Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid

 Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and he was alone on the land.  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased.  And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.  And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well.

- Mark 6:47-56

Yesterday we read that the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught on their first apostolic mission.  And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.  But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities.  They arrived before them and came together to Him.  And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  So He began to teach them many things.  When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.  Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."  But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"  But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have?  Go and see."  And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."  Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.  And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.  So they all ate and were filled.  And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.  Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.   Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.  And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. 

 Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and he was alone on the land.  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  We recall from yesterday's reading (above), that we have been given a complete day in the life of Christ's ministry, and this is a continuation of that same day.  Jesus went to the mountain to pray by himself, after He sent His disciples into the boat to go to the other side, to Bethsaida, and also He had sent the crowds away who were fed in the wilderness.  Now it is finally evening, and the disciples are in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, while Jesus is still on the mountain.  Somehow He sees them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  Again, we have the image of the disciples in a boat on the sea, which by tradition has become an image of the Church.  My study bible points out that this is the second time Christ permits them to be caught in a storm see this reading for the first.

Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased.  And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.  The fourth watch of the night is about 3:00 in the morning.  The first time Christ permitted them to be caught in a storm at sea He was with them.  But this time they are alone.  It is by nature a time in the dark of the very early morning when human beings feel vulnerable.  We can imagine their fright at seeing Him!  But in this way, by allowing them a time to cross the sea alone, He strengthens their faith that He will always be with them in the midst of the storms of life, as my study bible puts it.  It is I is literally translated "I Am," which is the divine Name of God (see John 8:58, Exodus 3:14).  My study bible suggests that Christ reminds the fearful disciples of His absolute and divine authority over their lives.  The text suggests that their human limitations prevent them from understanding about the multiplication of the loaves in the wilderness (yesterday's reading, above), and they have failed to spiritually "take in" the miraculous nature of that feeding.  My study bible comments that knowing Christ is a matter of the heart, not simply of the intellect.  It notes that when our hearts are illumined by faith in God, we are open to receive God's presence and grace.  In the ascetic writings of the Church, the heart is known as "the seat of knowledge."

When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.  And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well.   Christ permits miracles through touch, my study bible says, to show that His very body is life-giving.  We are reminded of the woman with the blood flow in 5:25-29, who was healed by touching the hem of His garment.  Once again, we witness that God's grace may work through the created things of the world, an affirmation of the Incarnation itself.

If we look up the name of Gennesaret, we'll find that at its root is the Hebrew word for "garden."  It may mean "prince's garden."  Whatever the meaning, it was known as a place of incredible fertility, both of the soil for agriculture and of the water for fishing.  In the image of the sick laying in the marketplaces for healing by Christ -- and that as many as touched Him were made well -- we get a kind of image of tremendous fruitfulness of faith in this Prince, the Prince of Peace, the Son of God.  They are the abundance of the harvest of faith.  As Christ repeatedly instructs the disciples to cross back and forth over the Sea of Galilee, as He travels from one place to another, we find this harvest where there is faith, and that it is lacking where there is no faith.  Whatever power and accomplishments Christ is able to use and have at His own authority, it will only work where there is a corresponding receptiveness in human beings, a kind of understanding of the heart.  Today's text truly points us to the heart, as we're told that the apostles still fail to understand about the feeding in the wilderness, as their heart was hardened.  In modern understanding, we tend to think only of the brain as a center of knowledge and intelligence, facts and understanding.  But in the ancient sense of the word, the heart is the center of a person, and unites every part of us.  As my study bible points out, faith is more than intellectual understanding.  There is a different kind of knowing and understanding connected to soul and spirit.   It is this heart-knowing that is so seemingly extraneous to a modern mindset, one that accepts what is popularly considered to be "scientific" in outlook.  But this, I would suggest, is even a poor concept of what science is.  Science works on hypothesis, on seeking what has been as yet unproved.  It depends upon forward movement into mystery in order to expand knowledge.  What is popularly called "scientific," that is, accepting only that which has been conclusively proven using particular methods, isn't really scientific at all, as it excludes the understanding that what we don't yet know will always have an impact on what truly "is," and that without that knowledge our own information will remain incomplete.  Moreover, scientific and mathematical proofs frequently rely upon assumptions in order to work -- and one may ask, what are assumptions if not a kind of faith?  To exclude this knowing of the heart and the role of the heart or center or ourselves in understanding -- and even of ourselves as human beings -- is to work with incomplete knowledge, to be deficient in our perception of the cosmos and our places in it.  It is to be lacking in our own fullness of expression and comprehension, our capabilities for understanding.  To have a hardened heart is to fail to perceive the things of the heart, including faith and love.  It is a self-limiting experience, a decision to be blind or deaf in a particular sense.  The Scriptures teach us that to live a truly full life, in an awareness of life and reality itself that is not limited by our own refusal to take in what is before us and offered to us, we need to include this perception of the heart to be fully ourselves and to use the capacities with which we are created in God's image and likeness.  We must be able to take in the things of God to participate in life fully, as we were created to do.  We clearly have the choice, and it is a question of growth in understanding and the fullness of maturity to be all that we can be and not limited through prejudice or false teachings about anything.  We are creatures made for growth, meant to be always asking, seeking, and knocking.  If we are truly to understand our faith, we are meant to grow in understanding in all kinds of ways, with nothing left out of this equation of who we are as human beings and how we can develop our capacities for intelligence of all kinds.  This is what it means to be truly balanced.  The Gospels give us the struggles of the apostles to teach us all about our own lives, our fears, our capacity for trust in God, and particularly how service to God relies on our always asking, seeking, and knocking.  As they mature, so we are meant to mature -- with faith transfiguring everything that we have, even as we witness untrained fishermen becoming wise beyond the understanding of philosophers, articulate beyond the capacities of orators, and changing the world through their courageous missions and heroic martyrdom.  Let us consider all that we are, and neglect nothing of our possibilities through the faith that gives us real balance, and unites all the capacities within us.  It is in this struggle to fully realize who we are that we follow His instructions:  "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."

