All things come in parables

 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 Friday's reading, we read that Jesus appointed the Twelve.  On Saturday, we read they all 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." 

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.  The first thing we note in today's reading is the great multitude that gathers to listen to Jesus.  Mark's Gospel has told us several times now of the great crowds that cause chaos around Him.  Here, once again, He's got to use a boat in the sea because of the crowds.

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!"  With the great growth of this ministry came first the appointing of the Twelve, who will be "sent out" as apostles.  But a kind of "landmark" in the Gospels is Jesus' preaching to the crowds in parables.  My study bible says, "Parables are stories in word-pictures, revealing spiritual truth.  The Hebrew and Aramaic words for parable also mean 'allegory,' 'riddle,' or 'proverb.'  The Scriptures, especially the Gospels, are filled with parables -- images drawn from daily life in the world to represent and communicate the deep things of God.  Parables give us glimpses of Him whose thoughts are not our thoughts and whose ways are not our ways (Is. 55:8,9)."   This is Jesus' beginning parable; in the Synoptic Gospels, it's our introduction to parables.

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.'"  My study bible explains:  "The mystery is the reality of the presence of the Kingdom itself, revealed in Jesus and perceived by faith."  The quotation is from Isaiah 6:9-10.  My study bible says that Jesus' quotation refers to hardness of heart as the cause of lack of understanding.  (In Thursday's reading, Mark's Gospel told of us Jesus' grief and anger at the hardness of heart of the leadership in the synagogue).  Jesus' words prefacing the quotation from Isaiah, so that, tell us that His style of teaching is in the fulfillment of this prophecy.

And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?  How then will you understand all the parables?"  My study bible says, "Discipleship requires both that we have a personal relationship with Christ and that we understand what He teaches."

 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."  Of the parable as a whole, my study bible says, "The gospel of God's Kingdom is powerful, but our heart response determines its fruitfulness in our lives."

Jesus' explanation here really tells us about the parable; there's not much need to further "explain" if we read the Gospel reading carefully today.  But there are two elements here that are important and central of our understanding of what He's teaching us.  Those elements are mystery and faith.  As far as the parable is concerned, these two things go hand in hand.  In other words, the connection to our faith is also our connection to understanding.  His very technique of teaching here is clear; He explains it Himself.  Some will understand and some will not.  Hardness of heart, as we said earlier, has come up earlier in the Gospel.  It was used to refer to those in the synagogue who would not countenance Jesus' healing of the man with the withered hand on the sabbath.  There, Jesus' grief and anger at their hardness of heart taught that those whose hearts were "callused" (the meaning of this phrase in the Greek)  could not sense what was truly just in that situation; they did not share Jesus' compassion for the man who needed healing and wholeness.  Here, hardness of heart is linked with the inability to perceive, as in the quotation from Isaiah:  "Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand."   It's also linked to Jesus' statement to the crowd at the end of the parable (also echoing Isaiah):  "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"   The heart, then, in Scripture is a center of perceiving, sensing, understanding; the center of a person and what it means to be a person.  It is with the heart that we perceive spiritually; it's also in the heart that we harbor all kinds of things we should not.  Healing of the heart, in its deepest sense of connection to faith and understanding, is referred to in the quotation from Isaiah, and it's correlated with forgiveness:  "Lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them."  All of this is to say that our perception of the mysteries of His teaching, His word, and Scripture, is connected to the depth of the rootedness of faith.  In this parable, Jesus puts together the things of the heart and connects them to spiritual understanding, and to our own rootedness in faith and its connection in us to the things of God.  Faith itself is a great mystery and a gift, and it is more than an assent to a set of values, principles and rules.  Faith is something that touches the depths of who we are.  It's rooted in the heart and its persistence in us and in our lives covers all things.  It opens up doors of perception and understanding, giving us insight, and at its best opens up in us a perception of real justice.  This is our goal in faith, a kind of righteousness that is more than following the rules, but sees when "rules" get in the way of God's love and mercy.  In some sense, it really doesn't matter what those "rules" are -- they could be social conventions or things we learned growing up that no longer serve what God asks of us as we go the extra mile in asking for God's love and understanding in our lives.  In complex situations, nothing is easy;  but faith, Jesus tells us here, is linked to our understanding of how to go through them, as well as our persistence in connection to God through difficult times.  The heart, in a scriptural sense, is at the center of who we are.  Let us remember that deep center is the place where we must persist in our faith, and open up the great gift of understanding that keeps us in His way, whatever life may give to us.

Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother

 . . . and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed 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."

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 that 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.
 
 . . . and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed 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."  We have come to the point in the Gospel where Jesus' widespread fame has created enough of a stir so that this house where He stays is in a kind of chaos; there's no order here.  Even His disciples can't so much as eat bread in the house -- normal functions such as dining have ceased to be possible here because of the crowds.  In the midst of this chaos, Jesus' family comes for Him.  It's interesting to look at the word in the Greek for "out of His mind."  If we look at the root, it's a bit like the opposite of the word for "restore" that we read in Thursday's reading, regarding the healing of the man with the withered hand in the synagogue.  When Jesus "restored" the man's hand, that word read literally about a person returned to their rightful place.  Here, it's the opposite:  Jesus' family members (and the text tell us these are "His own" -- it's not clear just who they are, but they're part of His clan) come to get Him because He's clearly not in His right place, as far as they are concerned.  He's beside Himself, so to speak.  Some people would refer to the chaos in this house (because of the crowds) as an "Elvis phenomenon," after the crowds that swamp the lives of young pop or rock stars.  Jesus is a celebrity.  My study bible says, "His own people are His relatives, who do not yet comprehend Jesus and His mission."

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."   According to my study bible, "Beelzebub/Baal was the prince perhaps of  'the dung heap' or 'the flies' -- a god worshiped by the Philistines.  Here he's called ruler of the demons."  It adds, "Jesus clearly is plundering the strong man, the devil, whose goods were the people he oppressed.  Jesus' work brings total triumph.  Not one demon is able to resist Him."  Jesus' words here tell us of a framework for the entire Gospel of Mark.  The setting is a spiritual battle we can't necessarily see, but whose effects we feel and experience.  And He's decisively setting Himself out here as the stronger man, come to liberate those who are bound and afflicted.  The scribes' limited view, bound and afflicted by resentment and suspicion, produces a sort of blindness to what He's doing, what He is about.  Jesus' response to their accusations is pure logic.  He's opening their eyes to what is clearly happening here.

"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."  A note says, "The 'unforgivable sin' is the accusation that Jesus performs exorcisms by the power of a demonic spirit, instead of the Holy Spirit.  This is blasphemy."

Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him.  A note tells us that "in the Greek patristic tradition, these brothers are identified as stepbrothers of Jesus, sons of Joseph by a previous wife.  In the Latin tradition, they are seen as relatives, such as cousins."

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."  Some manuscripts tell us the crowd says to Jesus that His "sisters" are present also.  My study bible says, "Jesus is not necessarily belittling His mother and relatives.  Who was more obedient to the will of God than Mary who said, 'Let it be to me according to your word' (Luke 1:38)?  In effect Jesus is saying, 'Be like My mother.  Do the will of God as she does.'  In obeying God we become sons of God and brothers with other Christians -- spiritual relationships which are more valuable than natural ones."

