There is some sibling jealousy going on here in the first reading. Miriam and Aaron come to Moses, criticizing him for his marriage to a Cushite woman. One of ‘them”, the other, a foreigner. They seem to be irritated that Moses is being used as the mouthpiece of God, but instead of debating with him about it, they attack his character. They attack his wife and, because of her lineage, start to ask if the established authority is worth following or if people should follow them as well.
How often do we see that in the world today? Instead of talking logically and rationally about the issues at hand, our society seems to pride itself on attacking people’s character. Skin color, heritage, religion all become characteristics that say this person isn’t good enough for what they want. Listen to this one over here, who fits the mold.
Why Miriam with leprosy, though? Was it both she and Aaron, right? Looking at the text, though, we see Miriam listed first. That’s important. Her name would only be listed first if she was the one calling the shots, the principal instigator, as it were. Many commentators feel that Miriam wasn’t so much jealous of Moses, as much as she was people paying more attention to the ‘first lady.’ His new wife. The same Miriam who led the people in song and dance at the parting of the red sea through her bitterness and jealousy became an outcast, a pariah.
But leprosy was a death sentence. It meant ostracising her from the community, a slow, painful decay that would cause one body part after another to fall away until death consumed them. I believe God was using this to show us the ugliness of sin. Our insides are rotting and falling apart when our hearts are filled with jealousy, anger, and hatred, maybe even more, especially when consumed with some bigotry or racism. Our spiritual lives are dying, decaying.
How do we fix it, then? First, we go to the established authority, to Jesus Christ through His church. Then, just as Moses had to step in the breach to pray for the healing of his sister, we go to reconciliation to ask Jesus to step in for us. To forgive us, restore us to the community, and heal the disease that has begun to fester and grow in our hearts. That’s how we fight sin. That’s how we restore those ostracized into the world by self-inflicted diseases of apathy and hate and all the “isms” that come with it. Only Jesus can heal this sort of corruption, and it’s up to us to show the world the Sacraments He established to pour that grace out upon His People.
A reflection on the readings for Tuesday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time: August 03, 2021