Mark 1: 12 – 15

Be with us, Lord Jesus.  Be our companion of our way.  In your mercy inflame our hearts and raise our hope, so that, in union with one another, we may recognise you in the Scriptures and in the breaking of Bread.

Jesus mission is to defeat evil in all its manifestations.

This conflict and Jesus’ victory;

is a theme which permeates the whole of Mark’s Gospel.  The battle is against all that is harmful to humanity – to me – to those close to me – to my community – to the whole world.  Goodness is on the offensive and each of us is called to be a “paratrooper” in this victorious battle.  Come, let us lift the burdens that weigh heavily on people.

READ

Take time to read our text, out loud, several times, allowing the words to filter into you.  Take special note of the way it is set out.  How does this speak to you?

12At once the spirit drove him into the desert,
13and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan.
He was among the wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.
14After John had been arrested,

Jesus came to Galilee

proclaiming the gospel (Good News)  of (about) God.
15“This is the time of fulfilment.
The kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

REFLECT

To appreciate this reading fully it is necessary to read a few verses before and after it.  “¹¹You are my beloved son / daughter; with you I am well pleased.” Allow these words to echo through you and heed the advice of our text “BELIEVE” them.

“¹⁷Jesus said to them, ‘Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.’”  Jesus calls Peter, Andrew, James and John, and us, away from the sea, the symbol of evil, and commissions us to rescue others (be fishers of men) from all that is harmful to them – selfishness, greed, prejudice, poverty, ignorance.

RESPOND (prayer)

Move through the words in blue.  Hear them being spoken to you by Jesus.  Try not to speak, just be profoundly grateful for the wonderful things that are being said to you in this time of prayer.

* * * * * *

READ

¹²At once the Spirit drove (drives) him into the desert, ¹³and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan.  He was among the wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.

¹⁴After John had been arrested,

“At once” There is great urgency, everything is very important.  “The Spirit drives him” We see the hand of God active in Jesus’ life.  “Into the desert” The place where evil spirits dwell. The battle has begun.  Jesus commences his life work of confronting evil in all its shapes.  This battle will continue throughout his life – this is what “forty days” means.

REFLECT

As we reflect on both parts of our reading we become aware of the parallel that runs between the events in Jesus’ life and what is taking place in our own.

We are being called “beloved”.  We find ourselves daily confronted by evil in ourselves and in the world around us.  Rest assured that goodness will triumph.

“He was among the wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.”

The rabbis taught that when Adam was in Eden the animals obeyed him and the angels prepared his meals.  We all know that this arrangement no longer exists.  Mark is telling us that Jesus will restore harmony between God and humanity and between all of us humans.  In other words the “Kingdom of God” will be restored.  Through Jesus’ and our efforts the world will be the way God wants it to be.

proclaiming the gospel of God.  ¹⁵“This is the time of fulfillment.  The kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Once again we are left in no doubt that God is in a hurry.  This transformation of our lives and lives of others is to take place NOW!  We are told to repent. (change our way of thinking and behaving – the direction of our lives needs to shift one hundred and eighty degrees)

“Believe the Good News of (about) God.”  Our God is full of loving kindness, faithful, generous and understanding, never remaining angry with us.  A God who wants the very best for us. A God; “It is the will of your heavenly Father that not one of his little ones be lost.”  Mt 18: 14

A God who lifts burdens;

“to bring glad tidings to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to let the oppressed go free,

and proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”  (all ‘debt’ cancelled) Lk 4: 18 – 19

RESPOND (prayer)

All were amazed and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority.”    Mk 1: 27

Lord, we thank you in the name of all those for whom this Lent will be a season of grace, when Jesus will come into our lives.  We know that the moment we were running away from

has finally come. A life of holiness is within our grasp, we turn away from our sins and give ourselves trustingly to the new vision you are bringing about in us. de Verteuil

Mark 2: 1 – 12

Lord, your word has many shades of meaning, just as those who study it have many different points of view.  You have coloured your words with many hues so that each person who studies it can see in it what he loves.

Lord, your Word is a tree of life that offers blessed fruit in abundance.

Like the rock gushing water in the desert it is for each of us a refreshing fountain.

“All ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink.”    St Ephrem

So often when we read a familiar text we mutter to ourselves, “Oh, my goodness what am I going to get from this?  I really have exhausted all this text has to say to me!”  This is just the moment that God is waiting for to surprise you with a new insight.  Go to this text with an open mind, confident that your Father has some special insight for you.  Do not be discouraged if nothing happens immediately.  Hang in there, and God will speak in His good time.

Now pray the prayer above slowly and with special attentiveness.

The JESUS REVOLUTION

Mark loves to present his teaching stories in threes.  Our story is the first of a triad.

2: 1 – 12          Healing and forgiveness are linked – “A new understanding?”

2: 13 – 15        Jesus entertains sinners – “Can you believe it?”

2: 23 – 28        Sabbath observance – “Sabbath is for the benefit of humanity!”

