SUNDAY REFLECTIONS 4th Sunday of Ordinary Time - 29 January 2012 Deut.
18:15-20; 1 Cor. 7:32-35; Mk. 1:21-28
God’s word comes to us in various ways. The Bible tells us that this word is very
powerful and effective in our life and will bear fruit in plenty. This word clings
to the human person, penetrates deeply into our hearts giving us new insights and
applies it thoroughly to our lives. God expects us to be conscious of the working
of this word in our lives and respond to it. His word is a healing word. It purifies
the person and takes away all the blemishes. It is a prophetic word which leads the
person towards the values of God as against the values of the world. It is a reconciling
word which keeps away all divisions and brings unity in the community. In the first
reading of today we have Moses the prophet giving his farewell address to the people
of Israel. He tells them they will always have God’s word to guide them as they enter
into the Promised Land. God will give them a prophet like himself to take care of
them. In the second reading Paul gives advice to both married and the unmarried.
He wants them to be free of all their anxieties and offer their single hearted service
to God. In the Gospel we have the typical day in the life of Jesus. He was a preacher,
teacher, healer and a man of prayer. Today’s passage demonstrates the power and authority
of Jesus as he expels an unclean spirit from a man and heals him. People look at him
with admiration for he spoke with authority and power. In the First Reading Moses
assures the people that God will not abandon them and after his death would continue
to speak to them through prophets. They ought to listen to these representatives of
God just as they listened to Moses. If they chose to ignore the prophets they would
place their lives in danger as they would be liable to punishment from God. On the
other hand if the Prophet misleads the people by proposing the word of God as mere
human fabrication, then he will die. Moses was addressing the people of Israel encamped
at the bank of the Jordan River, with the Promised Land in view. Here Moses wanted
to impress upon the people the absolute importance of remaining loyal to God once
they cross the river Jordan and enter the land of their ancestors. If they remained
faithful to the covenant they would enjoy many advantages in their homeland. Hardships
would come if they broke the terms of the covenant. They had to realize that they
needed God in the Promised Land as they needed him in the wilderness. Moses told them
that God was present with them at Mount Horeb. People truly understood their unworthiness
to be close to God as the mountain exhibited the divine fire. They had heard the word
of God through Moses since they were afraid to hear that voice directly. Even now
people would love to hear that voice but it would come to them through the mortal
persons namely the Prophets. The function of a prophet was to be mediator between
God and man and God promised to raise a prophet just like Moses which is fulfilled
in Jesus. In the Second Reading of today Paul tells the believers to lead the life
that the Lord has assigned them, to which God has personally called them. Being inspired
by the Holy Spirit and trusting in him, Paul tells the believers that God wants them
to be free from all anxieties. The virgin, the unmarried man and woman, are called
to be anxious about the affairs of the Lord, on how to please the Lord so they may
be holy in body and spirit. Those who were married experience anxieties regarding
the affairs of the world, how to please their spouses, their interest being divided
between God and the world. To live free of anxieties, those who are married must
be reasonable, not placing any restraint upon them. They have to promote good order
and unhindered devotion to the Lord. At the same time, being caught up in the affairs
of the world, they had a commitment towards their spouses and their families. They
must not neglect this calling, for the Spirit of God dwells within everybody. Showing
love towards others in obedience to the Commandments, a Christian can enjoy a living
faith in Christ that is different from the religious life but still very pleasing
in the eyes of God. When God promised to raise a prophet for the people, this promise
was not just for those who are virgins but also for those who are married. This proof
is found in the Sacrament of Marriage that is Sacred in the eyes of God. In the
Gospel Mark speaks in detail the first reported day in the public life of Jesus.