Whatever way we look at today's text, we have to come to terms with Jesus' notions of relatedness.  There are all kinds of relationships going on here, many of which are "out of bounds" of the normal society.  There's the chaos in the house where Jesus is staying with the Twelve; it's so chaotic that no one can even have a meal in the house, because of all the people who come wanting to see Him.   It's disturbed the order of His own people, His extended family, who come to get Him (presumably to take Him home where they feel He belongs) because they think He's gone out of His mind.  The order is disrupted.  What is He doing, and Who does He claim to be?  What is this ministry?  Clearly, it seems that Jesus has left an ordered and rather humble life, and they want Him back where "normalcy" reigns, in their minds.  Next come the scribes who are clearly upset that Jesus is shaking up the normal order of things as far as they are concerned.  He must be working by the ruler of the demons!  But Jesus speaks directly and with great power and authority to them.  Not only have they got it all wrong, and are making no sense at all, but their accusations are of the type that will not be forgiven if they're actually blaspheming the work of the Holy Spirit.  It's not Jesus' human person that adds that layer of enormous importance, but rather the Spirit by whom the work is done.  The greater setting of the spiritual battle at work here in this liberation mission sets into place a deeper meaning behind the accusations and cynical actions of the leadership, who are worried for their places in the usual order of things.  And finally, there's His family, who appeal to Him in a way we can't help but be sympathetic to.  But Jesus has an important answer for them, also, setting out relationships in a difficult-to-swallow understanding of this shakeup of the "normal" order of things.  The deeper relationship in our lives is defined by relationship to Creator; or rather, to the Trinity:  Father, Son and Spirit.  In this spiritual sense of what is truly happening here, Christ is at the center of all things, and it is His coming into our lives that will truly set things right, creating relationships of depth and meaning, giving us the spiritual dimension that must come to full play in our lives.  In that context, all other relationships are not only second, but they come into the "right order."  And this is the far deeper purpose of His coming into our world in the first place.  He teaches us what real relationships are; His is a ministry of love and mercy and healing.  His teachings are all about relationships and how we are to care for them.  His condemnation of blasphemy of the work of the Spirit also teaches us about what we may need to separate ourselves from, and how we make decisions about what is good in our lives, and what harms.  Truth is important, love is important, and the humility to embrace both is essential.  Let us continue our walk with Christ.  Our world may be shaken by the Spirit's work of liberation in our own lives; but when we call upon Him we ask Him to set us in a right place, so that we, too, may see clearly and reasonably, and cast away the things that blind us to what truly is.  He centers us in the place we need to be, in all things.  His liberation mission is for each of us at all times.

He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted

 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 3:7-19a

In yesterday's reading,  Jesus 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 harness 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.


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.  Jesus withdraws to the sea because of the plotting of the leadership against Him.  Not for the first time nor the last do we read in the Gospels that Jesus withdraws at opportune times, avoiding confrontations until the necessary time -- and making confrontations He deems necessary for His ministry (such as His healing of the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath).  His ministry grows, even in the out-of-the-way places in Galilee -- so much so, that He must have a boat ready for Himself because of the crowds.  This is especially so because of His reputation for healing.

 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.  My study bible tells us, "The troublesome demons again recognize the divinity of Jesus, but Jesus commands them to be silent, that the messianic secret may be preserved."  As my study bible indicates in the note, we see Jesus measuring His ministry, giving out what is necessary and withholding or withdrawing also what is necessary at the time.

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: . . .  A note tells us:  "The appointing of the twelve sets forth:  (1) Jesus' authority in calling people to ministry:  many might have volunteered, but He appointed whom He would; (2) the requirement of discipleship before ministry:  to be with Him -- for intimate fellowship and training -- and to follow Him in order to be sent by Him; and (3) the commission to share in Jesus' ministry of preaching, healing, and casting out demons.  In Mark's view, demonic oppression is characteristic of human existence under the bondage of evil.  The mission of Jesus' disciples is to liberate humanity from this bondage.  Every age has its own manifestations of demonic power.  Thus, we who are His disciples have a similar mission today -- helping people to break lose from bondage and come to freedom in Christ."

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 explains that Thaddaeus is probably the same man called Judas son of James in Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13.