Each one of these stories presents Jesus thinking, in stark contrast to the prevailing teaching and understanding of God.  He paints a very different picture to that which was taught by the “experts” of the time.  Pray for the openness that will enable you to grow in understanding God as Jesus did.

NOTE: Please approach this commentary as it is presented.  Each of the FIVE parts should give you material for FIVE periods of prayer and reflection.

READ

Time now to read and re-read our text.  I have marked in colour the words that reflect Jesus’ teaching.

¹When Jesus returned to Capernaum some time later, word went round the he was at home; ²and so many people collected that there was no room left, even in front of the door.  He was preaching the word to them ³when some people came bringing him a paralytic carried by four men, ⁴but as the crowd made it impossible to get the man to him, they stripped the roof over the place where Jesus was; and when they had made an opening, they lowered the stretcher on which the paralytic lay.  ⁵Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic,

“My child, your sins are forgiven.”  ⁶Now some scribes were sitting there, and they thought to themselves, ⁷”How can this man talk like this?  He is blaspheming.

Who can forgive sins but God?  

 ⁸Jesus, inwardly aware that this was what they were thinking, said to them, “Why do you have these thoughts in your hearts?  ⁹Which of these is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your stretcher and walk’?

¹⁰But to prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” – he said to the paralytic –

“I order you: get up, pick up your stretcher, and go off home.” 

¹²And the man got up, picked up his stretcher at once and walked out in front of everyone, so that they were all astounded and praised God saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”

* * * * * * *

Before we start to reflect on this passage we need to be aware that each section in colour offers us the opportunity to:

READ and assimilate the text.  We allow the text to speak to us just as Jesus “preached the Word;”

come to a deeper understanding (RECOGNISE) of what Mark and Jesus are saying to us;

RESPOND (Prayer) in the words of Scripture.

How wonderful, as each time our insight into the Word grows, we respond in prayer using the words of this scripture, “I am truly astounded!  Lord I praise You!  I have never seen anything like this!”

* * * * * * *

He was preaching the word

In 1: 39 the story is situated in the synagogue.  Here it is in Jesus’ home.  The Word, Scripture, our living out our spirituality and religious practice is also situated in our homes.  The recent Synod on the Word, proposition 20 makes this very call.  Listening to the Word is integral to our daily spirituality.

Time to READ – RECOGNISE – RESPOND

* * * * * * *

they stripped the roof over the place where Jesus was

they lowered the stretcher on which the paralytic lay.

In 1: 10 – 11 the heavens are opened and God’s voice is heard.  We have an interesting link here, where, again, the barrier between Jesus and humanity (the paralytic and his helpers) is removed.  Mark is telling us that Jesus continually opens things up.  Here and in the rest of this chapter, Mark shows Jesus opening up a new understanding of sinfulness and forgiveness.¹

Note that we have to come down to the level of Jesus present in the community.  It is in the community that healing and forgiveness take place.

Time to READ – RECOGNISE – RESPOND

* * * * * * *

My child, your sins are forgiven.

I order you: get up, pick up your stretcher, and go off home.

Mark’s thinking is more accurately reflected by using, your sins are ‘released’ or ‘let go.’  He wants us to understand that evil binds us, but God sets us free.  We find this same thought expressed when the Gospel tells us that Simon and Andrew ‘let go’ of their nets and the fever ‘lets go’ of Simon’s mother-in-law.  Just think of all the things that can bind us, fear, insecurity, ignorance, laziness, envy, lust, pride.

Jesus equates forgiveness of sin with healing.  Forgiveness is an act of healing.  Jesus shows us that to forgive someone is to heal them.  “Mark thus implies that all of Jesus’ acts of healing are theological symbols of God’s desire to forgive us and make us whole.”    By linking healing and forgiveness Jesus is teaching us that it is God’s will to forgive rather than punish, to heal rather than to hurt.²

These very same words, “My child, your sins are forgiven”, are addressed to us and we in our turn are called upon to say them to others.  Listen to Jesus saying these words to us, then say then to others and particularly to yourself.

Time to READ – RECOGNISE – RESPOND

* * * * * * *

“Who can forgive sins but God?” and the answer is, “the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”

Please call to mind the prayer of St Ephrem that we prayed earlier.   ‘There are many understandings and shades of meaning for the Word of God.’  Here is food for thought.  Frequently Jesus refers to himself in the gospels as ‘Son of Man’.  This simply means ‘human being.

What is man that you should be mindful of him,

or the son of man ( humanity / a human) that you should care for him.   Ps 8: 5

Mark was not giving Jesus a special a title he is rather emphasizing his common humanity with us.

Jesus is teaching that humans are called to forgive one another.  In doing this they imitate God’s forgiveness.  This is not the only time that Jesus will come with this ‘new’ teaching in Mark’s Gospel.

Time to READ – RECOGNISE – RESPOND

* * * * * * *

In the centre of this passage Mark places a riddle.

