2015-01-29 17:22:00

4th Sunday of the Year – February 1, 2015


Deut 18:15-20; I Cor 7:32-35; Mk 1:21-28

Stephen Brown tells about a man who was sitting on a board of nails, and it was hurting. A psychologist came along and said, “Sir, the reason you are hurting is rooted in a childhood trauma. You need therapy.” A sociologist then came along, saw the hurting man, and said, “You’ve got a problem, and it is obviously the result of the kind of environment in which you grew up. Hurt is from an improper environment.” An economist next came along and said, “Money is the root of all hurt. Let me help you with your portfolio.” Then a minister came along and said, “If you learn to praise the Lord in all your circumstances, you won’t hurt so much. Your spiritual life leaves something to be desired. Start reading your Bible and praying every day, and it will get better.” Finally a little girl came along and said, “Mister, why don’t you get off the board?” Some of us need to get off the tack. We need to get moving and get help. Today’s gospel tells us how Jesus responded to a hurting man.

Introduction: The common theme of today’s readings is divine authority reflected by the prophets of the Old Testament in their messages, by the apostles including St. Paul in the New Testament in their writings and teaching, and by Jesus in his teaching and healing ministry. Today’s first reading tells us that a true prophet speaks with authority because it is God who speaks through him.  After the Babylonian exile the Jewish priests began to interpret the words of Moses given in the first reading, namely, "a prophet like me" as referring to one individual, the expected messiah.  According to Acts 3: 22; 7: 37 this is verified in Jesus Christ.   This passage is chosen for today's first reading because it refers to Jesus, the "preacher with authority," mentioned in today's gospel. In the second reading, St. Paul exercises his God-given authority as the Apostle to the Gentiles to teach people that marriage is a holy state ordained by God and that it is a life-long partnership according to the teaching of the Lord. In today’s gospel Mark describes one sample Sabbath day of Jesus’ public life.  He joins in public worship in the synagogue as a practicing Jew, he heals the sick, he drives out evil spirits -- and he prays privately.  Since anyone could be invited to explain the Holy Scripture in synagogue worship, Jesus was invited.  People immediately noticed that Jesus spoke with authority and healed with divine power. Jesus used his real or authentic authority to teach, empower, liberate, and heal others.

First reading: Deuteronomy 18:15-20. Moses was about to die.  The Chosen People were terrified because they were about to lose the person who had been successfully leading them through the wilderness toward the Promised Land.  They were also going to lose a prophet who had been keeping them informed of Yahweh's will. When he died, how would they find out what God wanted of them? God answered the question by promising Moses that He would heed the people’s request and “raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kin, and … put My words into his mouth; he shall tell them all that I command him.”  Moses had set up a theocratic society for the Israelites as he had been instructed to do by God.  This society had various officers to regulate the civil and religious life of the people, e.g., judges, kings, priests and prophets.  Today’s reading tells us that  a true prophet would speak with authority because it would be God who spoke  through him.  The text was first seen as promising that there would be a line of prophets to interpret previous revelations by God and to add some new ones for each generation.  After the return from the Babylonian exile (c. 538 B. C.), the Jewish priests began to interpret this text of Deuteronomy as referring to one individual, namely the Messiah who was to come.  The New Testament followed this interpretation and saw these words of dying Moses "a prophet like me" verified in Christ (Acts 3: 22; 7: 37).  These verses therefore, have been chosen for today's first reading because they refer to Jesus, the "preacher with authority," mentioned in today's gospel.  

Second reading: 1 Corinthians 7:32-35.  St. Paul and most of the early Christians believed or strongly hoped that the end of this world and the second coming of Christ were imminent.  For this reason,  many Christians in Corinth thought they should not enter into marriage, lest marriage should interfere with their whole-hearted service of God in preparation for the second coming of Jesus.  As a good Jew, Paul presumed a different set of circumstances always demanded a different prophet with a different word.  Hence St. Paul exercised his God-given authority as the Apostle to the Gentiles to teach people  that marriage is a holy state ordained by God and that it is a life-long partnership according to the teaching of the Lord (see Mt. 5:32; 19:3-9).  Further, Paul recommended a life of virginity to the non-married, only if they felt they could live such a life.  The advantage of celibacy, as Paul explained, was that   celibates would have the freedom to serve God fully with the fewest earthly cares and worries.

Exegesis: The authority of Jesus:  This passage begins and ends with comments about Jesus’ authority as a teacher (1:21-22 and 1:27-28).  In between is an exorcism (1:23-26), pointing out a connection between Jesus' teachings and his supernatural authority.  Moreover, this is the first episode in Jesus’ ministry which Mark recounts after the call of the disciples.  Jesus' authority is also the main theme in the collection of stories in 2:1 and 3:6.  Verse 2:10 refers to the authority of Jesus to declare to people God's compassion in forgiving their sins (2:10).  Mark in his gospel repeatedly returns to the theme that Jesus’ teaching with authority gave him followers, and Jesus’ healing with divine power liberated people from illness and demoniac possession. The Catholic and apostolic Church derives her teaching authority from her founder Jesus.