You give them something to eat

 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.  And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.  But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities.  They arrived before them and came together to Him.  And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  So He began to teach them many things.  When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.  Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."  But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"  But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have?  Go and see."  And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."  Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.  And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.  So they all ate and were filled.  And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.  Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men. 

Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.  And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. 

- Mark 6:30-46

Yesterday we read that at this point in Jesus' ministry, King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known.  And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  Others said, "It is Elijah."  And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets."  But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!"  For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her.  Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."  Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him.  And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.  Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.  And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."  He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom."  So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"  And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"  Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."  And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.  Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought.  And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.  When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.  

 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.  And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while."  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.  So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.  My study bible says that Christ gives rest to the disciples to show those engaged in preaching and teaching that they must not labor continuously, but must also take rest.  We remember that the apostles have returned from their first apostolic journey, on which they were sent out two by two (see Saturday's reading).   The picture is clear:  by now Jesus' ministry has become so popular that He must get away to a deserted place in order to rest a while.

But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities.  They arrived before them and came together to Him.  And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  So He began to teach them many things.  The compelling presence of Christ is remarkable to read about.  The multitudes follow Him, and we're given the proper reason, despite all that we might think:  they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  This simple statement expresses our profound need for Christ.  Let us note how Christ responds both to their need and to His own compassion for them:  He began to teach them many things.  It reminds us of one of His beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount:  "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6).  Moved with compassion is a phrase frequently used to to describe our Lord (see also Matthew 14:14, 20:34; Mark 1:41; Luke 7:13).  In the Greek, it indicates an interior state of profound affect.  My study bible says that it shows His power and authority are extended to those who suffer.

When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.  Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."   Once again, the Gospel gives us a full day in the ministry of Christ, suggesting strongly the witness testimony that makes up what we know of Jesus' ministry. 

But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat."  And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?"  But He said to them, "How many loaves do you have?  Go and see."  And when they found out they said, "Five, and two fish."  One spiritual interpretation found in tradition teaches that the five loaves indicate the first five books of the Law (Genesis through Deuteronomy), which my study bible says are broken open in Christ and thus feed the universe.  The two fish represent the Gospel Book and the Epistle Book, the teaching of the fishermen.  In this understanding, the gathering of the fragments by the apostles (verse 43) shows that the teachings which the faithful are presently unable to grasp are still held in the consciousness of the Church. 

Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.  So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.  And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.  So they all ate and were filled.  And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.  Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.   There is a clear prefiguration here of the Eucharist, especially in that Christ looked up to heaven and blessed and broke the loaves.  Note also how they are distributed by the disciples.  My study bible comments that Christ shows us that we should never eat without first giving thanks to God.  Note that the word Eucharist comes directly from the Greek word for thanks.  The twelve baskets that are leftover is another image of the Eucharist which stands for all of Christ's gifts and grace, to be distributed by the apostles and their descendants in the Church.

Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.  And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.   Again, we're given the fullness of a day in Christ's ministry, as He sends the disciples once again across the Sea of Galilee.  In other readings, we've been taught that He rose very early in the morning to pray (Mark 1:35); here at the close of this remarkable day, after sending all away, Jesus departed to the mountain to pray.

