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

In yesterday's reading, we were given yet more parables taught by Jesus to the multitudes that now follow Him wherever He goes. The apostles and disciples, as well, are learning along with the crowds. Jesus explains the parables to them in private, after preaching publicly. So we have a double layer of discipleship going on, as Jesus has appointed the Twelve but has not yet sent them out on their first mission. First, they live with Him and learn. Yesterday's reading gave us the parables of the Lampstand, the Scattered Seed, and the Mustard Seed. See Without a parable He did not speak to them: the Lampstand, the Scattered Seed, the Mustard Seed.

On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side." We remember that Jesus is teaching by the sea. At this point the crowds are so huge that Jesus preaches from a boat off the shore. This is the Sea of Galilee, but people are coming from every region beyond Galilee, and from all directions, to hear Him. To "cross to the other side" is to go to the cities and towns on the other side of the Sea.

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. In the midst of this great mission, and His tremendous "success" as His fame spreads, all is threatened, apparently. They cross the Sea of Galilee and a tremendous storm threatens all of them. It's not just Jesus, and not just the apostles and disciples, but also little boats are following with them, presumably filled with those who wish to remain close to Christ. The boat is filling with water. This is a great metaphor for all of our endeavors - especially those we think are good or done with faith. Threats will come! We have to be prepared for a road that is not simple nor easy, but filled with all the natural things of this world that we are all subject to.

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. Jesus, on the other hand, remains calm. One gets the feeling that He understands with certainty that His mission is not over, and so feels no threat as do the terrified apostles. It's a pretty vividly threatening picture when you stop to think that among these men are many seasoned fishermen, who are used to working on the Sea of Galilee! We can just imagine the type of storm that would cause them to feel so threatened that they would tell Jesus they are perishing. My study bible points out that the Greek word which Jesus uses as a command for the wind to "be still" is the same He uses to command a demon to "be quiet" in Mark's first chapter. (Interestingly, that command is found in the same reading in which Jesus chooses these fishermen as His disciples.) A more literal translation of Jesus' commands would convey a silencing of this storm; the word translated as "Peace!" is to command silence, and "be still" comes from a verb that originally means to muzzle. So Jesus' commands here are like giving orders to silence something out of control, to put under order something that harms through such behavior. His power works to tame, to quiet, to silence chaos.

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!" We really have to get a sense of the vivid picture this creates. Jesus silences the raging waves and howling winds with a word, a command. There is now, in place of the raging storm, a great calm. And Jesus, rather than giving us words of sympathy for those who are with Him, seems rather annoyed or irritated! (We might be tempted to laugh when we think that they have disturbed His much-needed sleep!) "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" The picture of our Lord in contrast to the disciples is another extraordinary difference, a vivid black-and-white. God's perspective sees the long haul, the great journey of faith long term, while ours is to be distracted by the vivid threats we may feel or perceive along the way. And this will not change. In a commentary on this passage, St. John Chrysostom points out that "for this reason Paul also said, 'I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren ... that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life' (2 Cor. 1:8)." The disciples, evidently, instead of paying attention to Jesus' words about faith, are still so shaken with fear that all they can do is marvel at His power to command the life-threatening storm into submission.

How many ways do you feel threatened in your spiritual journey throughout life? Do you have obstacles in your pathway when you set out for the good? Do you find yourself threatened? In the loss of friendships or relationships, in the cost of what we may find we go through, life will give us dangers and storms. Just as the passage from 2 Corinthians that St. John Chrysostom gives us tells us about Paul's journey of great faith, so we, too, may experience all the natural shocks of life that the world can give to us. Indeed, our Lord Himself gave us the great example. So, if we are to take one thing only from this passage it is to have faith through the threats! To have faith is to understand the confidence that God places in us on this mission of faith, and to reciprocate that confidence. Over and over again, the stories in the bible tell us about this reciprocal trust and confidence, in the Old Testament and the New. Moses tells God that He has chosen the wrong person! And here, the "weakness" of the apostles and their fears are even more evident, despite the fact that they accompany Jesus Himself. St. Paul will tell us the word of God to him, in his infirmity: "But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' " And Paul's response to us -- "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me" (2 Corinthians 12:9). We are all subject to our natural weaknesses and infirmities, our emotions and fears, our very vulnerable humanity. And in this scene, the powers of the world are at work on us, in our very human perspective. But faith calls upon us for something else, something transcendent as we go through it all. It is a confidence, a trust, and it is extended both ways: from God to us, and from us to God. Can you bear that bond through the troubles in your life, that strong relationship? Remember that Christ has left this mission in trust to us, we imperfect and weak human beings, in a world filled with danger and threats, to which we respond with our emotion. But the bond of faith gets us through, just as it did Moses, the apostles and St. Paul. Where are you in that journey, and how are you strengthened to continue onward in that bond?