⁹Which of these is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your stretcher and walk’?

Now a riddle is there to make us stop and think.  At first glance the answer is, it is easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven”.  Of course it is easier because there is no way of proving that they have not been forgiven.  However, think about situations in your own life or in history where there is need for forgiveness and it has not been forth-coming.  Hurts are remembered for years, hundreds of years and feelings of bitterness continue to cripple the lives of people.

Which of these is easier?

Lord, who can grasp all the wealth of just one of your words?

What we understand in the Bible is much less than what we leave behind,

like thirsty people who drink from a fountain.

Lord, you have hidden many treasures in your Word so that each of us in enriched as we meditate upon it.         St Ephrem

Time to READ – RECOGNISE – RESPOND

1. New Collegeville Bible Commentary: Mark, p 25
2. New Collegeville Bible Commentary: Mark, p 26

Be with us, Lord Jesus.  Be our companion on our way.  In your mercy inflame our hearts and raise our hope, so that, in union with one another, we may recognise you in the Scriptures and in the breaking of Bread.

How we treasure our prejudices!  Think of all the people that we classify as second class, because of their gender, skin colour, accent or just because we think we have a higher calling.  We would never admit to calling them unclean, but unhappily we treat them that way.

The story of the healing of the leper (Mk 1: 40 – 45) applies a Law set down in Leviticus, “The person who has a leprous disease¹ shall .. cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.’ .. He shall live alone:  his dwelling shall be outside the camp.”  (Lev  13: 45 – 46)  During Jesus’ time on earth most people, including the religious authorities, were convinced of the validity of this Law.  Clearly the authors of Leviticus drew an unwarranted conclusion from their understanding of God’s purity.  They thought that lepers (and other classes of people) had to be separated from the community.  Believe it or not, Leviticus 13 begins, “Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron!”  God said no such thing.  Jesus’ example directly contradicts this law.  He teaches us that we should not be casting out the lepers but healing them with love and compassion.

⁴⁰A leper came to him (and kneeling down) begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.”  ¹Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, and (looking beyond the disease to the person) touched him, and said to him, “I do will it.  Be made clean.”  ⁴²The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.

⁴³Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once.  ⁴⁴Then he said to him, “See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.”

⁴⁵The man went away and began to publicise the whole matter.  He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly.  Jesus remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere. (Mk 1: 40 – 45)

Mark arranges his stories in groups of three.  He challenges us to search out the common theme that connects them. In Chapter 1 the man with the unclean spirit is cured in the synagogue. (21)  The cure of Simon’s mother-in-law comes next (29), followed by the healing of the leper.  The man, the woman and the leper are all people who have been declared unclean and then marginalized.  The man with the unclean spirit should never have been in the synagogue.  Simon’s mother-in-law is not important enough to have a name – as a woman she has no standing in society.  The leper is totally excluded from society and does not even rank as part of humanity.

Do you know how it feels to be excluded?   Watch young boys picking teams and you will begin to understand.  See the look on the faces of the “last, ‘useless’, five or six”; and then the joy when they are spared the humiliation of being the least wanted.

Jesus’ response to the leper’s request is to be, “Moved with pity.”  However, if one reads carefully, it is possible to sense Jesus’ indignation and anger at a system that creates outcasts.  He does not hesitate to flout this inhuman interpretation of the Law.  The text says he “touched him.”  A better translation is, ‘he embraced him.’  Jesus knew that there would be consequences to his actions.  The moment he touched the leper he himself was classified ‘unclean’ and had to remain “outside in deserted places.”  By identifying with the leper Jesus is now the leper.  No wonder he asked the man not to talk about his cure.

Jesus’ disregard for an unjust Law struck a chord with many right-thinking people.  They too ignored the strictures that were placed on Jesus and “people kept coming from everywhere.”

The Law, at its best, recognizes God to be “merciful and gracious, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”  (Ex 34: 6)  As Jesus reaches out to the leper we recognize these qualities of God reflected in his life.

Who were the first people to share in Jesus mission?   Simon and Andrew.  They were the first chosen.  Their first mission only starts in Mark 6: 7.

The story of the healing of Simon’s mother-in-law concludes with, “Then the fever left her and she ministered to them.”  This does not mean she made the supper.   She devoted herself to bringing the Good News to her family, friends and neighbours.  After the healing of the pagan demoniac he was instructed to, “Go home to your family and announce to them, all the Lord in his pity has done for you.”  (Mk 5: 19)  A woman and a pagan the first active apostles!!

Now there is a lesson for us!!

1. Leprosy refers to any skin condition and not Hansen’s disease.

The story that follows is so remarkable that I have quoted it in full.  I have used the NRSV.

