The first conflict arising
from the proclamation of the Good News
The Good News of God is like a light:
it brings to light contradictions
Mark 2:1-12

1. Opening prayer

Lord Jesus, send your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind that you read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the Bible, you helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.
Create in us silence so that we may listen to your voice in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples from Emmaus, may experience the force of your resurrection and witness to others that you are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of you, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed to us the Father and sent us your Spirit. Amen.

2. Reading

a) A key to the reading:

The Gospel text this Sunday deals with two intertwining themes: it describes the healing of a paralytic and mentions the discussion Jesus had with the doctors of the law or the scribes on the matter of forgiving sins.

b) A division of the text as an aid to the reading:

Mark 2:1-2: The people seek Jesus and Jesus proclaims the Word.
Mark 2:3-5: The faith of the paralytic and his friends obtains forgiveness of sins.
Mark 2:6-7: Jesus is accused of blasphemy by the authorities
Mark 2:8-11: To prove that he has the power to forgive sins, Jesus heals the paralytic.
Mark 2:12: The reaction of the people: “We have never seen anything like this!”

c) The text:

1 When he returned to Capernaum, some time later word went round that he was in the house; 2 and so many people collected that there was no room left, even in front of the door. He was preaching the word to them.
3 when some people came bringing him a paralytic carried by four men, 4 but as they could not get the man to him through the crowd, they stripped the roof over the place where Jesus was; and when they had made an opening, they lowered the stretcher on which the paralytic lay. 5 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, 'My child, your sins are forgiven.'
6 Now some scribes were sitting there, and they thought to themselves, 7 'How can this man talk like that? He is being blasphemous. Who but God can forgive sins?'
8 And at once, Jesus, inwardly aware that this is what they were thinking, said to them, 'Why do you have these thoughts in your hearts? 9 Which of these is easier: to say to the paralytic, "Your sins are forgiven" or to say, "Get up, pick up your stretcher and walk"? 10 But to prove to you that the Son of man has authority to forgive sins on earth' -- 11 he said to the paralytic - 'I order you: get up, pick up your stretcher, and go off home.'
12 And the man got up, and at once picked up his stretcher and walked out in front of everyone, so that they were all astonished and praised God saying, 'We have never seen anything like this.'

3. A moment of prayerful silence

so that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.

4. Some questions

to help us in our personal reflection.

a) What pleased you most in this text and what caught your attention?
b) What is the conflict between Jesus and the scribes? Where did it take place and who started the argument? Why?
c) What does this text reveal about Jesus and about God the Father?
d) Do you think that there is a connection between sickness and sin?
e) What message does this text send to the communities at the time of Mark and to us today?

5. A key to the reading

for those who wish to go deeper into the theme.

a) The Context

* In Mk 1:1-15, Mark showed how the Good News must be prepared and spread. Immediately after, in Mk 1:16-45, we find the teaching on the objective of the Good News and the mission of the communities. Now, in chapter 2, we find that the proclamation of the Good News, when carried out faithfully, is a source of conflict. In Mk 2:1-3,6, we come across five conflicts provoked against Jesus arising from the proclamation of the Good News of God.

* In the 70s, the time that Mark is writing, the proclamation of the Good News had given rise to many conflicts against the communities. They did not always know how to deal with these and how to answer the accusations brought against them by the Romans or by the Jews. The story of the five conflicts served as a kind of manual of directives.

b) Comments

* Mark 2:1-2: The people seek Jesus and wish to listen to the Word of God. Jesus is about to go home. The people seek him. Many people gather outside the door. Jesus welcomes all and Mark says that he proclaims the Word to the people. Often, Mark informs us that Jesus proclaims the Word of God to the people (Mk 1:21,22,27,39; 2:2,13; 4:1; 6:2,6,34; etc.). But only on a few occasions does he tell us what Jesus said. What did Jesus teach the people? He spoke of God and in order to do that he used examples from life (parables) and popular stories (the Bible). He spoke from his own experience of God. Jesus lived in God. The people listened to him willingly (Mk 1:22,27). His words touched their hearts. From what Jesus said, God, instead of being a harsh judge who threatened punishment and hell, became a friendly presence, good News for the people.