It may seem like a kind of detail, but we should take a closer look at Jesus' statement, "You give them something to eat."  This clearly comes as a surprise to the apostles, who have no idea how they could possibly feed so many people in the wilderness with whatever they might have brought with them.  This was not a planned event, as the people had simply followed Jesus and the disciples in their desire and need for Christ.  No one had planned a meal for a crowd of people in the wilderness, and the people came spontaneously after Christ.  The Gospels tell us there were five thousand men, and this is a typical mode of counting for the period.  Tradition tells us there were yet more women and children present as well.  But, "You give them something to eat" is a command we also must pay close attention to.  It seems to suggest to the disciples and all of us who follow in the Church that it is we who must be prepared to help feed those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.  What we notice, once again, is that these people need the teachings that Christ has to offer them, His guidance and instruction, because they are like sheep without a shepherd.  Well, just about everywhere we look around ourselves, we may see all kinds of people who are like sheep without a shepherd.  We live in a world in which it seems ever more prevalent that children are not given what is necessary for strong character in the face of adversity, for making good decisions in the face of temptation.   Traditional systems for instruction and discipline are breaking down, and cycles of poverty, violence, war, upheaval further break down the social structures that keep people and families intact, with a special impact on growing children.  Christ's command seems to me to suggest not simply caring for the material needs of others, but of being prepared as faithful to help those who have deeper needs than simply for food.  There is no doubt of the Eucharistic significance of this miracle of feeding in the wilderness.  What Jesus seems to suggest to all of us is that the deepest need for hospitality as a profound social calling is for the care of the love and grace of God, and that we as Christ's disciples are capable of sharing this with others and assuring them of this grace of the Incarnation -- that it is something we have and know and may distribute to those who might find themselves somewhere "out in the wilderness" with us.  I don't think the profound need we all have, as those who may also find we are like sheep without a shepherd, can be underestimated.  If we have bodily needs, then how much greater are those needs of the soul and spirit that go undernourished and underfed, uncared for so that people may have good guidance for their lives and a reassurance of the love of God?  It is when we neglect this need that life breaks down -- and most especially when there is hardship in life is the time we most need this spiritual food for which we have the deepest hunger.   Let us note that it is the Twelve who have just returned from their apostolic mission, and that the reason they went out to a deserted place was so they may discuss their experiences with Him.  Here in this wilderness spot, Jesus gives them an important lesson, that with God's grace, they will have at hand what they need to feed multitudes, and that this indeed is their purview, their true discipline as His followers.  Especially when we are in a church, or at any time when others may see us express our faith, let us remember Christ's command for hospitality, because it extends to so much more than meeting purely material needs for anonymous masses of people.  If this is the only thing we see, then we miss the Eucharistic significance and the grace that is at work here.  We are to share God's love with people, the grace we have been given, and this is His command for us -- for even in a seeming wilderness, God's grace will be enough, sufficient, and we will find it at hand through our faith for those who hunger and thirst for it, for those with whom we find ourselves up close and personal, and with us right now.

I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter

Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known.  And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  Others said, "It is Elijah."  And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets."  But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!"  For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her.  Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."  Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him.  And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.  And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."  He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom."  So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"  And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"  Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."  And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.  Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought.  And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.  When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb. 

- Mark 6:14-29

On Saturday we read that Jesus went out from Capernaum and came to His own country of Nazareth, and His disciples followed Him.  And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue.  And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things?  And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?  And are not His sisters here with us?"  So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."  Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief.  Then He went about the villages in a  circuit, teaching.   And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.  Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"  So they went out and preached that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known.  And he said, "John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."   King Herod is the son of Herod the Great (who slew the innocent infants of Bethlehem in Matthew 2:16).  Also known as Herod Antipas, he was technically a governor, or tetrarch of Galilee for Rome, but popularly called king.  My study bible suggests that he knows that John the Baptist performed no miracles while living, but now believes that John was raised from the dead (verse 16), and so powers are at work in him.  Therefore, my study bible points out, Herod fears John more dead than alive.

Others said, "It is Elijah."  And others said, "It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets."  Elijah was expected to return and work signs before the coming of the Lord, in accordance with the prophecy of Malachi 4:5.  The Prophet, my study bible says, is interpreted by some to be a reference to the Messiah, the One which was foretold by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15).  Others interpret this to mean that a new prophet had arisen.

But when Herod heard, he said, "This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!"  For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her.  Because John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."  Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him.  And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.   The incident described in today's passage, the beheading of John the Baptist by Herod, is given as a parenthetical statement, a kind of flashback which explains to us Herod's fear that Jesus is John the Baptist raised from the dead.  While John still lived, he was widely revered as a holy man and prophet, and therefore his outspoken criticism of the marriage of Herod meant something among the people.  My study bible comments on the fact that Herod, with all of his wealth, position, and soldiers, feared John, who was a man who lived in total poverty and was clothed in camel's hair (1:6), is a testament both to the power of personal holiness and integrity, and also to the people's perception of John, as they held him in the highest esteem (11:32).  John criticizes the marriage of Herod to his brother's former wife Herodias as counter to the Mosaic Law, as his brother was still living.

Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.  And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."  He also swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom."  So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?"  And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"  Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter."  And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her.  Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought.  And he went and beheaded him in prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.  When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.  The opportune day is for Herodias, who has desired to rid herself of John the Baptist.  Note how the king, Herod, is trapped by his surroundings, his excesses, his passions, and finally even this girl (the daughter of Herodias) -- even though he is exceedingly sorry.  It reminds us that Jesus taught, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin" (John 8:34; see also Romans 6:5-23).

