Word to the Wise
Friday, June 30, 2023 - Friday in the 12th Week in Ordinary Time
[Gen 17:1, 9-10, 15-22 and Matt 8:1-4]When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said, "Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean." He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, "I do will it. Be made clean." His leprosy was cleansed immediately. "Then Jesus said to him, "See that you tell no one, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses prescribed: that will be proof for them." [Matthew]
The Sermon on the Mount, which features Jesus as teacher and "new Moses," and law giver is ended. Jesus comes down from the mountain and we will read three straight miracles which portray Jesus as compassionate and also powerful. The first of the miracles features a leper, a person who is both sick and an outcast. The leper, to begin with, recognizes Jesus and calls him, "Lord." Jesus responds to the leper's faith and touches him. To pious Jews, this would make Jesus unclean, but Jesus ignores that kind of boundary. What he does for the leper is to restore not only his physical health, but his whole world of relationships. He will no longer be an outcast. In keeping with the Jewish way in the Gospel According to Matthew, Jesus orders the former leper to show himself to the priest and make the customary offering. This would officially restore the former leper to Jewish society.
What are the "boundaries" that keep us from responding with compassion and power - the power of love and service - to our neighbor? Is it social class? Homelessness, sexual orientation, race, faith, politics? Consider the leper or the robbers' victim in the parable of the Good Samaritan [Luke 10:29-37]. Jesus will say in the parable of the Last Judgment that anytime we respond in compassion, we respond to him. How do we do that? AMEN