Lobsters & Leprosy

I recently read an interesting story about some people who were at the seashore, watching some lobsters that had been brought in, in a bucket. They noted the strangest thing. From time to time, one of the lobsters would start to climb its way out of the bucket. But then, inevitably, one of the other lobsters would grab ahold of the one trying to escape and haul it back in.

 

The odd thing is that the lobsters probably could have escaped from that bucket, if not on their own, at least with a little help from one of the others. But instead of helping, they kept pulling each other down.

 

Two of our readings today deal with a subject that is not a normal part of our experience: leprosy. The first, from Leviticus, a book that contains various laws and codes, sets out how leprosy was to be dealt with. If there was a suspicious scab or blotch on the skin, the person was to be presented to the priests, who were the experts for dealing with the issue at that time.

 

We have now experienced what it is like to have a highly contagious, lethal disease in our midst, namely COVID. We had a taste of how much our lives were changed, and how careful we had to be. So, maybe we can begin to imagine what the lepers of biblical times felt like. The instructions in Leviticus are quite severe: “The one who bears the sore of leprosy shall keep his garments rent and his head bare, and shall muffle his beard; he shall cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’….He shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp.”

 

Now, turning to the Gospel, a leper approaches Jesus, and says something very humble and low-key: “If you wish, you can make me clean.” If you wish? The problem was that it was not allowed to touch or have any kind of contact with a leper. Doing so would not only endanger yourself, but it would also make you technically unclean, and you would have to go into isolation yourself (like we had to if a family member or someone we were in contact with developed COVID).

 

Mark is very specific in his description of what happens. “Moved with pity, he [Jesus] stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, ‘I do will it. Be made clean.’ The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.” Jesus risked touching the outcast, but out of compassion touched and healed him, nonetheless.

 

Now you may wonder what all this has to do with my story about lobsters. Well, here’s the point. Sometimes, it’s easy to treat someone who is different from us like a leper. Whatever issue you consider these days, people seem to be divided. Gay people/straight people, democrats/republicans, Kansas City Chiefs/San Francisco Forty-niners, pro-life/pro-choice, getting vaccines/not getting vaccines, people with homes/homeless people, middle class/poor people, skinny people/fat people, people with good complexions…well you get the idea. It’s very easy to start treating certain people like lepers just because they are different. And lots of times, we become like the lobsters, pulling each other down, rather than building each other up.

 

Today’s gospel shows that Jesus wasn’t like that. Rather than dividing, he built community. Rather than putting up walls, he created bridges. Rather than humiliating the outcasts, he embraced them. Rather than putting people down, he loved them. And he taught us to do the same. Now I know that a lot of people like lobsters, right? What I’m suggesting is that we should eat them, but not act like them.

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In the gospel Jesus does two things: he interprets the Scriptures and how they apply to him; and he “breaks bread” with the two disciples. We thus have the two halves of the Mass: the liturgy of the word and the liturgy of the Eucharist. The Bible is telling us where to look, and it is teaching us to learn to see. Like the cashier’s check in the Bible, Jesus’ presence is not always obvious or straightforward. So, where and how should we look? The first place is the Bible. We need to take time to read God’s word slowly, savor it, and allow it to speak to us. If you are having difficulty, a commentary will help. Turning to those who know the Bible better that we do, and asking for clarifications and advice, will also help. The second place of encounter with Jesus is the Eucharist. The mystery of Emmaus is that the disciples recognize Jesus in the “breaking of bread,” which was one of the phrases used for the celebration of the Eucharist. Try to enter the Mystery more and more by giving yourself totally, without distractions, to each part of the Mass. Savor what it means to gather with open minds and hearts; to listen to the message of Scripture, the inspired word of God; to take the message of the homily home with you and reflect on it; to ask for forgiveness and to pray for peace; to intercede for our needs and the needs of the whole world; to receive our Lord mindfully, and not just hurry through the motions. Finally, in the Emmaus story, Jesus approaches his people who are depressed, disappointed and broken-hearted. At first, they do not recognize him. But as they listen more and more, their hearts start to burn within them. So, another way to experience the presence of Jesus Christ is to do as he did, to find value in what he taught and how he acted. 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Homily for the Second Sunday of Easter April 12, 2026

By Charlene Currie • April 25, 2026
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