¹After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum.  ²A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death.  ³When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave.  ⁴When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy of having you do this for him, ⁵for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.”  And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; ⁷therefore I did not presume to come to you.  But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed.  ⁸For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”  ⁹When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith (people acting out of all that is best in human nature – people behaving in a truly human way).”   ¹⁰When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.  (Lk 7: 1 – 10)

Was this Jesus’ first visit to Capernaum?  Certainly not!  Lk 4: 29-30 tells us about Jesus’ very hostile reception from the people of his home town, Nazareth.  It was so unpleasant, that he moved to Capernaum, never to return.  What does “all these sayings” refer to?  The second half of chapter six contains the Sermon on the Plain. (Lk 6: 20-49)  The central saying is, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”  The story about the centurion illustrates this beautifully.

Key to understanding this incident is Jesus’ statement, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”  For most of us ‘faith’ means a set of theological beliefs.  In Scripture ‘faith’ means something quite different.  It is important to get a clear understanding of “faith” when used in the Bible. 

We will do this by examining the meaning of the Hebrew word, “mnh”.  This is the quality of behaving reliably according to one’s nature or commitments.  It is often translated as faithfulness.  It picks up the notions of reliable, secure, sure, certain and trustworthy.  God has this quality because God always acts according to who God is:

The Word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.  (Ps 33: 4)

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lam 3: 22-23)

God is faithful because; he is upright; true to his covenant with us; his love and mercy never cease.

God always acts according to who God is.  He is love and can be depended on to act lovingly.  He is merciful and will always act mercifully.  He has made promises and can be depended upon to keep them.  God has ‘faith’ in its fullness.

“God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them.”  (Gen 1: 27)  As sons and daughters of God we are called to be like God.  In his humanity Jesus perfectly reflected God.  By imitating him we will be truly human in the very best sense.  We will have ‘faith’ in its fullness.  Of us it will be justly said, “You are my beloved daughter / son; with you I am well pleased.”  (Mk 1: 11)

The characters in our story are; the centurion, the slave, the Jewish elders, Jesus and the centurion’s friends.  Each one behaves in an exemplary way.  The centurion, an officer in a conquering army, builds a synagogue for the community he would normally oppress.  The Jewish elders have forgotten their hatred of this soldier, who represents their conquerors.  They plead his cause.  Jesus does not hesitate, when responding to the request of a gentile.  Note the consideration of the centurion.  He knows that no Jew should enter the home of a pagan, so he sends his friends to save Jesus this embarrassment.  In the centurion’s friends, we have pagans acting with much consideration towards a Jew.  Every person in this story recognizes the dignity and humanity of others.  They behave in the most humane way.  They are faithful to the highest human values.

Choose life or choose death.  These people chose life.  How will I choose?

Lord, you are divine energy and living irresistible might;

Since of the two of us it is you who are infinitely the stronger,

it is you who must set me ablaze and transmute me in fire that we may be welded together and made one.

To-day’s text has much to teach us about how we approach Scripture.

READ

Take time to read the text several times.  As you become more familiar with its content you will begin to recognise the overall theme.

RECOGNISE

The text as a whole is set within the context of prayer.  It is framed by ‘synagogue’, the place of community prayer.  In the middle Jesus goes off alone to ‘a lonely place and prayed there.’

²⁹On leaving the synagogue,

³⁵ … went off to a lonely place and prayed there.

³⁹ … preaching in their synagogues

This is the second time we find Jesus alone with his God in personal prayer and reflection.  He alone, hears the voice from the heavens saying, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’ (v11)  We also find Jesus at prayer in 6: 46

RESPOND (Prayer)

Having become aware of the importance of prayer (both personal and with others) in Jesus’ life let us take time to respond to this first learning from the Word of God.  An ideal way is to incorporate the words of Scripture into our own response to what God has given us.

* * * * * * * * * *

READ

Let us return to the text once more reading it slowly and attentively.

1. After this reading we will be aware that it easily divides into parts.
2. Each part has its own tone or theme and once we recognise this our understanding of the text will be enhanced.
3. Often there is far too much in a text to be handled all at the same time.

Here is my response to (1.) and (2.) above.

The whole text could be titled, “Kingdom of God in Action”.

I have chosen to break up the text according to time.

TIME                                                  THEME

v29 – 31          Saturday morning                                            Urgency

v32 – 34          Saturday evening                                             Healing

v35 – 39          Sunday  morning                                             Prayer and service.

Lesson.  Read the text until you are drawn to one part to pray.

We will concentrate on the first part:   v29 – 31.

This is a story about healing.  Mark likes to arrange his stories in three, the middle incident being the most important.  This grouping consists of: the cure of the demoniac; the healing of Simon’s mother-in-law; cleansing of the leper.

READ this part once more.

²⁹On leaving the synagogue, Jesus went with James and John straight to the house of Simon and Andrew.  ³⁰Now Simon’s mother-in-law had gone to bed with fever, and they told him about her straight-away.  ³¹He went to her, took her by the hand and helped her up. (raised her up)  And the fever left her and she began to wait on (minister to) them.

RECOGNISE

We are immediately struck by the urgency and speed with which things happen.  How does this speak to you about your role in the spreading of the kingdom?