It was a Sabbath Day when Jesus began his ministry with his fellow townsmen in the
synagogue. The setting of today’s Gospel episode was the synagogue in Capernaum. The
synagogue was not necessarily a building. It was a gathering of the faithful for
the purpose of studying the Scriptures and the synagogue service was basically prayer
service. It was not uncommon for these meeting to take place in a home. At the time
of Jesus people went to the Temple to offer sacrifice and to pray particularly during
the time of festivals. But they went to the synagogue to pray mainly on Sabbath day
and to learn their Sacred Texts. In today's Gospel, we heard that Jesus entered the
synagogue and taught in Capernaum. Those who heard him were astounded at his teachings
because he taught with authority and not like the scribes who normally taught in that
place. Here, the authority of Jesus is compared to a rabbi who had the power to impose
a decision with a binding authority as against a scribe who could not do so because
he was only a teacher of a lower rank. However, the Jews recognized the Scribes as
authoritative teachers of the Law and custom. The authority of Jesus is seen throughout
the New Testament where he overthrows the rule of Satan, the Prince of this world,
by establishing the invisible Kingdom of God on earth. In the gospel Mark presents
Jesus to us as a preacher, teacher, a miracle worker and a man of prayer. He gives
it to us as if it was his normal daily routine of his public life. There was also
the astounded reaction of the ordinary people. He taught them scriptures, preached
on them, healed a demoniac, healed Simon Peter’s mother in law, and healed all those
who came to him with their ailments. He was a teacher who taught the word of God
through his person and life. A Teacher is one who imparts scholarly knowledge to others
through his personal life and experience. The very life of Jesus was his teaching.
Throughout his life, Jesus never ceased for a single instant from his teaching responsibility
to his People whom God had chosen for himself. The entire life of Jesus had been a
life of teaching: not only were his words were an expression of his teaching, but
also, and most of all, his entire person was in himself, was a teaching. He not only
imparted truth in his teaching, but he also gave the help needed to understand and
accept it. A good but merely human teacher works from outside, and hopes his message
will enter into the mind of his listener. Christ’s word, on the other hand, can enter
the person and reach their minds and hearts. With their assent, it can clear all
obstacles and permit them to fully accept the truth of his word. Jesus taught people
the love of God from his heart as he was close to his father. He taught with absolute
conviction and authority in his message because he was aware that his message was
in accordance with the mind of God. In the life of St Francis of Assisi it is said
that he called one day a brother and said let us go to teach the good news in the
town. Both of them set out and just walked round the town without uttering a word
of preaching. Instead they greeted all on the way, had a kind words for the onlookers.
When the brother asked Francis when they would stop to preach, he replied that their
entire walk they had was his teaching to people. Jesus is presented to us today as
a preacher. He preached the word of God and he did it delicately. He preached about
God and his saving work among the people chosen by him. He would have explained the
presence of God among them and his own role as God’s chosen one. There was something
attractive in his teaching and they longed to listen to him. It is within this
context that Jesus performed his first miracle as given in the gospel of Mark and
this miracle was one of exorcism. The passage tells us that there was in the audience
a man possessed by an unclean spirit. This unclean spirit quickly recognized Jesus
as having the power to expel demons and attempted to fend him off by showing that
he knew exactly who Jesus was, the Holy One of God. He even questioned him why he
had come to destroy the power of the evil in the world and he should have nothing
to do with them. Certainly, the unclean spirit was not professing any faith in Jesus
but was attempting to suppress the power of Jesus by recognizing him as the exorcist.
This first miracle performed by Jesus is an exorcism which is affirmed by the word
that is used here to say "rebuke", the word also means "to exorcise." This miracle
of an exorcism is a sign that evil is destroyed in the Divine Presence of Jesus.
The evil spirit that possessed the man recognized Jesus as the Messiah, who is anointed
with God's Spirit and who possessed power over evil spirits. The evil spirit called
the name of Jesus twice, first as Jesus of Nazareth and then as the Holy One of God.
