I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat

 

 In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat.  And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar."  Then His disciples answered Him, "How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?"  He asked them, "How many loaves do you have?"  And they said, "Seven."  So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.  And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude.  They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them.  So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments.  Now those who had eaten were about four thousand.  And He sent them away, immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha.

 

- Mark 8:1–10 

 

Yesterday we read that, after having had a dispute with the Pharisees and scribes who'd come to Him from Jerusalem,  He arose and went to the Gentile region of Tyre and Sidon.  And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden.  For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet.  The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.  But Jesus said to her, "Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."  And she answered and said to Him, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children's crumbs."  Then He said to her, "For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter."  And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.  Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee.  Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impedimet in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on them.  And He took him aside form the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue.  Then, looking up to heaven, He sighted, and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."  Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.  Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it.  And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well.  He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."

 

 In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat.  And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar."  Then His disciples answered Him, "How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?"  He asked them, "How many loaves do you have?"  And they said, "Seven."  So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.  And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude.  They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them.  So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments.  Now those who had eaten were about four thousand.  And He sent them away, immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha.  My study Bible reminds us that this second feeding of a multitude should not be confused with the first (see this reading), as they are two distinct miracles (see Jesus' remarks in Matthew 16:8-10).  There is significance, for example, in the variance in the number of loaves.  In the first instance, there were five loaves, which symbolizes the Law, while here, there are seven.  Seven is a number which symbolizes completeness; here, my study Bible says, it indicates spiritual perfection.  Therefore, in the first feeding, Christ revealed Himself as fulfilling the Law, while here He shows that it is He who grants spiritual perfection.  My study Bible also makes note that these crowds had been with Christ for three days; this is the number of days He would rest in the tomb.  To participate in His perfection only comes through being united to His death (see Romans 6:3-5).

 

 Why two different feedings in the wilderness?  Why did this need to happen.  One thing that we can see is a growing hint of the Gentile participation in the Church that would come in the future.  At the previous feeding in the wilderness there were twelve baskets of fragments taken up; twelve might be symbolic of the twelve tribes of Israel, and it is also symbolic of the twelve apostles.  That is, in symbolic fashion, these twelve baskets represent the spiritual supply which would be taken out of Israel and distributed through the work of the apostles.  But here there are seven baskets, a number, as my study Bible said of the seven loaves, which symbolizes completeness.  That is, the mission of Christ is now showing signs of what its completeness will look like, a grace sufficient to heal an entire world; in fact, the creation, the cosmos.  That is, the grace that is always a step beyond the Law, which can come only from the divine, a justice or righteousness beyond the Law.  Here there are four thousand people.  In some way the number four symbolizes the world:  four corners, the four points of the compass, the directions of the world.  Four also reminds us of the Cross with its four points.  In this sense, these four thousand people symbolize all the people of the world, both Gentile and Jew.  The "thousand" multiplies the symbolic impact of the number, making it for all and through time.  Moreover, this seems to take place while Christ is still in the Decapolis.  In Greek this name means "ten cities," and it is a region of Greco-Roman cities, a population of mixed Jews and Gentiles.  So, as we read of the Greek woman, a Syro-Phoenician living the Gentile area of Tyre and Sidon in yesterday's reading, who begged like a little puppy for Christ's healing for her daughter, there are clues here of Christ's ministry expanding beyond Israel, although He was first to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 10:6, 15:24).  Now here in the Decapolis, He has opened the ears and mouth of one who was deaf and with a speech impediment (see again yesterday's reading, above), and now there is this great feeding of a multitude in the wilderness.  As Christ has done in Israel, so He will also do for the world, not through the Law but by grace.  My study Bible has pointed out the significance of the three days this crowd has been with Him, similarly to the days in which Christ will remain in the tomb before resurrection.  And there we get much deeper into the mysteries of grace and of the work that will go out into the entire world.  For grace works through our own interaction in life; it is not simply a gift which comes out of the blue or in answer to a plea, but it rather comes through participation and engagement with Christ, as we also enter into His struggle which He engaged in with the world in its imperfect state.  We grapple in our own lives with the sin that is around us and within us -- not as a permanent sort of stain but as something in our environment, as a kind of legacy we're born into.  People hurt us, we want to hurt them back, we develop habits of selfishness and blindness just as we see and take in from all around us, a world caught up in its own blindness and deafness to God's message and God's grace.  We struggle with corruption and disappointment and failure and ailments of all kinds.  But engaging in this life with Christ, and participating in His same life and ministry, means that we engage these things through a prayerful life and with Him.  We seek His guidance and grace for how to cope, how to respond, how to move forward in such a sea of snares and potential troubles.  Like Christ has borne the Cross on the way to the Resurrection, so we also bear our own crosses and may therefore come to experience our own resurrections on the way of life through God's grace and participation in that life.  This is the way it seems to me; and He's given us the tools to live that life of participation in His own life and death and Resurrection.  I was once speaking to a priest of a very difficult experience I was going through, and I said, "I feel like I'm being crucified."  He told me that was good, because after Crucifixion comes Resurrection -- and He was correct.  It was not easy, but I had to go through it with prayer and faith and reliance on Christ.  I needed to make the difficult choices and struggle that entailed for me, with Him and through Him and His saints and all the help available and stored in the Church, in those baskets of fragments that await us all as the treasure of the entire Church and the experience of all the faithful.  Our grace does not come from sitting on the sidelines; but as with Jesus' life and ministry, the way out is the way through -- with God.  That is, through participation in His life, death, and Resurrection.  He told us we must each take up our cross daily (Luke 9:23).  St. Paul spoke about this experience of living faith when He wrote, "I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31).  No one said this was going to be easy -- but what it means to "die daily" is that we are truly alive, in Him and with Him and by His grace (John 10:10).  And lest we forget, through His great compassion for us, even in the midst of our wildernesses.

 

 

Be opened

 

 From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden.  For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet.  The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.  But Jesus said to her, "Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."  And she answered and said to Him, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children's crumbs."  Then He said to her, "For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter."  And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.

Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee.  Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impedimet in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on them.  And He took him aside form the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue.  Then, looking up to heaven, He sighted, and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."  Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.  Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it.  And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well.  He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."

 

- Mark 7:24–37 

 

Yesterday we read that the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Jesus, having come from Jerusalem.  Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.  For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.  When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.  And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"  He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:  'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'  For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."  He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.  For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban" -- '(that is, a gift to God), "then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.  And many such things you do."  When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand:  There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"  When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.  So He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also?  Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?  And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man."

 

  From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden.   Let us keep in mind that Jesus, having just had a run-in and conflict with the Pharisees and scribes who'd come from Jerusalem to Him, is seeking a place where He can be hidden.  He has come to the region of Tyre and Sidon, a Gentile region to the north of Galilee.  So Jesus' purpose in coming here is to escape public notice for the time, but He could not be hidden.  

For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet.  The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.  But Jesus said to her, "Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."   Jesus' reputation precedes Him.  Although this woman is not a Jew, she nevertheless came and kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.  When He says, "Let the children be filled first," He's referring to those to whom He's come first to minister, the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 15:24), to whom He's been sent for His direct ministry during His human lifetime.  While it sounds very insulting in a Near or Middle Eastern setting to refer to people as dogs, here he speaks of little dogs; that is, puppies or house dogs, not outdoor dogs or commonly seen strays.  This seems to refer more to her insistent pestering and begging (she "kept asking" Him) than her Gentile status.

And she answered and said to Him, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children's crumbs." This woman's quick and smart response suggests she understands precisely what He means by referring to little dogs; that is, those puppies who beg under the table for the children's crumbs.  Anyone who's ever had a begging puppy under the table knows how persistent they can be!

Then He said to her, "For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter."  And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.  Her persistence is a model for prayer; she did not give up in her pursuit of Christ.  In Matthew's Gospel, this story is more drawn out; it is more clear that Jesus intentionally provokes her persistence.  Also in this saying she illustrates her humility:  she is willing to accept what Christ teaches about His ministry to the house of Israel ("the children") and does not argue with His statement.  But she finds a way to persist and to engage Him.  In doing so, she also shows her deep love for her daughter, whom she's trying to save.  Let us note that to cast out the demon is essentially a spiritual act; she accepting Jesus' authority in this respect, and putting her faith in Him.  My study Bible comments that her ultimate acceptance by Christ points to the gathering of the Gentiles in to the Church after Pentecost, no longer as little dogs, but as children who are invited to eat the bread of eternal life.

 

Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee.  Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on them.  And He took him aside form the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue.  Then, looking up to heaven, He sighted, and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."  Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.  Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it.  And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well.  He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."  My study Bible comments that He sighed as a sign of divine compassion for the sufferings of our fallen human nature.  His command to tell no one shows that we must not seek acclaim or praise when we do good to others.  My study Bible also cites Theophylact, who upholds those who disobey Christ in this circumstance; he sees them as a good example, that we should proclaim those who have done good to us even if they do not want us to.