Without a parable He did not speak to them: the Lampstand, the Scattered Seed, the Mustard Seed

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

In yesterday's reading, Jesus preached the parable of the The Sower. In this way, Mark's Gospel introduces us to parables. Later, Jesus explained the parable privately to His disciples, and how each place in which the seed fell and was scattered determined how and whether or not it would sprout, take deep root, and grow and give fruit. He also explained why He spoke in parables, and we get the understanding that Jesus wants those to come to Him who will form the good soil; the mysteries of the kingdom are for those whose hearts can participate in it, and in which the word - His seed - can take root and grow and yield a harvest. Each of us responds individually, and the cycle of growth begins from there. See He who has ears to hear, let him hear! The Parable of the Sower.

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." In today's reading, we have a wonderful collection of parables given to us by Mark the Evangelist. A parable is a word-picture. The word in Aramaic or Hebrew also means allegory, riddle or proverb. My study bible notes that, when Jesus says (in yesterday's reading) that "to those who are outside, all things come in parables" might be translated therefore "to those who are outside, all things come in riddles." A riddle intrigues, and depending on the passion it awakens in us, we pursue its meaning and its answer. So is the mystery of the kingdom, the presence of God's reality in our midst. So we begin with the allegory of light. Light is an important spiritual metaphor that has been used often and also in many forms, such as a blazing fire that sends out its energy and warmth, a source of power like the sun that sends its energy everywhere, a lamp that gives reflection onto other things. Here in this allegory of the lampstand and the lamp, Jesus teaches us about that light: it is to be shed everywhere and to illumine all things. This is a sort of parable about the parables: the parables are to open our eyes; they invite us into this kingdom to get to know it and to understand it. And they promise us that all will be revealed. My study bible says, "That which is hidden is the Gospel, the presence of the Kingdom of God. The Gospel, at first a mystery explained only to the disciples, will be revealed to all. Everything done in secret will ultimately be revealed." Those who have ears to hear -- whose hearts are receptive to this word, these parables or riddles -- will see and taste the Kingdom for themselves, that presence.

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 here we are given the first taste of Jesus' promise to those who "have ears to hear." To those who have, more will be given. Those who are outside, because they do not receive by spiritual hearing, shall remain outside. Here's an intriguing idea, one that will surely draw those who are curious, who truly want to know, in. We are responsible, my study bible points out, for our own receptivity. Do we care? Do we desire this? Are our hearts open to this love, this presence and this reality of God? A mystery of this sort calls to us within ourselves, and we are either responsive or are not. Do you care? We must nurture that capacity for hearing within ourselves, and this is a lifetime process.

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 is an amazingly beautiful allegory about the kingdom and the fruits of our own pursuit of it, our spirituality. It conveys an important mystery and the ways in which that kingdom may grow within us. Without knowing, seed has taken root and begins its yield. We can be as anxious as we want to be, but with our care we don't force this growth - we can but be receptive to it, good soil, nurture it, but the growth is its own secret contained in the seed and the workings of God. But fruits will spring up, the seed bit by bit will bear its own opening up and its own expression in us and in our lives. Grace is at work; we just have to do our part to nurture it. We remember that in Luke's Gospel, Jesus teaches, "The kingdom does not come with careful observation." (Luke 17:20)

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." I do love the parable of the mustard seed, because truly it is so much like my own experience. This tiny seed takes hold somewhere. We may not even be conscious of what it is or was in our lives, but eventually (as in the previous parable above) we begin to take note of its fruits in us, its growth. The large branches, coming from such a small seed, an herb, is as big as a sturdy tree, so that it may even make a place for the birds to nest. I see birds as an allegory to angels, the messengers of the kingdom. A good seed planted, no matter how tiny, may result in the greatest of sturdy shrubs that gives a home to the beauty of God, God's good messages of love and care and mercy, a home to what is good in life and what makes life beautiful for others. Like Jesus' family in the world, Joseph and Mary who cherished and nurtured the Babe who would grow to be known as the Christ, we too can be a place of nurturing and shelter. But the growth remains a mystery, through grace - we just have to be prepared ourselves for receptivity.

My study bible has an important note on the mustard seed parable which I will quote: "Jesus begins with poor fishermen, but in a few years the Christian faith will spread throughout the Roman Empire and beyond. The work of God may involve apparently insignificant people and circumstances, but the possibilities are limitless because of God's power. That being said, Jesus' followers must always be prepared for the 'long haul.' Jewish expectations in Jesus' day were for the Kingdom to appear suddenly and fully. But God's Kingdom takes time to grow and mature through adversity, and when it is fully formed it will be even greater than expected." And, we note, its strength unbreakable in the bond of faith within us.

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. Jesus gives us many parables in order to speak the word, "as we are able to hear it." What does it mean to be able to hear that word, to receive the seed? He will also preach without a parable. But here in Mark's Gospel, as He has just chosen the Twelve Apostles, but has not yet sent them out, we begin to learn with the disciples and apostles what it is to preach and to live with Jesus, to sit at His feet and learn from what He does.