Teaching with authority:  There was a local synagogue in every Jewish settlement of more than ten families.  The synagogue was a place of instruction and Sabbath prayers.  The synagogue service consisted of three parts--prayer, the reading of God's word, and the exposition of it made by anyone who wished to do so. In this chapter Mark tells us that in the local synagogue Jesus taught with authority.  This means that Jesus explained the Scriptures with complete confidence, and when questioned by people he answered with authority.  He spoke as if he relied on no one beyond himself.  He cited no authorities or experts.  Mark also records the impact Jesus had on those who heard him.  We are told how amazed people were at the authority with which he preached.  Jesus also showed his power and authority by curing the sick and granting forgiveness to people.

Exorcising with divine authority:  In the synagogue, there was a man who was troubled by an unclean spirit.  Everyone in the ancient Biblical world feared evil spirits and believed in demonic possession.  People believed that demons or “unclean spirits” living inside the people caused leprosy, lameness, paralysis, etc.   Even in the twenty-first century, we still believe in the existence of unclean spirits.  How else can we explain the sudden explosions of anger that occur, the suicidal impulses, the intense jealousies, wild sexual fantasies, or overwhelming feelings of depression?  We, as human beings, are keenly aware of these unclean spirits.  We often wonder where the “unclean thoughts” come from and why we can’t rid ourselves of them.

The demoniac cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? “  What does Jesus have to do with these unclean spirits that live in each one of us?  The answer we find in the Gospel is equally true today: Jesus came to destroy the unclean spirits living inside of us.  That is one of the reasons why Jesus came to earth in the first place and one of the reasons why he continues his presence in our lives.  Jesus came to drive out those unclean spirits within us, to wash them away, to cleanse our lives of them.  Let us put ourselves under his authority and he will liberate us.  The evil spirit in today’s gospel recognized Jesus as the messiah and acknowledged him as such.  Jesus commanded the evil spirit harshly, using strong words and tones: "Be quiet! Come out of him!"  This was one of the reasons why Jesus developed a reputation for speaking with authority.

Life Messages: 1) Let us approach Jesus for liberation:  Jesus did not use his authority and divine power to rule and control people. He came to make people free.  Hence let us approach Jesus with trusting faith so that he may free us from the evil spirits that keep us from praying and prevent us from loving and sharing our blessings with others.  He also frees us from all the 'evil spirits' of fear, compulsions, selfishness, anger, resentment and hostility.  "I have come that they may have life, life in abundance." So Jesus should be a source of liberation for us.  May he free us from all those spirits which make us deaf, dumb, blind, lame and paralyzed, physically and spiritually. Through Word and Sacrament he brings that power to us and says to the demons in our life, "Be gone!" He says it as often as we need to hear it, over and over again, until by his power we are free from them all. Christ has power over any demon, whether that demon be an addiction, a heartache, a secret sin--whatever our need may be--Christ can set us free.

2) Use your God-given authority to build up lives.  No doubt we can think back to people who have made a lasting impression on our lives – either for good or bad.  Perhaps it was a grandparent, an uncle, or a parent, who loved us and cared for us.  Perhaps it was a Sunday school teacher who encouraged us in our faith and exerted a positive impact on our lives.  Perhaps we remember the kindness as well as the firm discipline that a schoolteacher gave us.  On the other hand, there may be people in our past whom we remember with pain and discomfort.   Are children learning something from us as parents that will stand them in good stead for the future? We want our children to grow into strong, wise, confident, capable, mature adults.  But we want more than that.  We want them to grow in their faith, to accept Jesus as their Lord and personal savior.  We want children to see in us the love of Jesus and how our Christian faith affects our lives.  A good question for parents, teachers and all of us is:  "In what way am I helping the children I know grow in amazement at Jesus and his love for them? When God's Word and God's ways are taught and spoken about with authority – with conviction – our children (and others) will see with amazement God's love for them in his Son Jesus.

3) We need teachers who know how to use their authority properly: Teachers are powerful because they change lives. They have, within their hands, power terribly to hurt or wonderfully to heal young lives. Most of us are deeply, forever indebted to some caring teacher in our past. Some people never get over the damage done to them by some cruel or uncaring teacher. So today, when we hear that Jesus entered the synagogue at Capernaum and began to teach, we need to take note. Jesus was a teacher. They never called him “Reverend,” or “Father,” or “Priest.” They called him “Rabbi,” which means “teacher.” Let us all become good teachers and use our authority to mould young lives in the right way.

There is an old story about some linemen who were busy putting up telephone poles through a farmer's fields. The farmer ordered them off his land, whereupon they showed him a paper giving them the right to plant poles wherever they pleased. Not long afterward a big and vicious bull charged the linemen. The old farmer sat on a nearby fence and yelled: 'Show him yer papers, darn ye, show him yer papers!'" To many Christians Jesus' authority is only a paper authority. It is something we study for inspiration, but we really don't believe it applies to our situation. For many of us Jesus' authority doesn't extend to putting a marriage back together or a family. It doesn't mean curing an addiction or healing a character flaw. Maybe 2,000 years ago he had authority, but not today.

(Homilies of Fr. Anthony Kadavil)

 








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