Be Clean

Greetings on this the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: Lv 13:1-2, 44-46; Ps 32:1-2, 5, 11; 1 Cor 10:31—11:1; Mk 1:40-45
Note: All through the week prior to today, we have three specific themes to consider:

1. The Creation story told over a series of days including the fall of Adam and Eve.
2. How we have set aside the commandment of God:
   2a. What defiles us
   2b. Not doing Purification rituals? No, from within the man, from within his heart.
   2c. Tradition over law.
3. Jesus Heals:
   3a. Heals sick even by the simply touching of his tassels.
   3b. Healing of the possessed Syrophoenician daughter.
   3c. Validating the Medical Arts together with Spiritual Healing.
   3d. Feeding of the four thousand. Seven loaves and a few fish.

The Right Way

Jesus wanted the leper to present himself to the Priests to fulfill the requirements of Lev 14 regarding the health and safety of the people and the proper regulation of the community. In these requirements the overall truth that God heals.

Ironically Jesus is the one who now must stay outside the camp. This is an indication of his otherness to the community in taking on all that defiles the community.

Which is higher, the one who does the healing or the offering as healing? Jesus is both.
Offerings of Liviticus chapter 14:

• reparation offering
• purification offering
• burnt offering
• elevated offering

From biblical foot notes: The blood from the bird serves as a ritual detergent, much like the blood from the purification offering (see notes on 4:3). It is not a sacrifice, however, since it is not performed at the sanctuary. Fresh water: lit., “living water,” taken from some source of running water, not from a cistern.

Jesus is the living water.

Jesus did not want to upset the proper order of things. The ritual clean process is a prescribed way to identify those who can prove they can be returned to the community and be reconciled.

God heals

Hidden in Leviticus is the fact that God heals. Yes, the prescribed method to verify and give thanks and absolution are present. It is the power of God that any are healed. Jesus makes this personally obvious.

As we near Lent the question become more obvious and that is this:

Will we allow Jesus to heal us?

Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry