Proof for Them

Proof for Them

Friday after Epiphany

Piety

Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the one who came through water and Blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and Blood. The Spirit is the one who testifies, and the Spirit is truth. So, there are three who testify, the Spirit, the water, and the Blood, and the three are of one accord. 1 John 5:5-8

"Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean." Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, "I do will it.  Be made clean." And the leprosy left him immediately. Then he ordered him not to tell anyone, but "Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them." Luke 5:12C-14

Study

In the First Reading, water and blood are the literal Alpha and Omega of the humanity of Jesus.  The symbols refer to Christ’s baptism and to the shedding of his blood on the cross.

The Spirit was present on both occasions:

At the Baptism (“…and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you, I am well pleased.” Luke 3:22)

At the Crucifixion, until Christ commanded the Spirit to depart (“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Luke 23:46). 

John’s letter serves as a human witness to Jesus’ life.  God’s words and deeds serve as divine “withness.”  Through the Spirit, God is “with” Jesus from the Annunciation to the Ascension.  Thus, the testimony to Christ as the Son of God is confirmed by the divine witness, greater by far than the two legally required human witnesses. God and the Spirit are not just present, they actually speak to the human witnesses.

Matched with the Good News, we see the cleansing by command, no water is needed to cure the man with leprosy.  Cured, he is commanded to present himself to a rabbi – human witness. We assume that the man acted with obedience after such a gift of healing.

Action

We do nothing alone.  There are human witnesses at our birth – parents, doctors, nurses and the rest of the hospital personnel. They are there at the hour of our death as well. So is God.

The Lectionary refers to this day as Friday after Epiphany.  In essence, every Thursday is another Friday after Epiphany where we are challenged like the man with leprosy to be open to recognizing Jesus. Every Friday is another Friday after Epiphany where we are challenged like the man with leprosy to obey Jesus’s command for action.  Every Friday is another Friday after Epiphany where we are challenged like the man with leprosy to witness his works in the world through our own “blood and sweat and toil and tears.”