We might be wise to consider how shocking this story would have been to a contemporary audience of Christ, in ways that go beyond its obviously hideous dimensions to us.  The fact that Herod and Herodias would allow a daughter to dance before other men would have been considered in and of itself a terrible breach of socially appropriate modesty, and a shocking lack of parental protection for the girl.  In every way, the court of Herod represents scandalous excess.  Although nominally Jewish, it is a sign of the decadence of Rome, and more specifically the corruption of wealth and power as opposed to the holy poverty and personal integrity of John the Baptist.  But there are other, more subtle things going on here.  As this story is given parenthetically, it explains Herod's fear that John has returned from the dead, and that this is the power at work in Christ's ministry of signs.  We first of all should notice the tremendous fears at work in Herod.  He is slavishly fearful of what his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee will think if he goes back upon an oath he swore in front of them to the daughter of Herodias.  Even while John still lived, Herod feared his holiness -- just as those who raised the swine in the story of the Gadarene demoniac feared Christ's power rather than welcoming the healing they witnessed.  After John has been beheaded, Herod still fears that the Baptist has returned from the dead, and therefore this power is at work in the ministry of Christ.  All in all, it is a picture of excess and error, strange heresy and total lack of understanding of the things of faith and spiritual truth.  There is more than a mere sign of true guilt at work in Herod as well; although he was exceedingly sorry to do so, because of his own rash oath he has John beheaded, and certainly this is now at work in him -- but he has no recourse and no spiritual depth to illuminate his own blindness.  The hideous image of John's head served on a platter is enough to tell us of the lust for power in Herod's wife Herodias.  It must be, for her, one more decorative sign of her power, a triumph.  John is one who said "no" to her ambition and desire.  These things depict a corruption that is perversion, a court gone haywire in its material greed and lust for excess of every kind.  But even though the picture is stark and extreme, we should take it as a warning about our own capacity for materialism.  We in the West live in a time of great prosperity.  If we don't understand that "every good and perfect gift is from above" (James 1:17),  then we so easily lose sight of how to steward those gifts, what to do with the lives we have been given and the blessings we have received.  When we fail to understand a sacramental life, one in which we return all things to Creator for guidance and blessing in how we are to live our lives and use what we have at hand, then we fail to put ourselves, our gifts, our lives, our own power -- such as it is -- in true order.  It also teaches us the danger of heresy, false teachings that give us only a sense of entitlement and take away all sense of being grateful or thankful for what we have.  It is gratitude that puts us in the place of clarity about our possessions and blessings, gratitude that keeps a clear mind that nothing truly belongs to us absolutely, but that it is only in the hands of God and guidance through faith that we find the personal integrity to be good stewards and shepherds in the image of Christ.  A child is a blessing:  Herodias' daughter is indulged, misguided (to say the least), exploited, and finally an instrument of the greatest horror -- the murder of John, the holy man of Israel.  It is only gratitude for what we have that teaches us what we would today call "good boundaries," the right care for all blessings including children, and a sacramental, prayerful life in which we return all to Creator in order to find our way to cultivate the true goodness and beauty of the world -- to bring out its fruitfulness and make all things bloom.  We seek holiness in order to live our best lives.  Herod's court is a picture of the greed of material gain, a life lived as if everything is simply one more thing to grasp as a personal possession, something that flatters our image of ourselves.  This includes our attitude toward spiritual truth:  nobody has a monopoly.  The Holy Spirit is the wind that blows where it wishes, and we do not control it (John 3:5-8).   John's poverty is a reflection of his radical commitment to that Spirit and where it would lead him in his love for God.  Let us consider our own choices and needs as human beings who need faith to guide us.  The real question is how aware of that need we truly are -- and what integrity means to us.  The Gospels give us examples of those who are blind to this.  Herod comes from a family known for its ruthless use of power, in a time when ruthlessness was expected of the powerful.  But he shows for us an image of the corrupt soul that knows only fear and excess, whose deeds further commit his spirit only to slavish fear and personal destruction.  Let us know and love God and take our strength in understanding and gratitude for God's love for us.

And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them

 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.  And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue.  And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things?  And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?  And are not His sisters here with us?"  So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."  Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief.  Then He went about the villages in a  circuit, teaching. 

And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.  Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"  So they went out and preached that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

- Mark 6:1-13

Yesterday we read that when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side (that is, to His ministry's "home" side of the Sea of Galilee, at Capernaum), a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death.  Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.  Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."  While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.  Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.  And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue.  And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things?  And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?  And are not His sisters here with us?"  So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."   Jesus travels to His hometown of Nazareth in Galilee.  My study bible makes note of the double response to Christ of being both astonished and offended.  It notes the frequency with which this happens with those who encounter Christ (Luke 11:14-16; John 9:16).  To be rejected in his own country is a foreshadowing of His rejection by the whole nation at the trial before Pilate (John 19:14-15).  This saying, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country . . ." occurs in some form in all four Gospels (see also Matthew 13:57, Luke 4:24, John 4:44).

Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief.  Then He went about the villages in a  circuit, teaching.   My study bible tells us that Jesus could do no mighty work there, not because somehow He lacked power, but because of the unbelief of all but a few of the people in Nazareth.   It notes that while grace is always offered to all, it is only those who receive it in faith who obtain its benefits.  We note that this time it is Christ who marvels, because of their unbelief.

And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.  Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!" The twelve were chosen earlier (see this reading) and so have been "trained" for this apostolic mission in their close discipleship ever since.  ow they are sent out on their first apostolic mission.  Jesus gave them power; that is, it is His power shared and invested in these men who are sent out as apostles.  Accompanying this power, we note His instructions for the practice of humility in their mission.  They are not to dress ostentatiously, neither will they "trade up" for better lodgings once they are accepted in one place.  But note the response taught by Christ to those who will not receive the gospel message of the presence of the Kingdom.  Mark tells us they were sent out two by two; in Matthew's Gospel their names are listed in pairs (Matthew 10:1-4).

So they went out and preached that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.   Note that repentance and healing go together, as well as the casting out of demons.  All are part of the same package, the same effect, and good medicine.  My study bible says that anointing the sick with oil has not only medicinal value but also sacramental value.  It notes that as God's healing power is bestowed through creation (5:27; Numbers 21:8-9; 2 Kings 13:21; John 9:6-7; Acts 5:15, 19:11-12), so oil becomes a vehicle of God's mercy and healing in the Church (James 5:14).

