Homily for 6th Sun OT, Year B
Fr. Albert
St. Peter’s, New Iberia
How inconvenient is your charity? How much time or money are you willing to lose for the sake of another person? Just look at what happens to Jesus after he heals this man; It was impossible for him to enter a town openly. He knew that healing this man would only cause more trouble. For Jesus, this act of charity was a massive inconvenience.
And so it can be with us. It’s annoying to be accosted by someone in need, especially by someone we don’t know. If we give money or food or attention to this person, won’t it attract more beggars? Or think of all the charities and organizations out there. You give money one time and you get emails and envelopes for the rest of your life. Still, Jesus commands us to be generous, so the question remains, how inconvenient is your charity?
But perhaps that’s not the best place to start. So, let’s start with leprosy. We have a cure for it now, but as we see in the first reading, leprosy used to be a serious problem. Not only would this disease eventually kill you, but you were exiled as soon as it was discovered. You were required by law to go around shouting how horribly dangerous your very presence was to other people. And you weren’t even allowed to go to the temple or synagogue: leprosy was a spiritual exile as well.
So, curing leprosy was a sign of God’s power. Only God could do it; Jesus’ ability to heal this disease hints at his divinity. Yet, why would God choose this disease to be such an important part of his revelation? Surely, God knew that one day science and medicine would be able to heal even more lepers than Jesus, right?
Yes, He’s always known that, but the point is not the disease itself, but what it symbolizes. Ugliness, being exiled, death – these are all the consequences of sin. Leprosy – and it’s healing – are just one more way that God uses physical realities to teach us about deeper, spiritual realities. Sin marks the soul, casts us out of heaven, and ultimately kills us. But Jesus Christ – in the same way that he “wills” to cure leprosy – willed to heal us of sin.
And this little scene is a miniature example of the whole process of salvation. Jesus is “moved with pity.” “Splanchnizomai.” It literally means “his intestines stirred with compassion.” Jesus isn’t just being kind, he physically experiences pity. When he heals this leper, the man is no longer an exile. He goes into towns and talks to regular people, something impossible for him before. Then, even though it’s for different reasons, Jesus is now the one who has to dwell in “deserted places.” He basically becomes an exile in the place of the leper.
That’s salvation. God is perfectly happy without us: He is love, He is community, and He is immune to death and suffering. Yet, He chose for the Son to become incarnate, to suffer as human beings suffer. Jesus, the Son of God, now has all the weaknesses and experiences of a human being. He can be “moved with pity” and he can die. Since death is the penalty of sin, he died for us. And he died outside the city in an unclean way – mocked, rejected, naked, and crucified.
But, as God, it is impossible for Jesus to be ritually – spiritually – unclean. Just as he doesn’t catch leprosy, but cures it, Jesus defeats death when it touches him. His resurrection overcomes death just as his hand cures leprosy.
And this is the story with every single baptism and confession. Jesus died for you, and healed you, and will do it as many times as you are willing to imitate this leper “kneeling down and” begging Jesus “if you wish, you can make me clean,” forgive my sins, and save my soul. And Jesus says, “I do will it, be made clean.”
But here’s the contrast. Jesus tells the leper to keep quiet. How could he? Would you tell no one about the amazing story of being saved from life-long exile and death? Oh the irony! This man, commanded by Jesus to tell no one, does a better job of evangelizing than millions of Catholics who were told to evangelize! The miracle of our salvation is infinitely more important and powerful than this healing, yet how often we lack the joy, the zeal for evangelization that we see in this man.
So, how inconvenient is your charity? Jesus became man to suffer exile and death for your sake. The mercy and forgiveness that this brings is not some vague idea, but a tangible reality. If it doesn’t affect the way we live, we have to ask if we’ve really allowed that mercy to get in. Jesus was “moved with pity,” but does that pity move us? Do we respond with the desire to repay to God, to show gratitude?
And of course, there is nothing you can do to repay God. You have nothing He didn’t give you. That is why we show charity to others. And the greatest charity is to work for their salvation, to share the good news of Christ’s merciful and life-giving sacrifice. But, that charity is not easily believed and accepted. To convince someone of Christ’s love requires you to be credible, to have real authority and integrity.
People don’t realize this, but they want proof that it’s possible for God to love them, and for you to love them. The forgiveness of sins that you don’t see is hard to believe when you can’t even find basic human decency among people you do see. But something powerful can happen when you encounter a person who freely gives of their time, talent, and treasure to people who don’t deserve it and can’t possibly repay it. Just as leprosy is a symbol for sin, love of the poor is a symbol of God’s generous love for us.
But that love has to be genuine. Jesus doesn’t forgive at a comfortable distance. To cure our exile, he is exiled. So, to love the poor, we have to become poor, at least in some way. If you have a billion dollars and give away 100 million, it means very little to God because it means very little to you. It’s not inconvenient, it doesn’t hurt, and you get all the benefits of reputation, praise, awards, etc.
But, if your charity is inconvenient… enduring the smell of the homeless, spending money on a beggar instead of a drink with dinner, spending more than 55 minutes at Church so you can pray for the broken people in your life. Then you are beginning to gain authority – credibility for your claim that God loves us, that God loves the hardened sinner who refuses to accept the Gospel you offer him. And it starts with God’s love for you. Dig deeper to recognize the immense power of being forgiven. Let his grace transform your mind, heart, and even your body – live according to His teachings. When you see someone ugly, in need, and inconvenient to you, do not recoil. Let your heart be “moved with pity” and offer a hand to him. Be willing to give in a way that hurts, because if it never hurts, it’s not really charity.
Lent is about to start and the time for prayer, fasting, and almsgiving is upon us. As you reflect on how you will observe Lent, I ask you, how sacrificial is your almsgiving? How inconvenient is your charity?