RESPOND (Pray)

Respond to God about what needs urgent attention in your part of his Kingdom.

* * * * * * *

In the original text the word translated as ‘helped her up’ is closer to ‘raised her up”.  This is the same word used for the raising of Jairus’ daughter (5: 41); the raising of the tormented boy (9:27); and Jesus’ resurrection (16: 6).  This nameless woman is the symbol of those who are raised to a new life.

Jesus takes the ‘dead’ woman by the hand and raises her up to physical health and a new spiritual status.  She ‘ministers’ to them.  This means much more than doing the cooking; she is in fact the first person to act as Jesus acted – she takes up his mission as her own. Jesus will repeatedly say, “I came to serve, not to be served.”

“This woman is healed, and the fruit of the healing is that she places herself at God’s disposal to be a minister of love.

We all have love to offer.  We all have something to give to the service of others.  How often we, like Simon’s mother-in-law, can be so overwhelmed by or pain that we are tempted to give up and isolate ourselves from those who need our love.  We, too, need Jesus’ healing touch, that we might share his ministry of service. (Fallon)

Reflect on and pray using the words of the following statement from St Paul:

These are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;

And there are varieties of service …

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. (1 Cor 12: 4-7)

Father, we thank you for the gift of your Holy Word.

May it be a lamp to our feet,

A light to our paths,

Joy to our hearts and

Strength to our lives.

Introduction:

In the light of the contrast made between the teaching authority of the scribes and that of Jesus, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that Mark wants us to read this passage symbolically.¹ Please keep this in mind as you read and re-read today’s passage.  By doing this we will find much greater depth of meaning and the passage will impact far more on the relationship between God and Ourselves.

READ

²¹They went as far as Capernaum, and at once on the Sabbath he went into the synagogue and began to teach.  ²²And his teaching made a deep impression on them because, unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority.

²³And at once in their synagogue there was a man with an unclean spirit, and he shouted, ²⁴ “What do you want with us Jesus of Nazareth?  Have you come to destroy us?  I know who you are:

the Holy One of God.”

²⁵But Jesus with authority rebuked it saying, “Be quiet (be still)!  Come out of him!”  ²⁶And the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions and with a loud cry went out of him.

²⁷The people were so astonished that they started asking one another what it all meant, saying, “Here is a teaching that is new, and with authority behind it:  he gives orders even to unclean spirits and they obey him.”  ²⁸And his reputation at once spread everywhere, through all the surrounding Galilean countryside.

Take time now to reflect on the words that have been highlighted.

* * * * * * * *

The scene is set in the synagogue and on the Sabbath.  This clearly indicates that Jesus is confronting the teaching that does not further the Kingdom of God.  He is determined to get rid of all that is damaging in the teaching of the religious establishment.  Jesus has told us that his “Yoke is sweet and my burden light.”  He has come to lighten the burden on humanity not to increase it.  The “Holy One of God” is confronting anything that does not lead to the fullness of life of humankind.  It is not surprising that the unclean spirit puts up resistance in the story.  Just think about our reaction when we are confronted with our own shortcomings!

We are left in no doubt as to the outcome of this confrontation between Jesus and the unclean spirit.  We will frequently find, as we continue our journey through the Mark’s Gospel, that we are assured that “Good / God will triumph”.

This must surely have been a new teaching for Mark’s community and Jesus audience.  Their reaction is; it “made a deep impression on them” and, “The people were so astonished”. The meaning in the original Greek is much stronger.  It means that they were in a state of shock or they had entered into a new way of thinking.  Is God calling us to view the world and our lives in a new way?  I think so!  I am sure that we may find this deeply disturbing as we are called to make changes in our outlook and way of relating to God and others.

Take note of the words used by Jesus to secure the victory over the unclean spirit, “Be quiet (be still)!  These are the same words that he will us when he calms the storm 4: 39.

Surely this should be how we feel as we reflect on how I am being called to a more meaningful relationship with my God?  Let us pause now to allow this to impact on us.

Jesus’ teaching had a profound impact on his audience and on Mark’s community.  This was because he spoke “with authority”.  He spoke from personal conviction.  He spoke from his own life experience.  As we grow in our contact and understanding of the Word, and as we allow the Word to impact on our lives so too will our lives (the way we live) come to have an ever increasing impact on the world around us.  Our lives will speak with “authority”.

Time to recognise all this in our lives.

Time to respond to all God is saying to us.

* * * * * * * *

St Paul assists us with an understanding of   “holy spirits” and “unclean spirits”.

Gal 5: 19 – 21

¹⁹Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, ²⁰idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, ²¹occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like.

Gal 5: 22 – 23

¹⁹Now the works of the flesh are obvious: immorality, impurity, licentiousness, ²⁰idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, rivalry, jealousy, outbursts of fury, acts of selfishness, dissensions, factions, ²¹occasions of envy, drinking bouts, orgies, and the like.