 

Today's reading begins to give us hints of the opening up of Christ's ministry beyond only the Jews.  It teaches us about the faith and persistence in faith of a Gentile woman, and how she was rewarded by Christ for that persistence and her desire for what He offers.  Moreover, the healing of the deaf man who also had an impediment in his speech, takes place in the Decapolis, an area of Galilee with a strong Gentile influence as these are Greco-Roman cities.  It's interesting that Christ the Word "opens" this man's ears to hear and his tongue to speak.  We could understand a parallel here to Christ giving the ancient world, even Greco-Roman culture with its poetry, theater, literature, and philosophy a means to hear and to express concepts which did not exist for them, a new language to illumine and "open" everything.  But the story of the Greek woman with a demon-possessed daughter reflects the real key to the opening up of Christ's word to the world, and that is faith, and persistence in faith.  We need to really know that what He offers is an answer that is not going to be found anywhere else.  Our deepest struggles require something more than an intellectual brilliance or even the creativity the ancient world possessed in reaching for the good, the true, and the beautiful.  For it is Christ the Word who is in His Person the good, the true, and the beautiful, and He gives us keys that unlock the deeper doors of salvation to the root problems of the struggles of this world.  And this is what the ancient world would come to embrace in Jesus.  There are things that can only be healed by grace and by faith, by our communion with Christ.  We may know beautiful thoughts and concepts, important notions of the good, a rational sense of philosophical truth, but there are deeper struggles within human beings, and deeper structures of spiritual truth which need the discernment Christ offers and also His strength to rely upon.  He is the one who unlocks mysteries the ancients could not see before He came into the world, and gives us keys to the kingdom of God.  Finally, it is the Word of God whom we need to hear and whose praises we need to express in our lives, and this sets us back into a right orientation to creation itself.  It is this that the ancient world was awaiting, and which would transfigure philosophy, science, architecture, arts, theater, and all the brilliant understanding the ancients had into new orientation of what the question for truth, beauty, and goodness should serve -- and through which all of those things would be transfigured into greater expression.  Let us remember that this is what Christ does in our own lives, He opens us up to be transfigured, to understand what is better to serve, to give us an orientation which is at once more directly in communion with the Lord and also opens us up to the deeper mysteries of life and how we are to live it.  The ancient world with its splendid achievements needed to "be opened" to the realities of Christ which would transfigure life.  For even we who live with the achievements of today's world  may be willing to become like "little dogs" in order to receive such an enormous gift, to "be opened" to hear and express the good news of His gospel.

 

There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man

 

 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.  Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.  For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.  When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.  And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"  He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:

'This people honors Me with their lips,

But their heart is far from Me.

And in vain they worship Me,

Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'

"For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."  He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.  For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban" -- '(that is, a gift to God), "then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.  And many such things you do."  

When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand:  There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"  When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.  So He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also?  Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?  And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man."

 

- Mark 7:1-23 

 

Yesterday we read that, after Jesus had sent the disciples across the Sea of Galilee, 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.

 

 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.  Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.  For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.  When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.  And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"  He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:  'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'  For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."  He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.  For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban" -- '(that is, a gift to God), "then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.  And many such things you do."  My study Bible comments that the issue here is not the observation of Jewish customs or traditions, which Jesus most certainly doesn't prohibit (Matthew 5:17-19, 23:23).  The real issue here is setting human tradition contrary to the tradition of God, as Jesus explains ("For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do").  The tradition of the elders is a body of interpretations of the Law, which for the Pharisees and the scribes was just as authoritative as the Law, and, my study Bible says, often superseded it.  According to this tradition, offerings (called Corban) could be promised to God in a way that property or earnings could still be used for oneself -- but not for others, including one's parents.  These types of secondary traditions obscure the primary tradition of the Law, my study Bible comments, which is contained in the commandments of God.

When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand:  There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"  When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.  So He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also?  Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?  And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man."  My study Bible explains that food cannot defile a person because it is created by God, and is therefore pure.  Evil things ("evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness") are not from God, and these are what defile a person.