My study bible makes an important note regarding God's use of creation through which healing power is bestowed upon human beings.  That is, the elements of this world become "conductors" of the healing power of God.  In this we have an important tie to the Incarnation itself, when God became fully human, one of us, so that God could bring His healing into the world for all through Christ's ministry and the gospel message.  Note what the apostles do on their first mission in which they are "sent out."  (The meaning of the word apostle in Greek is "one who is sent out"; the meaning of disciple is "learner.")  They preach that people should repent.  They cast out demons, and anoint with oil many who are sick and heal them.  Each of these elements are important to our healing.  To repent is to change our minds, to turn toward God, to re-orient ourselves in life and be prepared to cast off whatever stands in the way of our ultimate aim of union with God, our walk toward a more full communion in this sense, our growth in that embrace of Creator and creature.  This aim in itself is a wholistic merger of body, soul, and spirit.  That is, another mirror of the Incarnation, in which all the elements of our creation are alive in harmony and within the communion with Creator.  In Greek, this is called "theosis," this goal of becoming "like God" in whose image and likeness we were created to begin with.  But the idea that creation itself is the vehicle for God's work of grace and healing is most important, for it becomes a statement -- as does the Incarnation of Jesus Christ itself -- of the basic goodness of all of creation, as well as what we are created for.   If the villagers to whom these apostles are sent may receive them, may receive the gospel message, may practice a repentance that leads to deeper communion with Christ and with God's work and grace in the world, then it illustrates that all of creation is made for this union.  Christ's saving mission isn't simply for we human beings.  As John's Gospel tells us, He came down from heaven to give life to the world.  Jesus Himself says, in affirmation of the true goodness of creation as vehicle for our healing, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world" (see John 6:33, 51).  There is nothing evil about what God has created; but it is rather our deep union with God that reveals the fullness of this truth and the potentials for the healing of all that truly exist for us and for our world.  It is God's power that may be at work through ourselves and through all of creation that reveals its beauty, truth, and goodness -- the true measure of worth and value.  It will also reveal to us what is of little value and must be cast aside in the light that Christ brings.  Don't sell yourself short.  Take the gift that is offered, for it is priceless, and it makes all the difference to our lives and the life of the world.

Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction

Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death.  Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."

While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.  Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

- Mark 5:21-43

Yesterday we read that Jesus and the disciples came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.  And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains.  And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I implore You by God that You do not torment me."  For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.  Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  And at once Jesus gave them permission.  Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.   So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country.  And they went out to see what it was that had happened.  Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.  And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

 Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.  And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name.  And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death.  Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."  So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.   Once again Jesus is back on what is for His ministry the "home" side of the Sea of Galilee, back in Capernaum.  He has just traveled with the disciples to a place among the tombs, to heal one tormented by a legion of demons (see yesterday's reading, above), and now He is back at the headquarters of His Galilean ministry.   Mark emphasizes once again that the crowds thronged Him, and even one of the rulers of the synagogue comes to Him, desperate for help for his little daughter, who is dying.

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians.  She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."  Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"  But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'"  And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.  But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.  And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well.  Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."   It's important to know that this woman's flow of blood makes her ritually unclean.  For her to touch Christ under these circumstances was a bold act indeed for which she could pay a high price; it's no wonder she was fearing and trembling.  Contact with blood was quite strictly prohibited (Leviticus 15:25).  But Christ draws her out to praise her faith.   Certainly her affliction and suffering are such that compassion is called for.  Importantly, we note that she has made a full confession to Christ, she told Him the whole truth.   My study bible notes that there is by tradition also a spiritual interpretation of this encounter.  In that light, this woman symbolizes human nature in general.  My study bible says that humanity is in constant suffering and subject to death, which is symbolized by the flow of blood.  Those physicians who could not cure her, in this understanding, symbolize the various religions of the world, including the Old Testament Law, each of which were unable to grant life to humanity.  My study bible adds that it is only through Christ that we are freed from suffering and bondage to sin.

While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead.  Why trouble the Teacher any further?"  As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe."  And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.  Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.  When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep?  The child is not dead, but sleeping."  And they ridiculed Him.  But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.  Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise."  Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age.  And they were overcome with great amazement.  But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.  We note the emphasized importance of faith in both healings.  Here, Jesus goes so far as to cast the mourners who wept and wailed loudly and those who ridiculed Him outside.  He deliberately takes action both to cast out the faithless, and to shore up faith as He takes His inner circle of Peter and James and John Zebedee -- those disciples with the strongest faith -- into the place where the child was lying.   My study bible comments that authority over life and death is in the hand of God alone (Deuteronomy 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:6).