“Lord, prayer is a moment when we pass from experiencing the teaching of Jesus as something vague to knowing that it has authority behind it, it gives orders even to unclean spirits and they obey it.”

Lord, we remember a time when we were held in bondage by an inner force:

• we could not forgive;
• we did not want to commit ourselves because we were afraid of failure;
• ambition was clouding our vision of the truth.

Then someone began to speak, challenging us to face the truth – one of our children, a friend, a bible passage.  We got angry, denied it vehemently, wept, complained to another.

Like the man in the gospel, we went into convulsions and cried aloud.  We realise now that that it was because we knew that the Holy One of God was with us, he had come to do away with our sins.²

Respond:  Spend time with the Lord.  Perhaps you may repeat, “Be quiet (be still)!”

1. Fallon, M:  The Gospel according to Saint Mark;  p63
2. De Verteuil, M:  Lectio Divina with the Sunday Gospels – The Year of Mark,Year B; p 135.

Be with us, Lord Jesus.  Be our companion of our way.  In your mercy inflame our hearts and raise our hope, so that, in union with one another, we may recognise you in the Scriptures and in the breaking of Bread.

READ

1. Read today’s text a number of times. Read it slowly, out loud and with expression. As you do this try to identify a title for it.
2. Divide it into its parts.
3. Try to identify the words that express a sense of time.

Here are my findings.

Bad news, Good News, More Good News

¹⁴After John had been arrested,

Jesus went into Galilee.  There he proclaimed the Good News from God.  ¹⁵“The time has come,” he said, “and the kingdom of God is close at hand.  Repent, and believe the Good News.”

¹⁶As he was walking along by the Sea of Galilee he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net in the lake – for they were fishermen.  ¹⁷And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”  ¹⁸And at once they left their nets and followed him.  ¹⁹Going on a little further, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they too were in their boat, mending their nets.  He called them at once and, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the men he employed, they went after him.

The reading opens with disastrous news.  John is arrested by Herod Antipas one of Herod the Great’s sons.  The tone changes with the announcement of Good News.  But there is a sense of urgency.  The time has come, this is the moment of grace, act now.  Everything is done in a hurry; all the reactions are at once.  We too must not hesitate.  But what are we in such a hurry about?

“The kingdom of God is close at hand.”  It is right here.  There is no more waiting, we just have to accept it and it is ours.  The kingdom of God is here and now.

“It is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out.  Here, then, I have today set before you life and prosperity, death and doom.  … Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live.”  Dt 30: 14; 15; 19b

* * * * * *

GOOD NEWS

RECOGNISE

“The essence of the Good News is found in Jesus’ baptismal experience, and experience of intimacy which Jesus realised was not meant for him alone.  He realised that God is the Father-Mother of each man and each woman.  He realised that God wants to say to every man: “You are my son, the one I love.  In you I delight.”   God wants to say to every woman: “You are my daughter, the one I love.  In you I delight”.   (Fallon: Mark p58)

Good News is something to rejoice about and it makes us happy.

We are so excited about it that we need to tell others about it.

It lightens and eases the burdens of life.

Fear and guilt are banished.

We are brought to accepting each other.

We respect the dignity of others.

We respect that we are all different.

From being inward looking, selfish, we become open, generous and other centred.

We make this world a little better for our being here.

Jesus was Good News.

If we follow his life we find that he lives out the Good News.  He practices what he preaches.  He shows us that it is possible to live the Good News.

“There he proclaimed the Good News from God.  ¹⁵“The time has come,” he said, “and the kingdom of God is close at hand.  Repent, and believe the Good News.” 

There are three things we are called on to do in establishing the Kingdom of God.

Proclaim the Good News in our lives.

Repent.  This means to turn around, and go in the opposite direction, change our way of thinking, change our values, change our mind, change our heart, change what we desire, change what we want from life, change our conduct.

Believe the Good News.  This Good News is too good to be true.  Not so!!  Believe it.  It will change your life.

RESPOND  -  PRAYER

There are five ways in which the Gospel becomes a reality in our lives.  Here are two:

1. In the human situation; in the relationship between me and others.
2. The gospel becomes a reality within the person themselves.

As we take today’s reading into prayer ask yourself how this can transform the way I relate to others (me and others) and how I will change if I allow this Word of God into my heart. (within the person)

Is my life Good News?

Am I Good News in the lives of others?

“Yes”?            Rejoice and give thanks.

“No” ?             Repent.

Father you wait for us until we are open to you.  We wait for your Word to make us receptive.  Attune us to your voice, to your silence, speak and bring your Son to us – Jesus – the Word of your peace.

³⁵The next day

John was there again with two of his disciples, ³⁶and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.”

³⁷The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.  ³⁸Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, “What are you looking for?”

They said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “Where are you staying?”

³⁹He said to them, “Come and see.”

So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day.  It was about four in the afternoon.  ⁴⁰Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus.