While Jesus had been trying to hide his true identity as the Messiah from the crowd
and not from his true followers, the demons that recognized his true identity, manifested
it to all. In this miracle Jesus showed the upper hand without any struggle and
did the healing of the possessed person. He commanded the unclean spirit to be silent
and to come out of the man. This convincing exercise of power only adds further amazement
to the people. Once that happened, those who were present were filled with awe and
wonder. Their reaction was one of fear and astonishment. They said to one another
that it was a new teaching where a person could use his power and authority. He had
command even the unclean spirits, and they obeyed him. The people had never seen
such great power, nor ever heard of it since the days of Moses. Later, during his
public life when the soldiers go to arrest him and come back empty, they told the
authorities that no one spoke like him and they could not arrest him. The authority
of Jesus went beyond performing miracles in the visible world. He had the authority
over the invisible world as much as over the visible one. It was no wonder that the
people considered Jesus to be the promised prophet. But the authorities were concerned
that he worked the miracle on a Sabbath day. However, for the people he became a
man of wonder and his fame spread all over Galilee. Mark tells us that demons came
to know about him and were silenced. The people saw his miracle and had their admiration
of Jesus. On this Sabbath day Jesus was probably invited by the local rabbi to
address the people who had come to pray in the Synagogue. In the synagogue, anyone
could be invited to come forward and preach. Perhaps Jesus already had a name as a
speaker. In any case, as soon as he opened his mouth the people felt immediately that
here was someone who was different. Unlike the Scribes and the Pharisees he did not
quote others to prove his words. He laid down the law in his teaching based on his
own authority. The teachings of Jesus were manifested in his actions. Through these
actions Mark aims to reveal the identity of Jesus. He rebuked the evil spirit sharply
just as he did at the calming of the stormy sea and now in the Synagogue the demon
came out of the person with a loud cry. Jesus demanded silence from the demon and
this way Mark deepens the mystery about Jesus which will be gradually revealed. Mark
explains that the onlookers were amazed not because of the miraculous healing but
because of his teaching. He is presented in the Gospel as one who speaks for God,
a true prophet. In every miracle that he worked Jesus avoided publicity. He did it
for the sake of God and not to get any honour. When they wanted to make him a king
he ran away. He told people not to search for honour but to be servants of all. His
miracles and healings were a service of a unique type. He came, above all, to make
people free, so that in their freedom, they could generate all the productive and
growth energies within them and be alive with the life of God. He freed them from
all the 'evil spirits' of fear, compulsions, narrow self-centeredness, anger, resentment,
hostility and violence which prevent people from truly enjoying the experience of
being alive. Summarizing today's Scripture Readings, in Jesus, we have seen the
fulfilment of God's promise to send a prophet like Moses. Through St. Paul who was
inspired by the Holy Spirit, tells us that God wants us to be free of anxieties in
our calling, especially those who are married. Through Jesus, we have heard of his
authority that reaches far beyond miraculous manifestations in this world. We are
all amazed at God’s love for us and he invites us to respond to his generous love.
His preaching is a personal testimony of his intimate relationship with God his Father.
In his teaching Jesus was able to discover the positive value that the law seeks to
protect whereas the scribes busied themselves with words and their minute applications
of the law. For instance Jesus teaches that the Sabbath is a day we keep away from
our work in order to serve God and do God’s work. Further, his teachings were always
intended to bring about a positive change in the hearts of people. For this reason
Jesus performed healing miracles together with his teaching, to show that his primary
concern is to change the human person physically and spiritually. As we reflect this
week upon this spiritual knowledge and understanding of the Word of God, let us remember
the calling that each one of us has received as children of God through the Sacrament
of Baptism. Let us answer that calling by living our vocations without anxieties,
placing our faith, hope and trust in Jesus who has all authority as the only begotten
Son of God. So, let us all pray today that Jesus, with his growth-inducing authority
will be a real source of liberation for us. May he free us from all those spirits
which make us deaf, dumb, blind and lame in life and paralyzed by fear. During
the Korean War in the 1950’s, people were hiding in a church and it was bombed over
a few days. There was a beautiful statue of Jesus in the church which needed much
protection and the American soldiers started to dig around the pedestal to have it
taken away to a safer place. Suddenly a shell hit the area and all went under cover.
Once the smoke was cleared they were all shocked to see the ruins. The statue was
broken to pieces and bits were all spread over. The soldiers helped the priest to
gather all pieces and reconstruct the statue with the special glue they could find.
They did rebuild the statue except for the hands. They could not find them. Someone
in the group offered to make a mould and prepare new hands. The priest told them
to leave it alone. The statue would present their mission. Hence statue stood in front
of the church without hands but below the statue were the words in gold letters: “I
have no hands. Lend me yours.” Fr. Eugene Lobo S.J. Rome