What is evil?  How do we know what evil is?  My study Bible explains Jesus' teachings in today's reading by saying that food is created by God, and therefore cannot be evil in and of itself.  Jesus says that evil things, or things which defile a person, come out of a person -- out of the heart.  What this does is shift our attention from external forms of "contamination" to a sense of ourselves as needing protection and vigilance for our hearts.  This is frequently called "guarding the heart."  It consists of watching our own thoughts, what we nurture within ourselves, the things we harbor, the habits we keep, even our automatic responses to things that provoke.  Human beings have all kinds of temptations and thought patterns which are sparked by or in some sense simply absorbed from the world we're born into.  Since sin is a part of our environment, so then is its influence -- and all the things Jesus names as evil here are a part of our environment.  We "learn" them the same way we learn to speak as children; in that sense, they are all around us.  But Jesus makes it clear that we are responsible for what we choose to keep and protect, to harbor and to allow to grow within ourselves.  We're responsible for what we nurture and dwell upon and cultivate and thereby grow in our hearts.  It's sort of like the seeds in the parable of the Sower, but in the inverse:  Christ as the Sower sows good seeds, and it's up to us to nurture those good things in our hearts and allow them to grow, and to protect them from the things that are harmful to them.   The "evil things" that Christ names in today's reading are those things that harm and destroy and compete with the seeds that Christ seeks to plant in us.  Jesus names them as "evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness."   An evil eye, one should understand, is generally known as envy, a malevolent lust for what doesn't belong to us but to someone else.  If we look closely at these "evil things" which Jesus names, we see that they all have a selfish component to them.  He's not talking about things done in self-defense or to protect others, but things which are a means to a selfish end, and often using others as though they were just material things to manipulate for our own desires.  But Jesus makes clear that we aren't merely victims or slaves to passing thoughts, but people with the capacity for self-awareness, and we are called to this awareness and to the work of guarding the heart.  We may all have weaknesses, but we are all expected to put in the effort to be aware of them and to seek to develop strength instead.  In Jesus' teaching there is the assumption that we all have agency; moreover, we all have spiritual help in this effort.  The work of psychology in modern form is all about using this agency, our own capacity for understanding ourselves and saying "no" to the things that aren't good for us and lead to harmful behavior.  In this modern context, therapy is meant to be engaged with effort and positive results; our weaknesses or existing bad habits are not an excuse to simply indulge in them.  Christ gives us a focus; we're not simply at the mercy of forces that batter us, and complete control and manipulation of what's around us is not the answer either to our spiritual questions.  Our real integrity is elsewhere.  Let us remember to focus on the place the heart, to keep and guard what is good, and to be on guard to cast out what defiles.

 

 

 

 

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 having returned from their first missionary journey, they 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.   

 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.  My study Bible remarks that this is the second time Christ permits His disciples to be caught in a storm (see this reading for their previous experience in a storm while crossing the Sea of Galilee).  Let us note that in yesterday's reading (see above), Jesus had sent them across the sea toward Bethsaida, while He went to the mountain to pray.  The first time they were caught in the storm of the sea He was with them.  In today's reading, He has sent them ahead of Him, alone.  In this way, my study Bible explains, Christ strengthens their faith that He will always be with them in the midst of the storms of life.  It is I is literally translated as "I Am," which is the divine Name of God from the Old Testament (see John 8:58, Exodus 3:14).  My study Bible says that in this way, Jesus reminds the fearful disciples of His absolute and divine authority over their lives.  The fourth watch of the night is approximately three o'clock in the morning.

For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.   To know Christ is a matter of the heart, my study Bible comments, and not merely the intellect.  When our hearts are illumined by faith in God, it says, they 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.  My study Bible reminds us that Christ permits miracles through touch in order to show that His very body is life-giving (see also this reading, especially the section on the healing of the woman with the years-long blood flow).

 