⁴¹He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed).  ⁴²Then he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

* * * * * *

John sets out the second part of Chapter 1 in the pattern of a week.  It will be useful to mark each day in your Bible.  On Sunday morning, the first day of the Jewish working week John is asked by the authorities, “Who are you?’ (1: 19)

Monday begins in v29, “the next day”.  Today we hear about Jesus’ Baptism.  (1: 32)

Our  reading, today, is placed on Tuesday.

Andrew calling Peter takes place on Wednesday.  (1: 41)

The call of Philip is the first story on Thursday. ( 1: 43)

Chapter 2 begins “On the third day.” (2: 1)

Friday and Saturday have passed and it is now Sunday morning.   ‘On the third day’, means that God is going to do something special.  It is fitting that John places the Wedding at Cana here.  This is symbolic of a new creation, new life, new hope, confidence in the future and above all a time of great rejoicing.  Jesus’ coming was indeed good news, a moment of great hope.

In the prologue to John’s Gospel we are told what John’s mission was to be;

“He came to witness, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.  He was not the light, but came to testify to the light.” (1: 6 –

John is the first to speak in today’s Gospel, “Behold, the Lamb of God.”  He is carrying out the task entrusted to him.  He is perfectly happy to have two of his disciples leave him to explore the possibility of their becoming disciples of Jesus.  The lesson, for us, is that we too have been missioned to point others towards Jesus.  Andrew went off to call his brother Simon, and later Philip called Nathanael.  (1: 44)

Let us pray.

Lord, we thank you for people who guided us but did not try to posses us:

parents, teachers, spiritual guides, friends.  For a time we stood with them.

Very simply, like John the Baptist, they said to us, “Look, there is the one you should follow,” and hearing this we followed that person.

* * * * * *

The first words spoken by Jesus in John’s Gospel are, “What are you looking for?”

These words are also addressed to us.  We need to stop and consider what is it that we are trying to achieve in life. I am sure all of us are concerned for the safety and security of our families.  Where do we place our relationship with Jesus among our priorities?  How often do we think about our mission to guide others in developing a spirituality with Jesus at the centre?

Jesus invites the disciples and us to, “Come and see.”  As we listen to the Word of God, as we grow in our understanding of the Word, we too are responding to this invitation.

The disciples asked Jesus, “Where are you staying?”

The answer to this question will be found in the prologue:

“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God.” (1: 1)

The only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him. (1: 18)

Perhaps the most comforting answer to “Where are you staying”, is, for us;

“And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. (1: 14)

Sacrifices, in atonement for sin, were made twice a day in the Temple.  John’s agenda was not concerned with ritual.  He called for a change of heart, attitude, thinking and practical personal repentance.  The people confessed their sins.  John gave them the assurance of God’s forgiveness.  In most religions it is the priest who exercises this function.  John challenged this custom.

Jesus would do the same.  Jesus never said, “I forgive your sins.” He gave the paralytic the assurance, “Your sins are forgiven.” (Mk 2: 5)    His final words to the woman caught committing adultery were, “Has no one condemned you?”  “No,” she replied.  Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.  Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” (Jn 8: 10 – 11)  Both of these incidents took place outside the formal religious structures.

In many ways Jesus and John were similar.  John only preached out of doors. Jesus  was happy to preach anywhere the opportunity presented itself, in the countryside, the synagogue, the temple, at home or in other people’s homes.  Both men were strongly independent.  Both confronted the religious authorities, Scribes, Pharisees and Chief Priests.  They aligned themselves with the unclean, sinners and all marginalized by society.  Jesus, however, also had many friends among the wealthy and influential.

In other ways these two prophets were like chalk and cheese.  John was an ascetic.  His diet was the same as the poorest of the poor.  His clothing was basic, to say the least.  Jesus, however, enjoyed a good meal, along with a glass of good wine.  He entertained.

John spoke much about judgement and often threatened people with fire.  It is not surprising that he worked only where there was plenty of water.  His baptism presents an image of the fires of retribution being put out, as the water flows over the person being baptized.  Jesus concentrated on love and forgiveness.  John thought the end time was coming soon. Jesus was convinced that the kingdom of heaven was already present.

JESUS’ DISCIPLES

Where did Jesus find his disciples?  The gospels give different accounts.  Perhaps the account in John’s gospel is the closest to what actually took place.  Jesus was still working alongside John when he began to recruit his own disciples.  Many of his disciples were drawn from the ranks of John’s followers.

This was clearly Peter’s thinking, when, in Acts, he sets the criteria for the selection of a replacement for Judas.  “Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men, who accompanied us the whole time the Lord Jesus came and went among us, beginning from the baptism of John.” (Acts 1: 21)   In his sermon to Cornelius’ household he says, “Jesus Christ proclaimed peace all over Galilee after the baptism John preached.  God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit.  We are witnesses of what he did.”  (Acts 10: 37 – 39)

In John’s gospel Andrew and another unnamed disciple are the first to be called.  Peter was the third.  He was introduced to Jesus by his brother Andrew. Only after this does Jesus leave John and go to Galilee.