In some sense, He tests the waters. He offers parables, riddles, mysteries - so that those who come by faith, by a seed planted "without observation" within themselves, can "follow Him" and be nurtured and grow in that faith. We will all be tested by adversity as they were (as my study bible points out), just as in yesterday's parable of the Sower. There are things in this world that might choke that seed, cares and anxieties and false loves that deceive us. There are always choices to be made. Will they prove a stumbling block? But the seed, the word, is there. The kingdom, the great mystery that is within us and among us, is there. The question is, are we attuned to its presence? God's grace gives us the workings of this kingdom within us and among us, we but have to be prepared to be good ground, and to continue in the journey of faith, the struggle or the "good fight of faith" as St. Paul put it. How do we hear the word? Something may have happened years or decades ago in your life - but your observation of its fruit or harvest comes much, much later on. Let us remember that above all this kingdom is love, and mercy and patience, joy and peace that "pass understanding." It will nurture and grow in us, change us, but we must be prepared to love it, and provide a place for it in our hearts, to allow its work in us. Can you have ears to hear? When you are alone with "your Father who is in the secret place" is a good time to hear.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear! The Parable of the Sower

And again He began to teach by the sea. 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 becomes 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."

- Mark 4:1-20

In yesterday's reading, we learned that Jesus now has so many people following Him that neither He nor His disciples could even eat a meal in a house, because it was so packed with people who wanted to hear Him and receive His healing. At this point, Jesus' family is so concerned that they are worried for His sanity! But the scribes from Jerusalem have even a stronger accusation: they say that Jesus casts out demons "by the ruler of demons." But Jesus replies that Satan cannot cast out Satan - that if Jesus' kingdom is to stand in the world then He must first "bind" the strong man (Beelzebub, or the ruler of demons), and then He can take his home and his goods. Neither a house nor a kingdom can stand against itself. He teaches that those who blaspheme against the Spirit - calling the Spirit's work evil - will not be forgiven. Later on, Jesus is preaching and His mother and brothers seek Him. But He tells His followers, "Who is My mother, or My brothers? . . . Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother." See By the ruler of demons, He casts out demons.

And again He began to teach by the sea. 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 . . . We have already read of Jesus' habit of teaching by the sea. By now He has so many who hear His preaching that He had to have a boat ready, in case He is in danger of being crushed by the crowd. At this point, there are so many who listen (a "multitude") that He must stand in the boat to teach. We are told, "Then He taught them many things by parables." So we are to understand that He uses many parables to teach, but the first one we are given is the parable of the Sower.

"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." In the Greek, the word for "sower" and its verb form, "to sow" is very poetic. Scholars generally agree that the verb comes from a word that means to draw forth or extend a sword. This is an image of casting forth but it is also a metaphor for what happens in the scattering of this seed. So there is a hidden secret here in this language, as Jesus has taught elsewhere that He comes not to bring peace, but a sword that will separate everyone by their response to it -- and this is the sword of truth. So it is with this seed sown by the sower. Each has his or her own response. Jesus has just chosen the Twelve, to help Him in this work of sowing seed everywhere. So the parable has a lot to do with the disciples themselves, and teaching them what they are to be about in the world, and what will come as the result of their "sowing."

And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" This important saying will be repeated many times, and its significance for our faith - and even for the whole idea of faith and trust - cannot be diminished. Jesus wishes to touch those who have a receptivity for His words in their hearts. He wishes to make a connection of faith and trust, a relationship that takes root. For this we need spiritual ears to hear, an openness of heart to His words.

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.' " Well here is something quite interesting: the Twelve themselves are unaware of the meanings in the parable, and wonder why He teaches so. My study bible says that "Mysteries are not obscure intellectual concepts, but the presence of the Kingdom of God which cannot be defined." If we understand this correctly, we see that those whose hearts desire to know, to understand, are those for whom the kingdom opens, and the seed begins to take root. "Those who are outside" reflects the understanding in yesterday's reading about the blasphemy of the Spirit: those whose hearts are not open to this will not receive it, and the parable teaches us that the word will not take root. In this way, they remain "outside." But the parable also teaches us that there are those who will receive - and yet go on to reject. The quotation is an adaptation of Isaiah 6:9-10.

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 becomes 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." Jesus explains the parable - and it is, fittingly, a parable that reflects the work His Apostles will do in the world. How do people respond to the word? Let us see: There are those "by the wayside" - the seed sown by the hard ground of the well-worn and trampled soil of the road. So, His adversary (the "strong man" of yesterday's reading) is able to scoop up the seed. This may be seen as the soil of a "hardened heart." Then there are the ones sown in stony soil - a lesser hardening, combined with some soil. These individuals receive the word with joy, but it can't last; it can't take root. When conflict arises, a dilemma or stumbling block presents itself over this word, they fall by the wayside also. The ones sown among thorns are those for whom the heart is also a place of avarice or temptation; the stumbling blocks become whatever ambitions or idols we hold so dear that they choke the word within us. To not love this word, and to place it above other desires, is to become unfruitful. Jesus speaks of "the deceitfulness of riches" - false gods that betray us, and don't hold the value we place on them compared to the riches of the heart, this word. "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."

