POSSESS THE REAL WEALTH

 

We are in the Sixth Sunday of ordinary time. The first reading of today sets a context for the gospel reading. It also gives a background for understanding the status of the lepers in Jewish religion during the time of Jesus. God through Moses commanded the people to segregate and isolate the people who are affected by leprosy in order to prevent the further spread of the disease in the community. Those days, there were no physician and proper medical care. Thus, Isolation was the only way to contain the disease. Today we can understand this way of treating the sick people in a better sense because of our experience of covid 19 pandemic. If we, who are living in well progressed and organizes society find difficult to contain certain sicknesses, what about those Israel people who lived a wandering life in desert after being freed from Egyptian slavery?

The coming of Jesus was to set people free from three things: physical illness, spiritual darkness and evil spirits. In the gospel of today, Jesus heals the leaper. It is a freedom of person from physical illness. The community which found difficult to cure leprosy is at last relived from that misery through the coming of Jesus. The leaper goes to Jesus with complete faith and as an only option left for him to be cured. His faith in Jesus’ healing power is actualized by being healed. During this pandemic time we have witnessed people turning to God as the only option to get cured. God is the master of all the doctors. When everyone fails, God saves.

Moses advised the people to isolate the leapers in order to reduce the succession of the disease. This isolation does not give way for abandoning them. They have to be taken care well, because they are still human beings, have right to live and obligate dignity. Being contracted with leprosy, one cannot go for work anywhere and earn a living. Therefore, someone or the community should take care of their needs by providing them with all the social distancing measures. This element of hospitality toward the sick was waning among Jews during Jesus’ time. Thanks! to covid 19 which has taught us about the pain and suffering of being isolated and lonely. Jesus and others who accompanied Him at this moment of healing were exposed to danger of being contracted by leprosy. But, they welcomed the leprosy man. In the second reading, St. Paul urges the Corinthians to seek the good of others and not to show offense to anyone. Let us not reject people based on fear of being contracted by the disease, may we approach those sick people in whatever way possible with all the precautionary measures to help them overcome the sickness.

It is also reminder for us to take good care of our own health. Jesus did not promise and give anyone material wealth. All that He gave to the people were physical and spiritual healing. These two are the real wealth of the person. Today, we are busy in earning more money to expand our material wealth. On the bargain we pay little attention to what we eat and things that affect our body. The real wealth that we need to possess are: good health and peaceful mind. What is the use of increasing material wealth if one is not able to lead a long and peaceful life to enjoy them? We need not to have everything, is the lesson that covid 19 has taught us. Let us strive to possess the real wealth that each of us need and help sick people to alleviate their burden.