I think it's important to note that Christ does what He does when it's necessary.  In yesterday's reading and commentary, we mentioned the importance of discernment.  In some way, discernment can be likened simply to living a prayerful life, to walking with Christ.  In His way, Christ begins and ends everything with prayer.  Every time there is a new moment, a turning point in His ministry, it is met with prayer.  Every "mountain top" moment we can assume is a prayerful moment, including the appointing of the Twelve.  My study bible makes a good point when it notes that Jesus calls each one of these people to Himself, because it plays out into our own lives regarding how we make decisions ourselves.  Are they accompanied by prayer?  Do we look for the inner "voice" that's in the heart in prayer?  None of us is going to be perfect in doing this, and none of us can claim perfection in being what God calls us to be.  Yet, in prayer, this call is waiting for us.  To be in prayer is to be in dialogue with God, with Christ.  And that's where we begin to understand Jesus' own motives and His own life.  Even one of His own appointees will betray Him.  But nothing is done without prayer, without guidance and direction from the Father.  Whether there is a confrontation or a withdrawal, whether it is time to provoke or time to go to the mountaintop or to the sea, Jesus' mission in the world is directed in prayer, from the Father.  Even the revelation of His own identity is up to the Father's timing.  This is the way we understand Him, and the way we understand our faith.  Can we bring ourselves to such a place in prayer?  Can we understand what that reality is like?  Let us consider what it is to be true to the One who will take us places we can't go on our own, and to be humble enough to accept His direction and follow His example.

The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of 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 were told that Jesus 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 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."

  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 tells us that "this is not lawful because it was considered work, a violation of the Sabbath rest.  '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."  Not to experience the love and mercy of God is to be turned away from God; my study bible's note puts it succinctly and helpfully.  This is the gospel message.  It's important for us to correlate healing, restoration, wholeness, with the actions of God.

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?"   A note tells us 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)."

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 tells us that there is a similar saying to this which is found in rabbinical literature:  "The Sabbath has been given unto you; you have not been given unto the Sabbath."  But, it adds, "Jesus puts what He teaches into practice, interpreting the Law with authority.  Only God can say He is 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.  A note says, "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 perspective are incompatible." 

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.  In the Greek, the "hardness" of their hearts is something like a callus; what it implies is that they've grown insensitive, unable to feel or to perceive correctly.  It's a kind of blindness.  Jesus' grief is the fullness of feeling, and the anger here, it is implied in the text, is caused by grief.  In this picture it is Christ who is in fact the more fully "human" because divine, and therefore, in fact, more fully aware.  He's sensible to the true picture of the reality around himself.  My study bible tells us here that "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."

Blindness and hardness of heart are correlated in this picture here, a kind of insensitivity, an insensibility to the human reality around themselves on the part of the Pharisees.  They're so immured in their place of authority and position, they fail to see what is around themselves, fail to perceive the suffering they cause, fail to perceive what righteousness is in these situations.  Jesus tellingly gives an example from the Scriptures which the Pharisees know as experts:  that David and his men ate the showbread when they were starving.  "Rules" weren't kept to the extent that people were harmed by them, to the extent that a good that could be done was not done.  And maybe there we can see the fullness of Jesus' ministry.  As a human being, He's a splendid example of what we all should be.  It takes this man who is both divine and human to let us know what it could be like if we were fully ourselves as human beings, with all faculties working as they should be, all feelings truly in place, all perception really true!  It's Christ who comes into our world showing us what it is to be a fully restored and wholly "human" human being.  When we are bound by anything that keeps us from being the persons we can be, like the Pharisees in this story -- even if it is something which is meant to be for the good -- then we are blinded to our true selves, our capabilities, to our senses.  We fail to perceive.  They're like mummies entombed in something, incapable of perceiving as they must in order to be truly righteous human beings, and righteousness is the purpose of the Law.  In the language, we take a look at what Jesus does to heal the hand of this man in the synagogue on the Sabbath.  The word "restore" is correctly translated.  But if we take apart this word translated as "restore," what we find reminds us of other healings we've read about in the Gospel of Mark.  This word is rooted in one that means "in one's place" as in a proper seating arrangement.  So this man is taken to his proper place, left standing in the right place, so to speak, ready to take his rightful place in life to do whatever it is that is his true work.  The same is true of Peter's mother-in-law in our earlier reading, and so can it be said of the paralytic:  all of these people are restored to their places, whole enough to do whatever it is they need to do in life, upright in their proper positions.  The word used for Peter's mother-in-law and for the paralytic is "arise" as if wakening from sleep, but for this man with the withered hand to be restored to his place is similar.  It's the Son of Man who teaches us therefore what it is to be a full human being, to take our places as we must in His ministry, and at the same time to fully feel and to perceive.  To know what righteousness is becomes a part of His saving mission to us.  The rules cannot tell us everything.  To be able to be properly grieved, and appropriately angry, to act to heal and to restore -- these are the things His ministry is teaching us.  And He is Lord of the Sabbath; He is the center-point of all things, the place around which we turn in order to be healed in all ways.  A relationship to Him is to help us to discernment, to true understanding, true perception:  both of our proper sentiments and values, and to our righteousness in perceiving what makes for healing.  As we move through Jesus' ministry, we'll find many surprising turns we don't expect.  His answers are not our answers.  Even to this day, His response to injustice committed against Himself is a hard one for us to understand and apply.  Like He said in yesterday's reading, we need new wineskins to contain and carry the harvest He offers to us.  But it is in relationship to Him that we learn and grow to be the human beings we can be, to feel what we must feel, to learn what we must learn, to perceive as He'd have us perceive, and to heal His way.  There will always be something new to learn.