What is it to bear fruit? To have a heart that is good and fertile ground for this word? We understand once again the root of the word to sow - it's like extending a sword into the world, a perfect metaphor for Jesus' sword of truth. As He has just chosen His apostles, who will live with Him and learn from Him, who will go forth to preach themselves, and have the power to heal and cast out demons, so He teaches them what He is about and what they are to be about in the world -- and what the world's response to them will be. No doubt they would understand this parable as an image of prophecy in Isaiah 55:10-11: "For as rain comes down, or snow from heaven, and does not return until it saturates the earth, and it brings forth and produces, and give seed to the sower and bread for food, so shall my word be, whatever proceeds from my mouth. It shall not return until it accomplishes whatever I willed, and I shall prosper your ways and My commandments." We have observed already the tumult and confusion that surrounds Jesus amidst His great fame and popularity: there are those who seek to destroy Him, and there is One whom He has chosen Himself who will betray Him. Now, we are given a keener glimpse into the workings of the heart: there are all sorts of ways in which the word may be received, or not. It may be received for a time, and yet rejected when there is conflict, or choked by worldly ambition of one sort or another, loves that takes its place. He is looking for the good ground, the fertile heart, the soil that takes in it in and gives His word roots so that it produces good yields. So we are all asked and called. This is a process. It takes time, it grows within us. There's a quotation from St. Mark the Ascetic in one of my study books: "Do the good you know, and what you do not know will be revealed to you." What we learn today, we take with us tomorrow, where it may blossom and grow. It is a day to day process, this work of salvation, redemption, reclaiming the world from the "strong man" who would choke the word with false and deceitful loves, or snatch it up through conflict and division, whose real ground is a hard heart. We go forward understanding ourselves - with the disciples - to be bearers of that word, and draw it forth as we can, so that we too may bear fruit and plant seeds in others.

By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons

And they went into a house. Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind." And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebub," and "By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons." So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: "How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.

"Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation" -- because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."

Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You." But He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brothers? And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother."

- Mark 3:19b-35

In yesterday's reading, we read about Jesus' growing ministry and fame. He goes to the sea, and preaches and heals there. But there are so many people coming from every region beyond Galilee that He must order His apostles to keep a boat ready, so that He can escape if He is threatened to be crushed by the crowd. It's not enough for them that He heals and preaches, but everyone seeks to touch Him as well. Then Jesus withdrew further, up to the mountaintop, where He called those to Him that He desired. And they responded -- Jesus chooses the Twelve Apostles, including the one who will betray Him. See He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him.

And they went into a house. Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind." Again, we are given a picture of Jesus' growing fame and popularity. It threatens His existence at this point. He has gathered and chosen the Twelve Apostles, so that others may share in His life, and His mission of preaching, and His power to heal and cast out demons. But even coming into a house becomes a threat to Him, because the crowds who follow are too dense -- no one can even eat in the house! His family comes to Him (perhaps to rescue Him). They are deeply concerned and fear for His sanity in the midst of this chaos. I think it tells us something about the power He carried in the midst of the world. It's like a spark that sets off reactions that perhaps no one can predict, because we each respond in our own way. I was deeply struck by yesterday's reading and some of the chaos that surrounds Jesus - not only controversy and those who seek to persecute, but that He will be betrayed by one whom He has chosen for Himself. This tells us something deeply powerful about the nature of our own freedom that each of us has in response to God, even a call from the Lord.

And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebub," and "By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons." So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: "How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house. Not only is His family concerned for and questioning His sanity, but His persecutors claim that He has a demon and works by the power of demons. Perhaps in all the chaos created by His fame, it's not so strange that those who seek to be rid of Him would seize upon this situation to claim demonic influence. But Jesus answers rightly: If He works by the demons, then how does He cast them out? Jesus says that "no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house." Jesus brings a kingdom into this world, and from the earliest preaching He has done in this Gospel, He has preached that "the kingdom of God is at hand." He means to supplant and replace the "strong man" who has had too much free reign among us in the world.

"Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation" -- because they said, "He has an unclean spirit." What is important here is the labeling of the work of the Spirit as work of a demon -- attributing spiritual gifts that work for the power of God in the world, for the kingdom Jesus seeks to bring, to evil. I don't think we should be much surprised at this, and if you look around, you will find that anything that may shake up a power structure, no matter how ostensibly good in its goals, may be seen or labeled as evil. In this case, we must turn to faith to understand Jesus. He has still refrained from identifying Himself openly as Messiah. He wants a community of faith and trust, and such faith comes from an inner understanding, a spiritual perception. Those who would project evil onto Him, and demonic activity onto His work, are blinded by their own ambitions and haven't the spiritual understanding He seeks. Therefore their own perception of God's work is such that without some form of repentance they will not be aware of God's love at work within them, nor in their midst - nor in Jesus Himself. It is a question of perception of what is there. God's presence and power and love are here, and always offered. Sin, then, becomes a question of what we can see and hear, and what we are a part of within ourselves - or of that from which we remain excluded by our own blindness, for whatever cause.

Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You." But He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brothers? And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother." His family continues to seek Him -- perhaps they are still trying to talk to Him and are concerned for His state of mind amidst all the tumult. But as He does so often, Jesus goes one step further. He is ultimately pronouncing the state of things "good." He is not insulting His mother and His brothers, but rather calling His community His family. And that community is created through the acceptance of the will of God, the power of the Spirit at work in each of us, when we can perceive and respond positively to the drawing power of the love therein. This is a contrast with those who would call the work of the Spirit evil, or attribute it to something bad or demonic activity. Those who can perceive, who share love and community through this power of love, become His family.

So amid the tumult and chaos Jesus' fame creates, we start to understand a story. And it is linked to yesterday's reading, and how the kingdom grows amidst our responses to it. Do we accept it, or reject it? Do we call it good, or the work of the devil? How do we know what the Spirit will do in our lives, and how do we perceive it at work in and through others around us? This reading teaches us that each of us has our own response to the work of God in the world. And if nothing else, it also teaches us that we may at all times be deceived by our own desires and the things we wish to hold onto, the things we need to call good. Our own ambitions and desires to keep a system intact, a position we cherish, may interfere with our ability to perceive the now, the presence of the reality of God in our midst. This situation hasn't changed today, although we do not have Jesus the Son of Man walking incarnate among us. Rather, we are still in the midst of His work for the kingdom, the work of His apostles and disciples and those who have followed and those who accept the work of the Spirit alive and well in the world. Can you be present to it? Or does something prevent you from understanding it and perceiving it -- or worse, calling the Spirit's work evil when you may see it at work in the lives of others? This question is as important now as it ever was, and it teaches us about where we stand. Do we accept that love that is all around us, or does something we hold onto keep us outside of it?

Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him

But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him. So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him. For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him. And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God." But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.

And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons: Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

- Mark 3:7-19

On Monday, we read that Jesus taught that "the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath." This is after the Pharisees questioned Him because His disciples passed through fields on the Sabbath, eating the fresh corn they found there. This was considered work and a violation of the Sabbath rule for rest. Going into the synagogue, Jesus found there a man with a withered hand. Ever watchful now, the Pharisees wanted to see whether or not Jesus would violate, in their eyes, the law of the Sabbath, by healing the man. Jesus asked, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" When His accusers remained silent, Jesus was angry and aggrieved at their lack of compassion, and healed the man's hand. After this, the Pharisees now plot with the Herodians to destroy Jesus.

But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him. We know from yesterday's reading that at this point in Mark's Gospel, a powerful alliance is seeking to destroy Jesus. The Pharisees together with the Herodians form an alliance of the religious and secular establishment - quite powerful indeed! Jesus withdraws to the sea just after His great confrontation in the synagogue over the rules of the Sabbath (see yesterday's reading) and the issues of what constitutes service to mankind, and therefore service to God. But He can't withdraw any longer - from the great multitude of people who seek to find Him from every region. His fame has spread so that He can preach by the sea or in "the deserted places." Those who want to know Him will seek Him out, wherever He is found - and therein is a metaphor for all who would find Him now. We go where the Spirit leads us to community and to His love.

So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him. For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him. We get a great picture here of Jesus surrounded by tremendous need in those who would seek Him. As incarnate Christ, he is yet but one man and therefore vulnerable as each of us. His power has great effect, and draws all things to Him - including personal danger that accompanies His fame.

And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God." But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known. Despite all those who press around Him, Jesus doesn't want to reveal His divinity through a pronouncement. There are many reasons for this speculated throughout history by scholars on this subject. He doesn't want to declare His messiahship, for one thing, because of the political expectations associated with it. Not only would it lead to misunderstanding among His followers, but it would increase a conflict He has no political reason to exacerbate. And the faith He desires doesn't come through grand proclamations, but through relationship of a different kind. The Father draws those to Jesus who will understand who He is, to whom this will be revealed by faith. In a commentary, St. John Chrysostom has written, "Because the multitudes called Him man, the devils came proclaiming His Godhead." Mark's Gospel is careful to teach us that Jesus does not openly reveal Himself as God, but repeatedly gives Himself the title, "Son of Man."

