Sixth Sunday of the year (Year B)

Sixth Sunday of the year February 11, 2024

Leviticus 13:1-2, 45-46; 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1; Mark 1:40-45

(Image courtesy: Google)

Martin was a young soldier in the Roman army. Elegantly dressed, he was mounted on his horse one day when he was accosted by a leper begging for alms. The sight and the stench of rotting flesh were so repulsive to the sensitivities of young Martin that his first instincts were to ride off on his horse. But something inside him made his walk up to the beggar. Since all he had was his military coat, he cut it in two and gave half to the leper while he wrapped himself with the other half. It was a very cold winter day. Many in the crowd thought this was so ridiculous a sight that they laughed and jeered but some realized that they were seeing Christian goodness. He was eighteen years old.  That night in his dream he saw Christ clothed in a half coat saying to the angels around his throne, “Martin has clothed me with his garment.” This event was the turning point in the life of him who was to become St Martin of Tours.

The natural revulsion of Martin before leprosy is nothing compared with the ancient Hebrew attitude to leprosy. To the Hebrews leprosy was not only a most dreaded natural disease, it was also popularly seen as divine chastisement. The story of Miriam, sister of Moses, who was struck with leprosy as a result of her misconduct (Numbers 12) as well as that of Job who was afflicted with a leprosy-like skin disease reinforced their view of leprosy as divine punishment for sin. In the first reading (Leviticus 13) the dreadful practice of ostracising lepers is reported as God’s will: “The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying ....”

Leprosy was a dreaded disease during the time of Jesus as it was in the Old Testament.  In Palestine leprosy was looked upon as an incurable disease. Lepers were not meant to live in the city with the people and could not have any contact with them. They had to live on their own, away from people where their families would leave some food for them. They were considered to be truly cursed by God. If they had a reason to go to the town they would have had to carry a bell with them. They would constantly ring this bell as they walked and cried out “Unclean, Unclean”, informing people to keep away from them because they were struck with a very contagious disease. 

Here we are not given any information as to why this leper alone thought Jesus could heal him. Certainly there were other Lepers in Palestine during that time.  Perhaps he had heard about the healing capacity of Jesus.  He simply comes to Jesus and makes a request with the words: “If you want to, you can heal me.”

Here we have one of the most revealing pictures of Jesus, his kindness, compassion and humane attitude.  He did not drive away the man who had broken the law and now was kneeling before him.  By law the leper had no right to speak to him at all, but Jesus met the desperation of the human need with an understanding compassion. He encouraged him to come closer to him to make his human request.  The leper showed his absolute faith in the power of Jesus to heal him even from the incurable disease. Jesus did something very human too which no ordinary person would do. Moved with pity for the poor sufferer, he stretched out his hand and touched him, a person who was considered unclean by law.  For the Lord he was not someone unclean but a child of God in desperate need.  Jesus told him that he wished and wanted him to be healed and cured him instantly. 

Today’s Scripture lessons teach us that the sick and the maimed are not to be objects of scorn, but potential reservoirs of God’s mercy for us. St. Francis of Assisi, for instance, understood this. At one time in his life, he had a terrible fear of lepers. Then one day when he was out for a ride, he heard the warning bell that lepers were required to ring in the Middle Ages. When a leper emerged from a clump of trees, St. Francis saw that he was horribly disfigured. Half of his nose had been eaten away; his hands were stubs without fingers and his lips were oozing white pus. Instead of giving in to his fears, Francis slid down from his horse, ran forward, embraced the leper, and kissed him. Francis’ life was never the same after that episode. He had found a new relationship with God, a new sensitivity to others and a new energy for his ministry.

As we reflect on this Gospel passage, let us ask ourselves: Are we willing to embrace the call to holiness in our lives? Are we willing to reach out to those in need with compassion and love, regardless of their circumstances? Are we willing to approach God with courage and faith, trusting in His transformative power?

Let us strive to imitate the example of Jesus Christ, who showed us the way of love, compassion, and humility. Let us be instruments of God's healing and reconciliation in our world, bringing hope to the marginalized and oppressed. And may we, like the leper, experience the transformative power of God's love in our lives, leading us to a deeper relationship with Him and with one another.

Happy Sunday