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

 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 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 were told that Jesus entered Capernaum again after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house.  Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door.  And He preached the word to them.  Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.  And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was.  So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.  When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."  And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, "Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this?  Who can forgive sins but God alone?"  But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?  Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."  Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"

 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 explains that "Levi (Matthew) is the only one of the Twelve with a powerful position in society and presumably an education.  He has 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."

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 tells us:  "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."

And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the 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 explains the difference in emphasis between the old and the new introduced in the Gospel:  "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."  Again, as we mentioned in yesterday's reading and commentary, it is transfiguration, transformation that is at the center of this gospel message.

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."  My study bible tells us, "Christ came to save and heal, not to judge.  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."  My study bible says here that this is "an expression of the messianic joy which accompanies the presence of Christ  Some believe this episode suggests the Eucharist." 

"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."  The value of fasting as a spiritual practice is not neglected here by Christ, nor was it neglected by the early Church.  But the emphasis here is on what is new:  sinners dine with Christ and are a part of this party of the bridechamber.  My study bible says regarding Christ's teaching about "new wineskins":  "This is not a blanket condemnation of Old Testament traditions, which Christ came to fulfill, not to destroy (Matthew 5:17).  Rather, this verse stresses the newness of Christ's teaching.  The old and the new cannot mix."

Let's look at the emphasis in today's reading:  over and over again, there's the call of sinners by Christ.   Matthew (Levi) himself is considered a public sinner as a tax collector, an agent of the Romans, willing to do a job that was notorious for its corruption, widely despised by the people.  We should note, for today's audience perhaps, that Jesus says He calls sinners to repentance (although some ancient versions do not include the phrase "to repentance").  Whatever text we look at, the context is clear:  Jesus' mission is a saving ministry.  He's here not to bring immediate judgment, but rather to save.  In that context, we're all sinners.  We all need some kind of growth and change.  Whatever that might be, Jesus is placing a different emphasis on what's important, and His claim here is a call of redemption, coming to save that which was lost, to offer a way forward into the kingdom.  There is no one who cannot be saved by coming to Him as a little child.  As Jesus dines in the center of that table of sinners as honored guest, let us consider the picture it makes for us.  He is the centerpiece.  But His message is one of transformation, transfiguration:  by coming to Him as a little child -- with the trust of a little child -- we are healed.  This transformation is likened to the work of a physician:  "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick."  Transformation, transfiguration:  those who are ill spiritually or even in any other sense if we are really to take the context of the Gospel into consideration, need this Physician to heal.  Spiritual ailments require spiritual healing --  but in Jesus' context all affliction comes from being bound (paralyzed if we are to use yesterday's text as an analogy) by the "strong man" whose rule of this world Jesus is here to undo.  On every level, Jesus is here to transform, to transfigure, but this only happens through our assent to His work in us and in our world.  When it comes to the new wineskins, His gospel is so expansive, so explosive in some sense, that it cannot be contained within the old ways of understanding.  Just as the wine ferments into something new, so the action of this transformation is upheld in the analogy of the new wineskins.  The good news is just that:  something new, that cannot be easily contained, that requires a whole new way of thinking to embrace its understanding.  We may not all think that there is anything about ourselves that needs healing or changing.  We may not all believe that we are sinners.  But if we consider that to "sin" really means to "miss the mark" we may need to come to a different -- and new -- understanding of our own faith.  A sin can be just as much a failure to love what is truly good about ourselves as it is a failure to love the good of God.  A false sense of guilt is a lie as is a false sense of innocence.  Any affliction can be addressed by this Physician. Which of us is entirely perfect in such a sense?  Which of us can make such an assumption without practicing self-deception (another form of lying)?  This physician is here for all of us, and this good news is still so far from being contained within the boundaries of our every day assumptions that it will always require new wineskins.  Let us continue to understand that His gospel cannot be contained in day-to-day ways of thinking, but will always require our own willingness to expand with it.  Like a little child, we come to Him.  We don't have all the answers.  We don't know all our own imperfections.  But we can read the Gospel, and continue to have expanded for us His transfiguring power, His call to righteousness, to a change of mind (the literal meaning of the word for repentance in the Greek).  His gospel message will always call us to see and relate to ourselves and to the world in new ways beyond our own limits.