And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. Once again, we have another withdrawal by Jesus. After the conflict in the temple with the Pharisees, He withdrew to the sea - yet the many who seek Him followed, so many that He might be crushed. And now, He withdraws again - He withdraws further. He goes up on the mountain. By the sea, the many who seek healing come to find Him and seek also to touch Him. Up on the mountain, there is a special call to those who would be even more devoted than those who seek His healing and His power. He "called to Him those He Himself wanted." This is a different kind of a call, it is a call to discipleship. Jesus issues the call and the Gospel teaches us something important about how this relationship bears fruit: "And they came to Him." We must in turn choose to respond to that call.

Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons: . . . What is the purpose of missionary activity? Jesus gives them power as He appoints them. But first, we are told, they are appointed "that they might be with Him." According to a commentary in the New Oxford Annotated Bible, "Jesus invited the Twelve to live intimately with him, adopting his way of life as well as his message. Spiritual strength came through the community he established." There is first a union, a community of love; they are in relationship. From this they learn. And for the purpose, secondly, that "He might send them out to preach." From this order in which the purposes appear behind Jesus' choices we are given significance, a ranking: first of importance is fellowship, relationship, community with Him; next the good news they preach, the message they bring. And finally, they are appointed so they may "have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons." His power He shares with them, but for a reason and a purpose beyond the signs of that power. First comes love, community, relationship - "that they might be with Him." And next comes preaching, the gospel of the good news, the word of the faith. The power invested in and expressed through His disciples will come to serve that faith and that relationship, and it is also an expression of relationship and community - He has invested in them. It is an ordination. And from them, this community's numbers will grow.

. . . Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. My study bible points out that the names are not the same on all lists of Jesus' appointed disciples, as many people had more than one name. Names here are importantly associated with spiritual identity, suggesting to us that our spiritual truth in relation to Christ is also named as we are empowered and revealed through this love and this relationship. In this case, we are given the new names "Peter" for Simon and "Boanerges" for the brothers James and John Zebedee. And the final note comes for Judas Iscariot. Mark tells us he is the one "who also betrayed Him." Not another word is spoken about that here, but midst the turmoil and conflict facing Jesus, it is the first we have heard of betrayal even among His closest friends and disciples, the apostles themselves whom He has called to Himself.

A complex mix of swirling events and powers is what we are given in today's reading. We understand that Jesus is persecuted - those in power seek to destroy Him. And so He withdraws, first to the sea. All those who seek Him for His power of healing come to Him from every town. Even from beyond the region, they come to Him. It's not enough that they are healed, they also wish to touch Him, so that He is imperiled even from those who would follow Him. The demons recognize Him, but He forbids them to speak the secret of His identity. Then there is a deeper withdrawal, to the mountaintop, and only those whom He Himself calls may follow - when they choose to respond to the call. He invests in them His companionship, His love, and community, so that they might go our to preach and gather more to community, and have power so that they may also heal and cast out demons. Through all of this, He still has not declared Himself Messiah. There is in a sense a three-fold manifestation of pillars to discipleship: companionship and community, preaching which will gather more to community, and power to heal and cast out demons. Amidst persecution, this is how the gospel will grow, and Jesus' word will spread to others. And we must note: the One who has power over the demons will also be betrayed by one of His own chosen; yet the gospel will grow. In which way do you respond to that call? In which way have you heard that call in your life? Jesus invests in us first companionship, His love. He is with us as Comforter and Advocate. From there our relationship grows. We may come to understand that love and the community it creates; and thence to preach, to tell others, and even more may be invested. We may have the power to help heal others, even to cast off their own demons, to "fight the good fight of faith" as Paul puts it. All of this begins with love and His companionship, and in Mark's Gospel, with the power of God to forgive, to bathe us in that love, for healing. Let us not forget that as His companions, we are told that we too may share that love with others, and the power to heal that He invests in His disciples here, so that they too may gather more of His followers and build His flock. It is not a political movement, not an institution, but an investment of love and mutual faith (even invested in the one who will betray). Let us remember this is how His kingdom grows.

The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath

Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?" And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath."

And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward." Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they kept silent. And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

- Mark 2:23-3:6

In yesterday's reading, we learned that Jesus calls to Himself tax collectors as apostles (Levi, or Matthew) and that He sits at table with many tax collectors and sinners, together with His disciples. The Pharisees and scribes are scandalized at this behavior. Jesus tells them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." Later on the disciples of both John the Baptist and the Pharisees were fasting, and they asked why Jesus and His disciples do not. Jesus tells them that while they have the bridegroom with them, the friends don't fast. When He is gone, then His friends will fast. And He teaches, "No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old; and the tear is made worse. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins."

Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" My study bible says that this is not lawful because it was considered work, and a violation of the Sabbath-rest. It continues, "'Pharisaism' is a very real danger for all. Rules for religious practice are not bad in themselves, but when adherence to those rules triumphs over mercy and human need, the practice leads people away from God, not toward Him." The Pharisees are perhaps inadvertently asking important questions. Is religious practice really a matter of following rules? How do we regulate our behavior and why?

But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?" My study bible notes that "Abiathar was appointed high priest during David's reign (1 Sam. 23:6-11). His father, Ahimelech, provided David and his men, who were starving, with holy bread intended for priests only (1 Sam. 21:1-6)." Interestingly, Jesus finds a previous exception to the rule; in this case David himself and his men provide a "violation." There are times when it is necessary to read the intention of the Law in order to interpret it correctly. Mercy must be a factor in the interpretation of how best to serve Creator, God who is love.

And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath." My study bible refers us to a similar saying that is found in rabbinical literature: "The Sabbath has been given unto you; you have not been given unto the Sabbath." But, it notes that Jesus is only putting what He teaches into practice, "interpreting the Law with authority. Only God can say He is Lord of the Sabbath." Already Jesus has pointed out to the Pharisees and scribes that He has the power, as Son of Man, "on earth" to forgive sins. He has also performed signs of healing that indicate the presence of the Father at work. Now he declares the Sabbath and all of God's law is to minister to mankind, and He as incarnate divinity is Lord of the Sabbath. Son of Man is a title that scholars have interpreted in various ways - but Jesus uses it as a definitive title, and clearly in reference to Himself. He emphasizes His humanity, while continuing to refrain from openly confirming divinity - rather He expresses His divinity through His attributes of forgiveness, healing, preaching and interpretation of the Law. To perceive the reality of His Person is something which each must find through faith.

And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward." Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they kept silent. My study bible says that "Jesus is motivated by compassion. He does not deny Sabbath traditions, but teaches that it is more important to do good on the Sabbath than to maintain the strict observance of Sabbath rest. The religious leaders are motivated by zeal for the rigid performance of rabbinic tradition; for them outward performance is more important than doing good. The two perspectives are incompatible." Jesus has said that He has come to save and to heal ("Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.") As Son of Man, He is incarnate as one of us, in order to serve, to love, to provide us with what we need, to nurture with spiritual food, and all that may imply of abundant life. Just as the Sabbath was made for man, so life-giving is the emphasis of the Lord. Healing was legal on the Sabbath only if a person's life was in danger. But for Jesus, life-giving takes on many dimensions and sustenance many forms.

And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. It's really important that we understand His compassion. Mark teaches us that Jesus is angry and grieved by the hardness of their hearts, the lack of compassion for the man with the withered hand. What good is serving God, if that service does not love and heal mankind? How is it pleasing to God not to heal? Can that be truly holy?

Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him. A note reads, "In their anger and self-deception, the Pharisees believe that in order to serve God, they must collaborate with their enemies, the Herodians, to murder the One who is the true Servant of God." The Herodians, of course, are the followers of Herod's court. They are allied with the one who will put John the Baptist to death.

Battle lines are drawn. Jesus has violated the Law which is zealously guarded by the Pharisees and scribes and He has crossed one line too many. Let us look to the point of today's gospel and let the lesson not be lost on us. This isn't a story about what took place 2,000 years ago, nor a mere history lesson, but a lesson for us to teach us about today. What do we learn from this lesson about compassion? About doing good, true service and the nature of God and God's love for man? Do we come up against circumstances today that require us to think outside of the rules in order to better serve and nurture? If our rules do not teach us about God's love and compassion and essential life-giving sustenance, then how do they help? Better yet, how will they serve God and God's purposes? Let us think, then, about how we conduct ourselves as Christians and what we do to serve the purpose of life-giving. How do we express God's love? What is truly healing and nurturing? A broken humanity still needs God's help and God's love, and those who would serve must remember compassion. This will never change, and God's love will always be needed - and God's servants to remember that need.

I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance

Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and he taught them. As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow Me." So he arose and followed Him. Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi's house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, "How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?" When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?" And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days. No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old; and the tear is made worse. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins."

- Mark 2:13-22

In yesterday's reading, we read the story of the paralytic who was let down through the roof of the house where Jesus was preaching, in order to be healed. The house, of course, was packed with people, and at this early point in Mark's Gospel, Jesus' fame is already widespread. People come from all directions to hear Him and see Him. He displays His divinity, saying that He, as Son of Man, has the power "on earth" to forgive sins, while the scribes wonder in their hearts how this can be. Jesus says, "Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'?" And to everyone's astonishment, this is exactly what happens. See That you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins.

Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and he taught them. As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, "Follow Me." So he arose and followed Him. My study bible points out that Levi (otherwise known as Matthew, and the author of the first Gospel in the New Testament) "is the only one of the Twelve with a powerful position in society and presumably an education. He probably already heard of Jesus. Follow Me is a divine call, a command, not merely a suggestion. Of course, Matthew, like anyone receiving a call, must respond by his own free will." Mark gives us this "call" in the same way He gave us the call to the first-called disciples: the brothers Simon (Peter) and Andrew, and the brothers John and James Zebedee. It is very simply and directly put. One gets the impression in this earliest-written Gospel that the necessity was to record the call, what is essential for discipleship, and not a whole history of what has come before. This Gospel has its own feel, and sometimes details are essential to the picture, and sometimes they are not. All are like vignettes, realities captured in icons, and Mark teaches us a lot about the perspective of the early Church. We can't read this text as a history book, but as marked scenes for our understanding of the unfolding of our faith, teaching us about how it works and how we grow in discipleship and how grace is at work in the life of Jesus and all that He does and touches (and those who are called).

Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi's house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. My study bible says: "In dining with sinners, Jesus shows the Kingdom's openness to the outcast, and its destruction of the barrier between sinful men and God. Jesus recognizes these people as a definable group. It is possible to follow Jesus and remain in one's social class; however, friends no longer come first." Jesus, in this sense, forms a new group. Discipleship conveys with it the bonds that become community, redefining all relationships. We get the picture here of many tax collectors and sinners following Him - here is the good news for them: the man who has the power to forgive (see yesterday's reading).

And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, "How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?" A note here reads: "The teachers of the Law sought to expel evil; Christ comes to transform it. Jesus does not become unclean by contact with the unclean. Rather, His touch makes the unclean clean." This note reminds us again of the healing of the leper in a previous reading, and the themes in Mark recur. One can only imagine the stunned perspective of the leadership, the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus presents us with a radical picture, just after He has shocked them by His suggestion that He has the power to forgive sins.

When Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." Here is the powerful flip-side of the coin of forgiveness: the power to forgive is necessary for those who need healing, and this Gospel does not separate forgiveness from healing (refer again to yesterday's reading and the healing of the paralytic). My study bible notes: "Christ came to save and heal, not to judge (John 1:17; 3:17). There are righteous people who do dead works (actions which are good in themselves but are motivated by legalism rather than by love) and keep people from God. True righteousness comes through faith and is accompanied by wholesome works. Many Pharisees were masters of dead works; some tax collectors and many sinners would become masters of true righteousness."

The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?" And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast." Here we get a picture of the centrality of Christ to our spiritual lives, and there is no doubt this is a statement of divinity. Christ calls Himself the bridegroom, and the people (His disciples) are His bride. My study bible calls this "an expression of the messianic joy which accompanies the presence of Christ." Many see in this picture a revealing of the Eucharist, the Presence in the feast.

"As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days." There are times to fast, and times not to fast -- clearly this meal, with all included at the table with Christ, is a time for celebration and joy and union. And forgiveness and its healing power can't be separate from this joyful time: it is the thread that runs through it. We practice fasting in order to fast from sin; it is a kind of development of discipline that teaches us how we can practice discernment, and learn the detachment necessary for making choices. In the presence of the power of forgiveness and union the goal of fasting is manifest: we are restored to ourselves in union with Christ; He is our joy. My study bible says that "fasting is not to be neglected as unimportant, or as smacking of 'works of salvation.' Jesus clearly states His disciples will fast. Refusal to fast . . . causes one to miss a great spiritual blessing."

"No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old; and the tear is made worse. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins." My study bible says that "this is not a blanket condemnation of Old Testament traditions, which Christ came to fulfill, not to destroy (Matt. 5:27). Rather, this verse stresses the newness of Christ's teaching. The old and the new cannot mix." Jesus' radical departure from the past is powerful and complete in the same sense in which the Pharisees and scribes may be shocked at what they see. The power of forgiveness creates a new sort of energy, a new reality, so that the picture of tax collectors and sinners feasting with this holy man seems utterly incongruent. It creates a picture such that it is not just a patch on the old, and neither can those who are unable to embrace or grasp the new be a part of it.

There is a radical departure here in the sense that the good news of forgiveness and therefore healing and restoration requires new perspectives, a real "change of mind" (the literal meaning of the Greek word for repentance) in everyone in order to receive it. Those who sit at table with Christ are the "new wineskins" in some sense. They can receive this new understanding, and they are joyful for it. It's also a poetic metaphor that the work of grace, of forgiveness, itself is what creates the new, and "renews." Over and over again we are given reminders of making new: starting with John the Baptist's preparation of baptism and repentance, Jesus' baptism renewing the waters, and the healings we have so far witnessed. In the Eucharistic sense of the world returned to Creator, everything is "made new." And this is the good news, the source of the joyful banquet. To be made new, forgiven and loved, restored to Creator is truly our joy. And this is the sense I believe we should take away from this reading; in exchange for the old we are given joy, utter happiness at restoration and renewal. Too often we forget that this great prize of grace, of the Bridegroom Himself, is our joy. Can you accept the gift?