It's interesting that the age of the little girl, and the time that the older woman has suffered from a blood flow, are both twelve years.  Twelve is an important number:  there were twelve tribes of Israel, and twelve disciples.   In the Revelation, the new Jerusalem has twelve gates, twelve angels at the gates, and twelve foundations of the city wall (Revelation 21:12-14).  It is a number of fullness, meaning perfection or completeness.  This woman's twelve-year flow of blood, therefore, has been with her so that she finally comes to Christ as the only means of healing her affliction, in the fullness of her experience.  The twelve year old little girl, on the other hand, is just beginning a mature life; her "life after death" being an initiation perhaps into the life that Christ can bring to us as we truly begin to live in Him.  Any way that we choose to look at this number, it is given to us in the details, and there is nothing placed in the Gospels that is irrelevant, nothing here that does not teach us something essential.  How poignant is it that a long-suffering mature woman is given the time and attention for her faith and healing, as is young twelve-year-old daughter, in the very promise of life, at the request of a ruler of the synagogue?   Jesus calls one "Little girl," but the other He calls "Daughter," for He praises her faith for making her well.  Perhaps, like the little girl, we are those whose parents have brought us to Christ.  We may also be, like the mature woman, those who have suffered and whose suffering has brought us finally to Christ, who both heals and cleanses.  This story seems to suggest to us that, either way, the author of life is Christ Himself, and that no matter what the concern, it is to Him we go when everything else has failed.  He is the one who turns no one away, who has time for the woman who has exhausted all her funds on doctors and only grown worse, and for the girl who is presumed dead and for her desperate parents.  It is when we call upon Christ that we may put all things into perspective, for it is to Him we go when all things are starkly real and there is no more pretense.  It is then we understand He is the one whom we need.   In Revelation 21:5 we read that He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new."  In the Greek, this may more closely be translated,  "I am always making all things new."  And then we read that He said also, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."  True and faithful -- these are the natures of the gifts that we are given for our lives.  He teaches us faith, and He teaches us truth.  We may put our trust in Him.  By our faith we are truly His children, and in our truth we find that He is the One who awaits when all else fails.   Let us remember the dignity He gives to all, to the woman who has lost everything and to the little girl whose life is just beginning.

Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you

 Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.  And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains.  And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I implore You by God that You do not torment me."  For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.  Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  And at once Jesus gave them permission.  Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea. 

So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country.  And they went out to see what it was that had happened.  Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.  And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

- Mark 5:1-20

Yesterday we read that, on the same day of preaching parables to the crowds at the shore of the sea, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side.  Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was.  And other little boats were also with Him.  And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow.  And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"  And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.  But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?"  And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"  

Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.  And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with shackles and chains.  And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.  And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.  And he cried out with a loud voice and said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I implore You by God that You do not torment me."  For He said to him, "Come out of the man, unclean spirit!"  Then He asked him, "What is your name?"  And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion; for we are many."  Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.  Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.  So all the demons begged Him, saying, "Send us to the swine, that we may enter them."  And at once Jesus gave them permission.  Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.   The country of the Gadarenes was still in Galilee (although on the other side of the Sea of Galilee), but it was a territory of mixed Gentile and Jewish population.  In this story, the people who raise the swine are Jews, but they have taken on Gentile practices, possibly in order to sell the pigs to the Gentile market.  But, for Jews,  this is a practice forbidden by the Law (Deuteronomy 14:8).  We see the extremely destructive effects of the demons, both on the man who calls himself Legion for the number of demons who have taken abode in him, and on the swine who rush to their destruction in the sea.  As by now has been observed several times in Mark's Gospel, the demons recognize Jesus and know who He is. 

So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country.  And they went out to see what it was that had happened.  Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  And they were afraid.  And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.  Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.  And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.  However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."  And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.   We can simply think what a marvelous sight it would be to see the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.  But that doesn't even rate a mention from those who fed the swine.  Instead, they are simply afraid.  Those who've been told how it all happened simply plead with Christ to depart from their region.   It seems likely that their chief concern is money, and therefore the loss of income from their swine.  Clearly the man who's been demon-possessed and living among the tombs has no friends here, and he wishes to go with Christ and the disciples.  But instead, Christ offers him a new role -- to go home to his friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for him, and how He has had compassion on him.  The Decapolis was a region of ten cities, of Greek and Roman culture, but of mixed populations of Jews and Gentiles.

It's intriguing to think of the man with the legion of demons, and his perspective.  Perhaps we could compare him to someone who has simply suffered with severe mental illness, out of his mind for a long time -- so much so that he has lived among the tombs, away from his home and the population of the towns where he comes from.  He's out of control, completely wild, and nothing can tame him.  He's the opposite of what one might call "civilized," and unable to live among people but only among the dead.  The destruction of the demons, and the desperation of the man is clear -- especially in his immediate response to Christ, as if he understands that He is the only one who can help him.  This man is not so far away from some modern scenes mentally ill or drug addicted people.  Perhaps he's even metaphoric for many who suffer in isolation from destructive mental illness or addiction.  He cries out and cuts himself.  But his total isolation is clear:  even when he is healed and in his right mind, those who raise the swine who have been near him all this time do not seem to care at all.  They care only for the loss of their swine.  This healed man is instructed by Christ to rather return home and proclaim to his friends what great things the Lord has done for him, and how the Lord has had compassion on him.  We're reminded, in the ones who raise the swine and beg Jesus to leave them, that it is Christ who teaches us that one cannot serve two masters, one cannot love God and mammon (Matthew 6:24).  But for the one who is healed, we have to ask ourselves where he will go.   He cannot stay among the tombs, nor among these people who care nothing for him.  It gives us even a parallel sense of life on the streets, where only money matters, and exploitation of others gives one value.  The healed man instead must find those who are his friends, and give the message of compassion.  The people who want Jesus to simply leave can accept no value in compassion, and the healed man must instead go "home."  As much as we might hate to admit it to ourselves, given the deep need each person has for salvation, there are times when we must turn away from those who share no value in such stories of compassion and healing, and no value to faith in a spiritual reality of understanding of Christ.  There are times when we must realize that even if we treasure our faith, even if we know the Lord has done great things for us, and we have indeed experienced His compassion, others around us -- possibly even those among whom we've lived (or suffered in one way and another) have no interest in the things of God.  Christ encourages this formerly demon-possessed man to find a new place, where his message will be received with joy, as the good news that it truly is.  So it may be with us.  When we have recovered from something harmful and destructive (or are in an ongoing process of recovery) may need to take up a new life, in which we understand that where "home" and "friends" are is where we find those who will be glad at this good news, and in particular who will value the compassion of the Lord for themselves.  An uncaring world is easy to find, love is where real and rare value is.  Compassion is the strength of the Lord and in which we can take joy.  Let us share that joy with others who do as well.

Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?

 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side.  Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was.  And other little boats were also with Him.  And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow.  And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"  And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.  But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?"  And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!" 

- Mark 4:35-41

Yesterday we read that Jesus taught, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed?  Is it not to be set on a lampstand?  For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."  Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear.  With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."  And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.  For the earth yields crops by itself:  first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.  But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."  Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God?  Or with what parable shall we picture it?  It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade."  And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.  But without a parable He did not speak to them.  And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.  

 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side.  Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was.  And other little boats were also with Him.  Once again, we're given the continuation of a day in Christ's ministry.  By day He has preached to great crowds on the seashore, giving parables for His teaching (see the readings of yesterday and the day before).  Now, as evening had come, Jesus taught the disciples they must cross over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.   They set out from home territory and are venturing out into places which are strange to them. 

And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.  But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow.  And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"  My study bible notes that Jesus was asleep, revealing the fullness of His humanity and His human need.  It says that He deliberately permits the windstorm to arise while He slept in order to perfect the faith of the disciples and to rebuke their weaknesses, preparing them for the time they will need to be unshaken by the temptations they will encounter as apostles.  Their faith here is evidently mixed with unbelief:  they showed faith when they awoke Him, and unbelief when they declared that they are perishing. 

Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"  And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.  But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?"  And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"   My study bible notes that Christ's mastery over creation is another sign that He is the Messiah and is divine.  It says that commands to the sea and waves can only be issued by God (Job 38:8-11; Psalms 66:5-6, 107:29).  The image of Christ and His disciples in a boat is a traditional one used to illustrate the Church.  My study bible comments that God both permits storms and delivers us through them, so that we can see His protection more clearly.  It adds that His rebuke of the storm also illustrates His calming the tempests in our human soul.

I find this vivid illustration of adventure in today's reading quite interesting.  It's particularly noteworthy that at least four of the disciples with Christ -- which includes those who are closest to Him and form His inner circle of Peter and James and John Zebedee -- are seasoned fishermen whose home territory is the Sea of Galilee.  But they set off presumably from Capernaum, home territory, the place where we know Peter and Andrew's family home is located.  Now that the crowds have expanded who listen to Christ, to include Jews from everywhere around Israel and even from Gentile territories, and Jesus has begun to preach in parables in order to weed out those who really want His word from the merely curious, Jesus gives them a new command.  At the end of the day, when it is already evening, He tells them to set off for the other side of the Sea of Galilee.  This is strange territory for the disciples, and what they will find when they arrive across the sea will be strange indeed.  The Sea of Galilee is really a very large lake, about twelve miles long and eight miles wide.  So not only are the disciples and Christ (plus the little boats that follow) rowing across this sea at night, but a furious windstorm arises that sets them alight with fear that they are perishing.  All of this drama happens while Jesus is asleep.  And isn't that a perfect illustration of what can happen so often in our own lives?  Even when we feel secure at times in our faith, all of a sudden we might find ourselves in the midst of a storm of one sort or another in our lives, and Christ -- or our faith -- seems to be "stowed away" somewhere else, hidden and asleep.  We might ask ourselves the same question that Jesus asks the disciples, "Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?"   It can seem so often that every new challenge, every new step into uncharted territory (no doubt watched over by Christ and the angels who accompany us through life), is "greeted" with this distinctly human fear of the unknown, of the worst things that may happen to us because we are outside of what is familiar to us.  But we really should take confidence in Christ, particularly if we ourselves are seeking to live a prayerful life, seeking the guidance of our Lord for our choices.  Through the fear, and despite its presence, we can take confidence that there will be a way for us that is proper to us.   There will be a way that faith provides to move forward into whatever direction Christ leads.  The image of Christ and the disciples in the boat, as my study bible points out, is an image of the Church.  He leads, and the Church goes with Him through uncharted waters.  We should keep in mind my stud bible's comment that the image of Christ commanding the storm also applies to our own interior state.  Challenges come at every level in life -- and one thing seems clear from the Gospels, that we are meant for newer and bigger and deeper challenges.  When we think we have it all together, Christ will give us a new step forward, something new to face and to deal with, another challenge to meet.  This reveals the confidence that God places in us, that we are not made for sitting around and doing nothing, nor resting on past achievements.  We are meant for growth, and the life of constant repentance that Christ preaches is not simply about repentance of past wrongs or sins.  It is meant also as a challenge for us to come to terms with growth, to face new tests and temptations, to uncover yet more about ourselves that can be transformed and changed so that we grow in the light and faith of Christ.  All of this is teaching us that we are always meant for greater things.  It really doesn't matter where we start; as human beings we are meant to expand beyond what we think is just good enough.  We are capable of courage we don't know, of overcoming our own limitations, of growing in the faith God asks of us -- but in His Way, not our own limited idea of what some sort of "superpower" or achievement will look like.   Moreover, we should also consider that we don't necessarily need to go hunt for new challenges or adventures, that Christ will come to us to draw us further into the possibilities He has in mind for us.  Sometimes just sitting still with what we have, and learning patience and endurance, is our greatest challenge.  Our great achievement may be unknown to anyone but ourselves and God, and unrecognized by even those closest to us.  Even so, it will be the challenge that is necessary and possibly the most difficult.  Let us consider that we are always made for more.   Our idea of having it altogether may be the furthest thing from the place our Lord will take us, to give us something more and better than we can conceive.  We are all in that boat, with Him, and let us be grateful that it might be so.