I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house

 And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house.  Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door.  And He preached the word to them.  Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.  And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was.  So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.  When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."  And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, "Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this?  Who can forgive sins but God alone?"  But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?  Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."  Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"

- Mark 2:1-12

In Saturday's reading, we read that Jesus cast an unclean spirit out of a man when He was teaching in the synagogue.   Yesterday, we were told that as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.  At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.  Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.  When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.  Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.

  And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house.  Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door.  And He preached the word to them.  My study bible tells us that "Jesus preached (a vital part of His ministry) wherever there were people -- in the synagogue [as in Saturday's reading], on the mountain, on the plain, and here in a house."  In yesterday's reading, we were told that Jesus had to preach in the deserted places, where people came to Him from every direction.  But here in today's reading, it's striking once again the transfiguration of daily life that Jesus' presence is having on others.  This is Peter's family house in Capernaum, a headquarters for His ministry in Galilee.  The whole of family life and all relations with the external community are changed by His presence.

Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.  And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was.  So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.  When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you."  And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts . . .   Again we see the extent to which the home life is transformed because Jesus is there.  The house has become a kind of a synagogue, and even a hospital, where everyone is coming for what Jesus offers.  We also see the presence of the scribes.  My study bible says that "the heart in Scripture usually refers to the center of consciousness, including the will and reason."  Of the entire passage it notes that this is usually read in the Eastern Church in the second Sunday of Lent.  There's a threefold symbolism here of our preparation for Easter:  "(1)  We must come to Christ in faith and let Him heal us of our spiritual paralysis.  Sin is a paralysis of the soul.  (2)  We should let nothing deter us from getting to Christ, who alone can heal us, both in body and in soul.  (3)  We must help each other come to Christ."

. . . "Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this?  Who can forgive sins but God alone?"  But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?  Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise, take up your bed and walk'?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins" -- He said to the paralytic, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."   My study bible points out that what the scribes wonder about is, in effect, a revelation of the truth about Jesus:  it is God who has the power to forgive sins.  It also notes of this healing and Jesus' question about what is easier, "The point is not that either one is easier, but that One who can say, Arise, take up your bed and walk is also able to forgive sins."  Again, here, we get just a hint of the transformation of daily life by Christ's presence.  The young man is told to "arise," to take up his bed and go to his house.  He goes home healed and whole.  This same word, "arise" is that which we noted in yesterday's reading, in which Peter's mother-in-law was healed.  There it was translated that she was "lifted up" by Jesus, but it's the same word for "arise" here -- and one of its implications is awakening.  Both are awakened from affliction, with the spiritual sense of this word implying a spiritual awakening -- an awareness with which the former paralytic returns home.

Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"  The power of transformation for the paralytic also affects the community around him.  Again, "the people" act as a sort of chorus, telling us about the response of the crowds to this ministry, a kind of echo of what the people think.

Transfiguration is an important understanding of Jesus' ministry.  The Transfiguration experience of the disciples (Peter, James and John, those who form Jesus' inner circle) stands as a centerpiece to the Gospels, a turning point after which Jesus sets His sight for Jerusalem and what is to come there.  In these early readings in Mark, we get hints of the transfiguring effect Jesus' presence has on the community, on the inner circle, on relationships, in the home, in Peter's house.  It sets things at new angles, relationships in new counterpoint, and His presence gives everything a particular ordered perspective with a goal of ministry.  Here the paralytic is brought by his friends for healing to Peter's home.  It is so crowded they must take apart a piece of the roof to lower the paralytic in.  But the same thing that happened with Peter's mother-in-law happens here, the paralytic arises from his bed as if awakened from a sleep, and he, too, becomes a part of ministry, returning home not just for family and friends, but for a whole community to say, "We never saw anything like this!"  Ministry, the Gospel seems to tell us, is for every day life; it's not just about these stupendous events, but rather for the transfiguration of our lives, for the purposes of our lives, and in effect for all of our relationships.  Christ's presence in our midst may not have the spectacular effects that we read about in the Gospels, but in effect we may feel those spectacular effects within ourselves.  We will feel His presence transforming our relationships as well, changing the way that we relate to the world, in our families and our homes, with our friends.  The "spectacular" can be a purely subjective experience, so can the miraculous.  As our goals shift and change, as our notions of what is important and what is not shift and build in new directions, as our values have a distinctive cast to them that grows and builds, experience teaches us what faith does.  We may find ourselves objecting to behavior that is not honest and fair in ways we didn't dare do before.  We may find ourselves with the peace of mind to accept the things we cannot change -- including the courage to move on when we need to.  Faith can have a tremendous effect that no one notices much except those closest to us, but its experience is something powerful in ourselves.  As we go with Jesus in His ministry in Mark's Gospel, let's remember that each of us is called upon to be transfigured in our own way, as we move forward in the experience of faith.  This can take on many, many different shifts and perspectives and growth as we seek to heal in our lives through faith.  But it's the love of Christ that's central to that experience, the faith that is a gift and which we share with others -- deliberately or simply by virtue of our proximity.  Love wishes the best for each of us.  But it takes a relationship to the truly good to understand what "best" may look like, and this relationship will never stop taking us toward that goal, if we're willing to be "transformed" in His light.  Maturity in this sense, and spiritual awakening out of paralysis, is a constant goal, a daily journey, of our day-to-day lives.

Everyone is looking for You

 Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.

At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.  When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.

Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.

- Mark 1:29-45

We are in the beginning of the Gospel of Mark.   In Saturday's reading, we were told that after John the Baptist was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel."  And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.  Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.  So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her.  And she served them.  Here's something that tells us about Jesus' disciples; at least Peter is a family man.  Throughout the Gospels, we find people are related in many ways who are involved in Jesus' ministry (as notes quoted in Saturday's reading and commentary tell us regarding the two sets of brothers first called to discipleship).  So ministry draws people out of their daily lives, and also intersects and interweaves those lives.  In this case, Peter's mother-in-law is ill.  Jesus heals in many ways throughout the Gospels, but perhaps what we can note here is something about this "restoration" of Peter's mother-in-law.   The fever "leaves" her (via Jesus' hand) in the same sense in the Greek that our sins "leave" us in the same root word we translate as "forgive."  She then returns to her place to "serve" in the same sense of the word from which "deacon" derives (as in the disciples who served the broken bread at the Last Supper).  She then is free to "minister" to them (yet another translation).  Looking yet again at the language in the Greek, "rising up" is akin to awakening from sleep, also of spiritual significance in terms of her taking her place in this ministry.   Jesus' ministry transfigures all relationships.