JESUS BAPTISM

“A voice came from the heavens, saying, ‘This is my beloved Son.”  (Mt 3: 17)

If all the people present saw what happened and heard the voice, one would expect that they would have said, “I know who Jesus is.  He is the Son of God.  At his Baptism, I heard God say that he was his Son.” This did not happen!

Clearly this story, so rich in symbolism, must be much more than just a historical account.

The description of Jesus’ baptism looks like a Christian Baptism.  It tells us about what we cannot see but believe happens at Baptism; the heavens open, the Spirit descends and the voice of God recognizes the baptised as son or daughter.

For Centuries the Jewish people had been longing for the coming of the Messiah.  This is we find echoed in throughout the Old Testament.  “He said to me, you are my son, today I have begotten you.”  (Ps 2: 7)  “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.  I will put my Spirit upon him.”  (Is 42: 1)

Everyday, pious Jews prayed for the coming of the Messiah, “Oh that you would tear the heavens open and come down.” (Is 63: 7 – 64: 12)  “The heavens opened.  The Spirit descended.  God proclaimed, ‘This is my beloved Son.”  Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, was now present among them.

Infancy Narratives Part III

Matthew is Jewish and so is the community for whom he is writing. It is therefore not surprising that his Gospel is framed within the context of Jewish tradition. He sets out to assure his audience of the continuity between the Law, the Prophets, Jewish belief and Jesus’ teaching. He does this in his infancy narrative by inserting the phrase, “for thus it had been written by the prophet.” He uses this device five times. Speaking about the return of the Holy Family from Egypt he writes, “He stayed there until the death of Herod that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.’” Mt 2: 15 / Hos 11: 1 (Cf 1: 22; 2: 5; 17; 23)

For Matthew, Jesus is the New Moses. Joseph was responsible for the Israelites going to Egypt. It is also Joseph who takes Jesus into exile. Moses’ life was threatened by a bad king (Pharaoh). It was Herod who threatened Jesus’ life. At the time of Moses’ birth many baby boys were put to death, so too when Jesus was born. Moses led the Hebrews out of Egypt into freedom. Jesus is brought back from Egypt to the promised land.

As Moses leads his people through the desert he is confronted by an evil king, Balak. Balak sends for a wise man, Balaam, who like the wise men obeys God rather than the wicked king. (Num 22 – 23)

Given his concern to link Jesus into the story of the Jewish people it is not surprising that he begins his genealogy with the call of Abraham, “Abraham became the father of Isaac.” What is surprising is the people he includes among Jesus’ ancestors; cheats, thieves, adulterers and murderers. Shocked? It is going to get worse.

Five women are mentioned and Mary is the only Jewess. Tamar (Gen 38), Rahab (Josh 2), Ruth (The book of Ruth), Bathsheba (referred to as Uriah’s wife) (2 Sam 11) are the characters in “Isidingo, according to Matthew”. All these women have an ‘unusual sexual history’ to say the least.

Bathsheba was the wife of one of David’s commanders. One day David spotted her taking a bath on the roof of her home!! One thing led to another and she fell pregnant, David being the father of her child. To cover up the scandal David organized the death of her husband Uriah. The child that was born was Solomon.

The point that Matthew is making is, “that God’s salvation comes through the foolish and the fragile, the crooked and the cracked. Anyone can play a part in God’s plan, which finds its fulfillment in Jesus, who is called Christ.” 1

There are many lessons to be learned here:

Good can come out of shady deeds. The women’s presence among the male ancestors of Jesus, signals the important role that women disciples will play in the community of Jesus’ followers.

These narratives about Jesus’ infancy are not sweet children’s stories. The themes of murder, violent leaders, refugees, and the poor running for their lives make up the introduction to Jesus’ work. In his adult life we will find Jesus battling every kind of prejudice, greed and injustice.

* * * * * *

Luke also parallels the Old Testament. The Jewish story starts with an old couple who have no hope of having children, Abraham and Sarah. Luke opens his Gospel with Zachariah and Elizabeth in the same situation. Both elderly couples are promised that they will have a son. To everybody’s surprise they do.

We are all aware of the Covenant given to Moses at Sinai. There is however a second covenant, the Covenant given to David. (2 Samuel 7)

9 I shall make for you a great name ..

13 I shall establish the throne of his kingdom forever

14 I shall be his father, and he will be my son ..

16 And your house and your kingdom will be secure forever.

This is an unconditional covenant. It will not be revoked. This covenant is inserted into Luke’s Infancy Narrative.

“He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. (1: 32-33)

It is important for Luke to portray Jesus as the son of David. This he does when he mentions that Jesus was wrapped in ‘swaddling clothes’. In Wisdom 7: 5, Solomon, David’s son is ‘wrapped in swaddling clothes’. Jesus is the new son of David and his kingdom will have no end.

1 McBride, Denis; Jesus and the Gospels, p 16