Sunday Gospel Comment
Alberic Jacovone OSB
YEAR B SIXTH SUNDAY - 12.2.06 Lev 13,1-2.44-46; 1 Cor 10,31-11,1; Mk 1,40-45 Daring to care for outcasts! When
sickness hits: have faith. The ‘Cure of a Leper’ closes Chapter One of Mark’s Gospel; even
though it contains only 45 verses, it’s occupied the Liturgies of 6 Sundays. In Mark we have discovered an Order of Lessons, each having a ‘Lesson
Plan’. With this in mind, we hope to understand better what Mark wishes to
say. Section One (Mk 1,14-3,6) deals with Jesus preaching & healing in
Galilee. In it, the controlling thought is that Jesus has come to bring a total
cure of the whole person, a cure which includes a healing of heart &
mind (forgiveness), within the total physical holistic well-being of the person. In each lesson, (& this is typical of Mark), the style is unique,
abrupt, pictorial, disjointed & yet it forcefully brings you into the scene.
You continue to notice the urgent, impatient authority of Jesus as Son of God,
the astonishment & admiration of the crowds, &
also the suspicion & opposition of the Pharisees... The whole structure will
become clear as we study each story. Today’s concentric ‘Lesson Plan’ is
as follows: A1) An outcast -a leper- kneels & begs, saying: ‘If you
choose, you can heal me’. B1) Jesus experiences a strong gut-feeling of
compassion (Mark says ‘indignation’). C) Central aim: Jesus acts & is
almost palpable: he stretches his hand, touches the leper, says: ‘I do choose:
be cured! & instantly he is cured. B2) Jesus -still full of strong
gut-feelings-, sternly warns the leper to say nothing to no one about the
cure... A2) But he went & spread the word everywhere. As a result Jesus
became outcast: He dared to touch the Leper, & he himself was treated as
unclean & could no longer go freely into a town but had to stay in
‘wilderness places’. Notice the
twist of positions: now a leper does the proclaiming & Jesus is the outcast. Mission
to the outcasts: Jesus’ & ours. Mark is a powerful teacher: as fellow Christian with
us, he wants us to share Jesus’ indignation towards any form of human
degradation. As he tells us what Jesus felt, when he touched the rotted,
deformed flesh of the leper-, he challenges us to become involved with outcasts,
even to the point of being rejected ourselves in the process. Today’s scene is
packed with profound emotions; it calls for people to become responsible for all
forms of inhumanity - brutality & neglect... In & out of our own
families, there is need to stand next to those who feel marginalized - excluded
- sick - suffering - isolated - left out - unwanted - in pain - disfigured - not
able to fit in... And if, for their sake, there is need to get involved at the
cost of misunderstandings & recriminations, so be it. In today’s story, we
are asked to observe the attitude towards human anguish & suffering:
Jesus’ attitude, the leper’s attitude & what should be our attitude. We
know that God is kind, gentle and inclusive towards the sick & suffering: we
have no choice but to be the same. Jesus did not seek popularity, as if all that
mattered to him, was that people acclaimed him as a miracle maker. He truly
identified with the outcast leper. Indeed, he truly took upon himself the
ignominy & shame of humankind & for this died on the cross. Mark reminds
us that in the end, Jesus’ mission was to carry upon himself all our burdens
& hurts. The very idea of identifying with people who are considered
outcasts, useless & burdensome, stems from a desire to become aware of the
needs of such people, & a challenge of what can be done. Essentially, people
become outcasts, when they realize that all messages about their needs are
rejected or ridiculed: then there is no hope, no meaning. Lesson: is there in my family, someone living or dead, who still
needs my prayer & support, in spite of... the scourge of AIDS - today’s
leprosy? ______________________________________ |
