on eggshells worrying about what small-minded people might say; I’m going to stride free and easy, knowing what our large-minded Master has already said. If I eat what is served to me, grateful to God for what is on the table, how can I worry about what someone will say?”
- Mark’s Gospel reinforces that caring for another is more important than rituals and rules. I’ll talk more later about how this might relate to how we practice Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday this week.
Who let these characters in here, Joe (Geri's brother), Geri, and Mike?
Homily:
Mark’s story of Jesus and the leper is a good example of how Mark used stories to highlight the Good News Jesus preached. From Leviticus we know a leper could neither approach nor talk to Jesus. As a leper, he was unclean and would have to stay totally apart from others in out-of-the-way places and speak only to cry out ‘Unclean’. So, already, Mark is telling Jewish followers of Jesus that the old rules no longer apply.
Hi, Leo. You are looking terrific this morning.
This Gospel story turned Leviticus on its ear concerning the idea of being ‘unclean’. [Leprosy was incurable then, so their best survival practice was a strict quarantine. Since about 1880 we have known leprosy is caused by a particular bacteria; for over 60 years now it is treatable and curable with antibiotics.] The old rules said: lepers were ‘unclean’ and had to stay out of the way of others, and they were not to touch or be touched. In Mark’s story he has the man with leprosy not stay out of the way away and has him dare to speak out; and he also has Jesus talk to and touch one known to be ‘unclean’. So, in Mark the rules are changed, and Jesus is approachable by anyone.
The Best.
In Paul’s letter to Corinthians he turns the rules in Leviticus upside down by questioning the rules about food and the eating habits of Jewish Christians. Paul said they should relax and “eat your meals heartily.”
So, considering these teaching stories from Leviticus and Mark and Paul, what do you do for Lent to prepare for Easter?
Somebody finally gave that man a job.
1) Some may give up sweets or do something else healthy. In the 60’s every Lent I would say “I’m giving up watermelon.” (I even used to get a laugh, since back then everyone knew watermelon wasn’t available till summer.)
2) Some will go to south Texas to work with victims of Hurricane Harvey—people struggling to get their houses and lives back in order. You are the community sending those who go; they represent us and this community’s caring for those in need. They will come back to our community members with stories of fun and comradery. They may also have stories about primitive lodging. (Ask Bill what he’s taking ‘just in case’.)
Peace, Angela and Cathy.
3) A third possibility is to consider a teaching quoted in Ash Wednesday’s Mass from the prophet Joel 2:13—a favorite Bible verse of Stack’s: “God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in kindness.” Why on Ash Wednesday? This verse is also found in Psalms 86, 103, and 145; and in the books of Exodus 34:6; and Jonah 4:2; and Nehemiah 9:17.
Bill, updating the plans for a dozen or so of our community heading to Dickenson, TX to join Professor Jim Mahar of St. Bonaventure U. & his 50 or so students, to help with the clean up after the hurricane. There is still lots to do.
What if everyone prepared for Easter by imitating that verse?—withholding acts of anger; performing acts of mercy and kindness. What will you do for Lent?
An old geezer taking the Sunday off thanks to John Cade.