With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given

 Also He said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed?  Is it not to be set on a lampstand?  For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."

Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear.  With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."

And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.  For the earth yields crops by itself:  first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.  But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God?  Or with what parable shall we picture it?  It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade."

And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.  But without a parable He did not speak to them.  And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples. 

- Mark 4:21-34

Yesterday we read that again Jesus began to teach by the sea due to the crowds who seek Him.  And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.  Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:  "Listen!  Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.  Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.  And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.  But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."  And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.  And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that 'Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them.'"  And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?  How then will you understand all the parables?  The sower sows the word.  And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown.  When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.  These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time.  Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.  Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it become unfruitful.  But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."

 Also He said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed?  Is it not to be set on a lampstand?  For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."   Again, as in yesterday's reading, above, Jesus repeats the call of Isaiah to those with "spiritual" ears to hear the message He brings.  Everything hidden will be revealed, but we must have the spiritual desire, the ears to hear with.

 Then He said to them, "Take heed what you hear.  With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."  My study bible says this is a call to attentive listening and discriminating response.  We mustn't simply hear, but rather hear properly.  More will be given to those who respond to Christ's word with open hearts, a growth in understanding.  My study bible quotes Mark the Ascetic on this passage:  "Do the good you know, and what you do not know will be revealed to you."  It is similar to Christ's teaching that "with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you" (Matthew 7:2). 

And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.  For the earth yields crops by itself:  first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.  But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."   This parable is given only in Mark.  My study bible says that the kingdom in this parable refers to the whole span of God's dispensation or plan of salvation.  The man is Christ, and the seed is the gospel.  The man's sleep indicates the death of Christ, from which He will rise.  That the man does not know how the seed grows teaches us Christ's lack of manipulation of our response to the gospel; each person is free not only to receive it but also to let it grow in his or her own heart.  The harvest is the Second Coming, when all will be judged on their reception of the gospel.

 Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God?  Or with what parable shall we picture it?  It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade."  The birds of the air suggest angels, who may dwell with us and even take refuge with one who practices the mercy of Christ in the world.

And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.  But without a parable He did not speak to them.  And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples. We are reminded once again that Christ used parables to speak to the crowds, where both believers and unbelievers were mixed, as they were able to hear it.  But in private, He explained all things to His disciples.  Christ practices what He preached when He taught, "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces" (Matthew 7:6).

Jesus puts emphasis on what we want.  That is, our decision that we desire the things of God, that we desire to care for our spiritual lives, and our souls.  At some point, our love of God -- just like our love of others -- is a personal choice for action.  That is, it is not merely a feeling that either comes to you or does not come to you.  For action, for the choice of responding to and desiring the word of God, there is an action that we take, a desire we may cultivate deep within ourselves, a "yes" that we reply to the prompting of the soul.  How is it that we come to an understanding of what we need for our soul?  It would seem that the depth at which we have a love of God is something that cannot be consciously understood.  And yet, Christ speaks to those who really and truly desire what He offers.  He forces no one to find the love of God, nor even to desire it for themselves.  His speaking in parables makes that statement quite clearly:  that this is for those who choose to pursue it, and to truly desire what is offered.  There is an action implied, a need to follow up, to cherish this word and to live it.  One must take it into the heart and nurture it, and make choices in life to uphold it, follow it.  All of this somehow hinges on those with "ears to hear" -- that is, those who have decided to cultivate the ability to know and love Creator, and to actively live life in that love.  In the context of that "hearing," Jesus advises:  "For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light."  Here in Mark's Gospel, and in this particular context, these words are promises to those who desire to seek that light, those secret or hidden things of God, and to find them.  Following upon this promise, Jesus gives a caution:  "Take heed what you hear.  With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."  Everything depends upon how we hear, what measure we use.  If we have made the effort, and so begin even with a little, more will be given.  If we have spent our lives without caring, without bothering to put in at least some effort to nurture this inner life, this spiritual need, and so do not have, then even what we have will be taken away.  Jesus speaks of a Kingdom, of the word of God, which we can pass our whole lives without knowing or understanding.  But even unseen, while a man should sleep by night and rise by day, things taken into good soil can grow, although he does not know how, and a fitting harvest may still be produced.  All it takes is the tiniest of seeds, and that can be nurtured and grown, so that it shelters angels even in this world.  The question is, what is that little bit, that tiny word one is willing to say "yes" to?  Do we make an effort to care?