At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.  Jesus' healing ministry is established early on here in Galilee.  Healing and the casting off of demons are intertwined; the spiritual battle behind this ministry is clear in the hints given us.  But it's still a kind of hidden battle; the demons are forbidden from expressing Jesus' identity openly.

Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.  When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."  But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."  And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.  My study bible points out that "Mark is the only Gospel which gives us a full 24-hour day in Jesus' life, a day built around prayer and ministry.  Jesus is the model for both, and He does not separate them.  Jesus' priority is prayer to His Father:  prayer before service.  He goes to a solitary place to be free from distraction, despite the multitudes' need of Him.  His ministry comes out of His relationship with His Father, not foremost out of people's need.  Here He moves along to the next towns.  He knows His task, and performs it although the crowds clamor around Him."

Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."  Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."  As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.  And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."  However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.   A note here reads:  "As the dialogue between the leper and Jesus demonstrates, Jesus heals from compassion -- not from duty or a need to prove Himself, or in order to gather a following.  Jesus' authority is comprehensive:  (1) in teaching, (2) over demons, and (3) over sickness -- powerful testimony to His divinity.  But He wishes this and His messiahship to be kept a secret."

By the end of today's reading, it's very clear that Jesus' ministry is spreading like wildfire; He can't be contained in anything He does, even when He forbids the healed leper from speaking.  His fame has spread everywhere, so that it is no longer possible for Him to openly enter the city but must remain outside in deserted places, while people come to Him from every direction.  There's always something in the Gospels about the actions of "the people" that we have to look at.  The crowds are the crowds.  In another note in my study bible, it's said that  "the crowds follow the crowds."  Again we get this sense of a sort of chorus in an ancient Greek play, where the crowds are simply there as backdrop and show the response of the world.  Jesus doesn't respond to the crowds as my study bible notes in the above verses; His sense of authority, duty and ministry comes from the Father, and everything begins with prayer, including the day portrayed here in today's reading.  I think that Jesus' response to the crowds must also give us pause.  What determines what we do, what we think, how we feel and judge about things?  We are also taught that Jesus acts from compassion.  This word for compassion in the Greek is the word from which we derive "spleen" but it indicates an inner sense of being moved, of a depth of feelings in our inner core -- almost the way one might say one feels "in the gut" or in the heart.  But let's make this clear, from the beginning -- and in this case, in the early morning -- Jesus is responding to the things given by the Father, and not merely to the crowds and the demands of others.  There's a connection here to the leper who wishes to be cleansed, but it's an extension of Jesus' relation as Son to the Father, an extension of this love.  And I believe that's what we are to see in this ministry.  Jesus' is a transforming and transfiguring ministry.  If we but look again at Peter's mother-in-law and her capacity also to minister being restored to her, if we look at the relationship of these two sets of brothers (Simon Peter and Andrew, James and John Zebedee) who are also called by Jesus to ministry and discipleship, and even this healed leper who is cleansed and told by Jesus to go to the priest and be restored to the temple community, we see Jesus' transfiguring grace at work.  In this extension of love and mercy through relationship to the Father we see the root of justice at work.  Through "liberation" (from a fever, from leprosy, from a demon) Jesus restores right-relatedness, the true righteousness of this Kingdom in relation to the Father and the full nature of what this Kingdom is all about.  That's the root that we must see, in contrast to "the crowd."  This Kingdom is not about what people demand, emotions that are easily swayed.  Rather it is about right-relationship, restoration, and transfiguration so that we all may attain to whatever place in that ministry that may be filled by us.  This is His healing work and we are all called to be a part of it.  So start your time today with prayer.  Find your place in the extension of God's mercy that asks you to give your life for this purpose:  not to the crowds, but to this root of all-transfiguring grace.  You may be led not to speak of some things.  You may be led to serve.  You may find yourself restored to community in particular ways and through particular means.  It comes down to where we start in prayer, what (or who) we seek to serve -- and what our liberation is for.