The stories about Jesus and His ministry are filled with drama.  The previous time the disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee in the middle of a frightening storm, they found themselves finally coming to rest in a deserted, "lawless" place among tombs, where they met a man possessed by a Legion of demons (in this reading).   But here, the reception is quite different.  They've anchored in a place where Jesus is well-known and immediately recognized.  Here, and apparently in the entire surrounding region of villages, cities, and country, people laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  Mark especially seems to give us the "flavor" of this ministry as that which drives the disciples through a enormous and dizzying variety of experiences, all vivid in their own ways.  I don't know if we can imagine what it would be like to be in a boat, rowing, in the middle of a stormy Sea of Galilee at three o'clock in the morning!  That is, of course, unless we've had a similar experience.  I've found myself on a slightly stormy sea in the middle of bright daylight in the summer in the Aegean, on a modern large catamaran with a powerful motor designed for such a trip, and even then I can say the experienced captain was clearly extremely anxious and frightened for what might happen.  In that instance, we docked at the nearest island port until the storm passed.  If we put ourselves in the shoes of the disciples, can we even imagine what this would have been like at 3:00 AM, without modern technological help?  Seeing Christ walking on the water, of course, adds another element to the story!  While there are those who may dismiss out of hand the miraculous elements of the Gospels, I'm not one of them.  Even modern physics posits a multi-dimensional universe, and that particles of energy and matter do not always behave as expected.  I accept Christ's identity in the sense that today's reading teaches us about Him:  as God Incarnate He has a mastery over wind and waves and the forces of nature.  As Mark unfolds the stories of Jesus' ministry, we see revealed to the disciples more and more glimpses or signs of Christ's divinity.  Who can walk on water?  Who can calm the waves and the winds?  Moreover, in today's reading, we catch sight of ourselves, and how we are able to blind ourselves to things we can't quite accept.  It tells us that the disciples' hearts were hardened so that they did not understand about the loaves and the fishes described in yesterday's reading.  How is that possible?  In an era in which we're used to being told explicit news events, "verified" by what we see on television or hear in recordings, in which we are constantly fed evidence of "proof" of something, this might be hard to understand.  A mass acceptance of something seems to make it so (helped along by marketing techniques for the public).  But eye witness experience is different, and our minds work in a particular way to influence what we think we know or see.  Therefore to have a "hardened heart" in Biblical parlance is to be blind to something, either deliberately, or in the case of the disciples, perhaps they are having a hard time accepting all that they are being exposed to about Jesus and what it all implies.  In the tradition of the Church, as explained above in the notes from my study Bible, the heart is a seat of knowledge, and there in the heart is a kind of understanding that doesn't come simply from rational deduction or grasping of material facts.  There is another way to perceive, especially for the perception of things of a spiritual nature and the realities of our dependency upon and communion with God.  It is important to make room for an experiential understanding of faith, for ours is a kind of intimate relationship just as we read the disciples themselves developing with Christ.  This kind of dependency and trust is deepened in the  heart, and realities are grasped especially through a heart that is open to love and understanding, a sympathy that conveys wisdom or knowledge otherwise not known but understood.  This is the real spiritual tradition of the Church, those whom Christ calls capable of grasping faith as a little child, what it is to have a heart open to God.   In the Eastern Christian tradition, those with such a heart are called spiritual elders:  they need not be of any specific age or gender or walk of life.  But they are those with a deep and mature faith, expressed and experienced through such understanding and insight, and they are able to grasp the truth in the hearts of others that isn't necessarily accepted but is nevertheless there.  They are such that others open their hearts to them, and theirs is a humility that is filled with grace which may be easily overlooked by the world.  Our hearts are indeed the key to a deep mystery -- a mystery about who we are, and about God and our relationship to God.  Our hearts also tell a hidden story about what we'd rather not see.   Only God has the real key to our deepest hearts, and Christ is called the "heart-knower" (see Acts 1:24, in which the Greek text literally uses this term).   Just as Jesus can command physical nature, and heal human ailments, so another sign of His divinity is His knowledge of our hearts.  St. Paul writes, "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6).  Let us pay attention to the heart, where such light shines for us.  The disciples see Him walking toward them on the water, but He also speaks to our hearts when we need Him, and says, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."

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

 

 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 now King Herod heard of Jesus, 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.  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 apostles have just returned from their first missionary journey, so they have much to talk about with Christ regarding what they had done and what they had taught.  My study Bible comments that Christ gives rest to His disciples to show those engaged in preaching and teaching that they must not labor continuously, but must also take rest.  But even in a deserted place which they went to by boat, they cannot escape the crowds who anticipate where they are going and run before them.  Again, we see a display of Jesus' compassion, with the distinctive phrase that calls to Christ, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  My study bible makes note that the Gospels frequently use the phrase moved with compassion of Jesus (Matthew 14:14, 20:34; Mark 1:41, Luke 7:13), which shows that 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."  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.  This miracle, the feeding of five thousand men (and more women and children), is reported by all four evangelists.  It depicts our Lord feeding a great multitude of His people just as He fed the Israelites in the desert (see Exodus 16).  Jesus teaches that we should never eat without first giving thanks to God.  My study Bible comments that the terminology here points to the Last Supper (Matthew 26:26), and therefore leads to a eucharistic interpretation of this miracle.  This is made clear in John 6.  As the disciples distribute the bread to the multitudes, so also Christ feeds us the Eucharist through the hands of His bishops and presbyters.  There is also a spiritual interpretation found in patristic literature, which teaches that the five loaves indicate the five books of the Law (Genesis through Deuteronomy), which 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.  Additionally, the gathering of the leftovers by the apostles (twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish) shows that the teachings which the faithful are unable to grasp are nonetheless held in the consciousness of 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.  Once again, we see Jesus withdrawing as He intended to before the multitude followed.  But this time, He departed to the mountain to pray.  It is a reminder that we often need to withdraw to pray, but we also may consider this important "landmark" in His ministry of the feeding in the wilderness, and that it begins a phrase in His public life.  To depart to the mountain indicates a communion with God the Father, a place where important spiritual experience takes place.

