The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation during Ordinary Time
Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46
13:1-14:57 is a section that deals with impurity caused by tzara’at. In the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament), this was translated as the Greek word lepros from which we get the word leprosy. This word should not be confused with Hansen’s disease, which is often called by the generic term leprosy. What Leviticus speaks of is not that. A better phrase would be “scaly skin condition.”
This passage contains verse after verse of how a priest examines someone’s skin to determine whether or not they are unclean. Riveting reading. It covers both infections of human skin as well as fungal infections on things like garments and leather. The right (or wrong) type of infection can render a person or object unclean and require them or it to be separated from the community. Chp 13 is about leprosy of the skin and also leprosy of clothing. Chp 14 is about leprosy of housing and also the purification after any type of this leprosy is cured.
In all the cultures that surrounded the ancient Israelites, there was a general abhorrence of skin infections. It was something you could see and easily separate out people based on it. It could be observed that things like leprosy could be easily transmitted and would be a danger to the larger community. And for the ancients, these conditions were generally seen as leading to death. So if you had a condition that rendered you unclean according to Levitical law, most often you died from this condition. You might not be dead yet, but you would be. It was like a living death.
The other thing about this particular area of disease was that it was generally seen as disfavor by the gods. If the gods were angry enough to visit scaly skin on you, then you must have done something really bad. It was generally viewed as an outward manifestation of being rejected by the gods, or of having some sort of sin, either yours or your family’s.
The priest’s role in all this is simply to diagnose those conditions that lead to ritual impurity; a priest did not engage in attempting to heal.
1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1
Last week’s passage dealt with Paul’s motivation for evangelization. A theme running throughout the Corinthian letters is freedom and the correct use of Christian freedom. For Paul, true Christian freedom is directed outward – to and for others, never on ourselves or the satisfaction of our own desires. Today we see a particular case where he illustrates the right use of Christian freedom.
Two social necessities in that world were going to the market and being invited to dinner. Since the culture worshipped so many gods, sacrifices were constantly being made to them and then the meat would be sold in the market to support the temple. A buyer probably wouldn’t know the source of the meat, so you might buy meat that was sacrificed to a god. Dinner invitations were frequent, and to refuse would be to bring dishonor. Dining halls were usually located in temples where, again, the meat served might have been sacrificed to a god.
In both these situations, a person of what Paul calls a “weak” conscience might say they can’t eat meat sacrificed to idols because that would equate to idol worship. It’s hard for us to fully grasp this problem because our food isn’t so connected to our faith. For the ancient Jews and Greeks, food was inextricably bound up in religion.
It’s not about the food or drink (or disease) in and of themselves that are holy or unholy, but rather the effect of the behavior of Christians on others – both Christians and non-Christians. I think Paul might say to us today: it’s not really about whether you eat meat on Ash Wednesday or Good Friday but whether that action may cause a loss of faith to some who witness it. And this, I think, ties back to the passage last week where Paul says he becomes all things to all people. He uses his Christian freedom in such a way that he is always evangelizing, always sharing the good news by word and actions.
Everything that is permissible is not always becoming or edifying. The renunciation of one’s more enlightened conscience is sometimes a duty. Paul maintains that the glory of God must be the measure by which every custom and action is judged.
Verse 24 is not in the lectionary but is a helpful one to look at. The NAB translates the phrase “that of his neighbor” in regard to the good we are to seek. The literal Greek says “that of the other” and the connotation is “the one you disagree with” or “the one who is not in your group.” I would render this verse “No one should seek their own advantage, but rather the advantage of the one with whom they disagree.” This sums up the whole passage.
What customs might Paul call out to our culture today?
Can you think of one person with whom you disagree with for whom you might be called to seek their advantage or their greater good? What might that look like?
Are there any things you do that might cause a person of “weaker” conscience to stumble? Spend some time in prayer and see what God might be saying to you about this.
Mark 1:40-45
We’ve had 6 weeks in this first chapter of Mark and today will be the last reading from this chapter.
The Old Testament reading gave us the Levitical law about diagnosing and dealing with lepers. The man in the story today has been cast outside the bounds of the community by this law. He is cut off; his life is essentially meaningless in that culture.
This and the synoptic parallels are the only stories about the healing of a leper.
So a man approaches Jesus with the reminder that Jesus has the power to cure him – if you are willing. “Clean” can mean literally clean or healed, but it can also mean ritually clean. Some (but not all) manuscripts of this passage include the detail that the man kneels down. Luke, in the same story, says the man prostrates himself.
It’s interesting to note that this leper comes to Jesus in violation of the Levitical law which says that lepers must stay away from other people and warn people if they got too close. But this guy comes right up to Jesus, and Jesus lets him. I love the artistic rendering of this healing included below because, not only does Jesus allow the leper to approach, Jesus actually touches him.
Verse 41 says that Jesus is moved by an emotion translated as “pity.” This word indicates a deep emotion that often results in groaning – something that originates from deep within.
All 3 synoptics have this story but only Mark includes the phrase “moved with pity.” Even though Mark’s gospel is sparse, it’s often those little details that we can sail right by but they’re critical. We see a very human Jesus here, experiencing very human emotions.
Use imaginative prayer to sit with this story. What things keep you separated from your community? Can you picture a Jesus so compassionate that he invites you near and touches you, regardless of what any law might say? Can you feel his deep compassion (pity) for you? What does it feel like to be made clean? What do you do now?
Connections of the readings
The Old Testament gives a window into Levitical law and the Gospel shows how Jesus works with this law. Thinking of Paul, one might wonder how many of “weak” conscience were offended by Jesus’ actions! I think this shows us that Christian maturity demands much more than surface rules or even guidelines. Each situation requires us to prayerfully discern our actions, weighing compassion for all sides.
Questions to ponder
What customs might Paul call out to our culture today?
Can you think of one person with whom you disagree with for whom you might be called to seek their advantage or their greater good? What might that look like?
Are there any things you do that might cause a person of “weaker” conscience to stumble? Spend some time in prayer and see what God might be saying to you about this.
Use imaginative prayer to sit with the Gospel story. What things keep you separated from your community? Can you picture a Jesus so compassionate that he invites you near and touches you, regardless of what any law might say? Can you feel his deep compassion (pity) for you? What does it feel like to be made clean? What do you do now?
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
© 2023 Kelly Sollinger