With what do you feed yourself?  With what does Christ feed you?  Certainly we can read in today's reading the commentary regarding the Eucharist, and how this central feeding miracle foreshadows the Eucharist and Christ's words at the Last Supper.  But when God chooses to give us something, there is no stinting at this effort, no piecemeal sort of giving.  Christ gives us Himself.  He gave Himself in the Incarnation, He gave Himself at the Cross, He gives Himself in the Eucharist.  But there is so much more to read into today's Gospel reading.  Jesus responds to our suffering.  He responds with compassion to the needs of humanity that call to His lordship for us.  He was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.  And that was what they needed, a shepherd, so He became the Shepherd and taught them many things.  Finally, they continue with Him the full day and have nothing to eat -- and this becomes the opportunity for the miracle and for teaching the disciples how to act with what is at hand.  It is a great lesson in hospitality, which is at its true heart and purest form an exercise in compassion.  This theme runs throughout the Scriptures, and was embodied in the lives of the desert monks.  So how can we incorporate into our lives the lessons Jesus teaches?  We must remember that at all times, an abundance in life is created when we have Christ with us.  He fills us with good things (Luke 1:53), especially those particular things for which we are truly hungry and need.  He teaches us to take the initiative, to start with what is at hand, to understand that when we begin with prayer we are halfway there to fulfillment of what's necessary.  And He shares His great gift of compassion and hospitality with us, as He distributes through the disciples, teaching them the image of His Church.  Jesus has said, "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20).  Well, where even two or three are gathered there is room for hospitality and graciousness, and there is room for the richness we have in Christ and in our faith and the Church as a whole and all the gifts stored therein for the world, and the saints and angels that are a part of it.  We make room for Christ, as He has made room for us, even a banquet in the wilderness.  The richness of such a gift, one feels, is one we have only started to understand, for we enter into His abundance, not just our own.  Let us do as He does always, and remember our prayer, for that is where every good and perfect gift begins, for "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning" (James 1:17).  Wherever we are, when we are with Him, we have what He offers, the things with which He feeds us.  He is our Shepherd for those of us who need Him, our Teacher who teaches us what we need, and who multiplies His abundance for us.  Sometimes it is all so hard to see, but in prayer we'll find we are offered what we truly need.

So she went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?" And she said, "The head of John the Baptist!"

 

 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."  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!"   This King Herod is Herod Antipas, the son of the King Herod who slew the infants in Bethlehem (see Matthew 2:16).  Although he was technically a Roman governor (or tetrarch) over the region of Galilee, he was popularly called King, my study Bible reminds us.  He knows that John the Baptist had worked no miracles while living, so now he believes that John was raised from the dead, thinking powers are at work in him.  Thus, my study Bible concludes, he fears John more dead than alive.  Elijah was expected to return and work signs before the second coming of the Lord (Malachi 4:5).  The Prophet is understood by some to refer to the Messiah, the One foretold by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15).  Others interpret this as simply meaning a new prophet had arisen.

 

 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 text begins the explanation of John's death, so that readers will understand why Herod would think that John was risen from the dead, and working through Jesus.  My study Bible asks us to note that Herod, with his wealth and soldiers, feared John, who lived in poverty and was clothed in camel's hair (Mark 1:6).  This is a testament to both the power of personal holiness and integrity, and also to the people's perception of John, who was held in the highest esteem as a just and holy man and prophet (Mark 11:32).  Somewhat similarly to the way he will respond to Jesus when He was taken into Herod's custody (see Luke 23:6-12), Herod takes a kind of delight in listening to John, as if he is a rare marvel held in captivity.

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.  Here is the parenthetical "backstory" that explains Herod's fear that in Jesus is John the Baptist raised from the dead, whose powers are at work.  We can note the lawlessness and scandal of Herod's court, especially from the perspective of the Jews whom he ruled, for whom allowing a daughter to dance at such an affair and before the men of court would be unthinkable. The fact that Herod swore a very rash oath tells us about his character, and his fear of losing face in front of the nobles, high officers, and chief men of Galilee.   Herodias' advice to her daughter in asking for a "gift" speaks for itself of a thoroughly selfish lust for personal material power and the bloody violence that goes with it.  

 

 What can we make of Herodias' advice to her daughter, to ask for John the Baptist's head on a platter?  Certainly we can see how self-serving it is, how thoroughly selfish and driven this woman is in her quest for power.  She's married Herod as a gambit to "trade up" for power, even while her first husband, his brother, is still living, something entirely scandalous to the Jews, and proclaimed to be unlawful by John the Baptist (and historian Josephus as well).  This struggle over what is lawful and what is abhorrent to the Jews is at the center of the story; although raised as a Jew, we can see what is scandalous to the Jews in Herod's court and his manner.  It reminds us of Christ's words to the disciples regarding power:  "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them" (Mark 10:42).  This story is a prime example of the power to "lord it over" others, and the outcomes where this quest for power means everything.  It is a story in a microcosm about the breakdown of decency where struggle and competition for power form the basis for relations, even a relation between daughter and mother.  This is a mother who allowed her daughter to dance before the men at the court in a manner scandalous to the people of her time, and who advises her daughter -- who could have asked for any good thing for herself -- to ask for John the Baptist's head.  Let us note how one generation succeeds another continuing in the same bad direction:  the girl takes this one step further, and proclaims she wants John the Baptist's head on a platter, as if it is another splendid dish on display at Herod's birthday party, a prize that tops off the rest of the banquet.  Indeed, it then becomes a gift which the girl bestows upon her mother.  One would not be surprised if that was considered, in this family setting, a gift of love and loyalty from daughter to mother!  This holy and revered prophet's head on a platter gives us an idea of the depths to which we human beings can fall without a sense of how God wants us to live,  a visceral reminder of where a pure quest for power leads.  It reminds us of the corruption that can pervade the most sacred or intimate relations within a family, and that there isn't really a place where we don't need to remember God first, and remind ourselves what we are to be about.  Life will not simply take care of itself; it is we who need to take care of life and understand how we are to live it, what we respect, and how we are to serve what is good and true.  Indeed, if we look at the life of Herodias herself, we see that this marriage with Herod Antipas resulted in a disastrous war and exile for both of them.  I have heard on occasion priests and other Christian writers refer to what they call "familyolatry."  Many of us want to see family as something sacred in and of itself, but one look at the family of Herod the Great and its bloody history of internecine murder and scheming between even the closest of blood ties should tell us how wrong it is to assume that simply of itself, family is incorruptible.  Apart from faith in the good and a life lived in this consciousness, there is nothing that keeps us truly "civilized" and from breaking down into the worst effects of selfishness and abuse.  As those who are faithful to God, we can look at Scripture in both Old and New Testaments and must be aware of what we see there.  We are not presented with a world without problems, but a world in which it is up to us to remain salt and light, and be vigilant in remembering what we are to be about, despite what we might see others doing.  Indeed, without this effort, we may lose even what we think we have.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house

 

 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, a return across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, after healing the demon-possessed man), 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."  My study Bible comments that this double response of being both astonished and offended occurs frequently with those who encounter Christ (Luke 11:14-16, John 9:16).  Christ's rejection in his own country is a foreshadowing of the rejection by the whole Jewish nation at His trial before Pilate (John 19:14-15).  Regarding Christ as brother, my study Bible comments that in Jewish usage, "brother" can indicate any number of relations.  Abram called his nephew Lot "brother" (Genesis 14:14); Boaz spoke of his cousin Elimelech as his "brother (Ruth 4:3); and Joab called his cousin Amasa "brother" (2 Samuel 20:9).   Christ Himself had no blood brothers, for Mary had only one Son:  Jesus.  The brothers mentioned here are either stepbrothers; that is, sons of Joseph by a previous marriage, or cousins.  Jesus will commit His mother to the care of John at the Cross (John 19:25-27), an act which would be unthinkable if Mary had other children to care for her.  Christ's saying, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house," is so significant that it appears 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.  Jesus could do no mighty work there because of the unbelief of all but a few in Nazareth.  My study Bible explains that this is not because He lacked power.  It says that while grace is always offered to all, only those who receive it in faith obtain its benefits.  Let us observe that He moves on 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.  This is a description of the first apostolic mission of the twelve.  These twelve are disciples (Greek μαθητής/mathetes, "learners"), who are now also apostles (Greek ἀπόστολος/apostolos, "one sent out").  My study Bible comments that Jesus gave them power to perform miracles, while He performed them by His own power.  Note that Jesus sent them out two by two.  In Matthew's Gospel, their names are listed in pairs, suggesting who may have traveled together on this first missionary journey (see Matthew 10:1-4).  Regarding anointing the sick with oil, my study Bible reports that this not only has medicinal value but sacramental value as well.  It says that as God's healing power is bestowed through creation (Mark 5:27; Numbers 21:8-9; 2 Kings 13:21; John 9:6-7; Acts 5:15, 19:11-12), so oil is a vehicle of God's mercy and healing in the Church (James 5:14).  

Jesus says, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."  As we remarked above, this saying is so essential that it appears in all four Gospels, and so, we have to consider why this is so.  In today's world, we are used to a social media setting, which is pervasive on all levels, through all activities, and age groups.  So, we are used to each individual proclaiming their own truth and responding to public affairs all over our social media screens, be it on a mobile phone or personal computer or tablet.  As such, we might have many would-be prophets we know, both in public and private life.  From celebrities such as film stars or musicians to public personalities like pundits and professional journalists, we are used to hearing opinions about social affairs as a constant non-stop part of our lives.  Most of these people work at garnering followers, clicks, comments across the board on any number of platforms (including viewers on television) in order to make a living -- and frequently that means a very lucrative career.  We're all familiar with what is called "virtue signalling" by those whose jobs ostensibly have nothing to do with making pronouncement about the state of affairs in our country or our world.  Clearly, there is some benefit to doing so, otherwise why would so many who are ostensibly employed in professions that have nothing to do with this function be constantly engaged in such activities for all to see (and follow)?  The name of this game is publicity, a following, those who will repeat and broadcast a name or image far and wide.  Well, this is seemingly the opposite, antithetical image to the "prophet" Jesus names here.  His clear definition or image of a prophet is one who is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.  Throughout the Old Testament, and in the image of John the Baptist in the New, the prophets come to call the people back to God.  They rail against practices which have become popular and fashionable, against prevailing opinion among the high-placed and powerful "influencers" of their time.  Christ seems to imply -- and the events in His hometown of Nazareth clearly image -- that the very fiber or persona of a prophet and what a prophet does is going to irritate or scandalize those who might be considered "his own"; that is, those of his own country, his own relatives, his own house.  Let us keep in mind that for the ancient world, a "house" was not just a home but implied a whole household, including servants and properties.   The prophets come to call people out of a complacency, and it stands to reason that such a person would be one for whom the freedom to serve God came before everything else, even appeasing those of one's own country, relatives, and house.  This is an important image to keep in mind, as it hints at the scandal of the Cross, and Christ who will bear the shame of rejection in such an astonishing, overwhelming way that He is crucified as among the worst offenders, a punishment reserved for the worst criminals.  If we think about it, it stands to reason that a prophet would be one who does not conform to the prevailing fashions or mores or movements, but whose love of God is stronger than such.  St. Paul called himself and his fellow apostles those who had "been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now" (see 1 Corinthians 4:9-13, echoing Lamentations 3:45 of the prophet Jeremiah).  Possibly we might surmise that this episode in Nazareth, and Jesus' saying regarding dishonor, works to prepare the apostles for their future.  If we look at John the Baptist, we see a prophet who lives in radical poverty, set apart from his society, so strong is his single-minded devotion to God and God's purpose for him.  Similarly to Elijah, he wears skins of animals and a leather belt (Matthew 3:4; 2 Kings 1:8).  Christ, on the other hand, is criticized for eating and drinking with sinners, and here in His hometown, they cannot accept His gracious words and wisdom because they don't belong to one of His background and environment.  Suddenly He is a different person, because the power and authority of God is in Him, and their resentment means they lack faith in Him and His ministry.  A prophet calls us out of our complacency not for the sake of shocking or startling, not in order to gain followers or fame or money.  A prophet heeds God's call, and God often comes to call us out of something that is not good for us, or to announce something new we need to hear and to heed.  God's word gives us what is good, but always asks of us ears to hear, as Jesus so frequently says.  A prophet does not seek popularity, an image that is au courant, or a way to appeal to others simply in order to appeal -- but rather fidelity to the will of God, and God's truth in the message.  Let us understand the difference, and the importance of the saying we find in the Gospels.