* Mark 2:3-5: The faith of the paralytic and his friends obtains forgiveness of sins. While Jesus is speaking, a paralytic comes carried by four persons. Jesus is their only hope. They climb on the roof, open it and let the paralytic down in front of Jesus. This is a sign of great solidarity. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, your sins are forgiven. In those times, people thought that physical defects, such as paralysis, were a punishment from God for some sin. The doctors taught that such a person was impure, incapable of getting close to God. That is why sick people, the poor, paralytics and many others felt rejected by God. But Jesus thought differently. He thought the opposite. The great faith of the paralytic and his friends was a sign that the man was at peace with God, welcomed by God. Hence Jesus says, your sins are forgiven. That is, “You are not far away from God”. Through this affirmation, Jesus denied that sickness was a punishment for the sins of that man.

* Mark 2:6-7: Jesus is accused by the chiefs of blaspheming. What Jesus said was not in accordance with that which the doctors of the law thought of God. They, therefore, react and accuse Jesus: He is being blasphemous! According to their doctrine, only God can forgive sins. And only a priest could pronounce people forgiven and purified. How is it, then, that Jesus of Nazareth, an uneducated man, an ordinary labourer, a carpenter, could pronounce people forgiven and purified from sin? Besides, they must have thought: “If what Jesus is saying is true, we risk losing our power and raison d’être! We could also lose our source of income”.

* Mark 2:8-11: Jesus heals in order to prove that he has power to forgive sins. Jesus understood that they were condemning him. That is why he asks: Which of these is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your stretcher and walk’? Clearly it is easier to say: “Your sins are forgiven”, because no one can verify in fact whether the sin has been forgiven or not. But if I say: “Get up and walk”, then everyone can verify whether I have the power to heal or not. Thus, to show that he had the power to forgive sins in the name of God, Jesus said to the paralytic: Get up, pick up your stretcher and go off home! He healed that person. He proved that paralysis is not a punishment from God and that the faith of the poor is a sign that God had already welcomed him in love.

* Mark 2:12: The reaction of the people: we have never seen anything like this. The paralytic gets up, picks up his stretcher and goes off, and all exclaim: We have never seen anything like this! The meaning of the miracle is clear: 1) Sick people must not think that God is punishing them for some sin. 2) Jesus opened a new way to God. That which the religion of the time called impurity was no longer an impediment for a person to draw close to God. 3) The face of God, revealed in Jesus’ attitude, was quite different from the harsh face of the god revealed by the attitude of the doctors.

c) Further information

The five conflicts told by Mark (Mk 2:1-3,6)

* The content of the conflicts: The conflicts revolve around the fundamental themes of the religion of the time: forgiveness of sins, communion at the table with sinners, the practice of fasting, the observance of the Sabbath, the practice of medicine or caring for persons on the Sabbath.

* Jesus’ adversaries: The Scribes represented religious doctrine, catechesis. The Pharisees represented the laws and religious practice, especially those concerning the observance of the pure/impure. The disciples of John the Baptist represented other Messianic tendencies. The Herodians represented the government of Galilee. Herod Antipas had governed for over thirty years (4 BC to 39 AD). He was, so to say, the owner of Galilee.

* The causes of the conflict: The first conflict has to do with the relationship with God: forgiveness of sins. The second: with the relationship between persons: eating with sinners. The third with religious customs: observance of the fast. The fourth with the observance of God’s law: the Sabbath. It is others who provoke these four conflicts against Jesus. The fifth, provoked by Jesus himself, shows the seriousness of the conflict between himself and the religion of his time.

Sickness and sin

In those days, it was taught that each suffering was the result of a sin. When faced with the man born blind, Peter asked: “Who sinned, he or his parents that he should be born blind?” (Jn 9:1-3). Jesus answered: neither he nor his parents. Jesus distances sin from the sick person. He will not allow religion to be used to say to the paralytic: “You are a sinner!” Jesus says the opposite: “You are not a sinner! God welcomes you even though you are a paralytic. Your sickness is not the result of your sin!” To have the courage to say such things in front of the authorities present was revolutionary! A huge change. The people were enthusiastic about Jesus because he was setting them free. This is one side of the coin. But there is also another side. In the past as in the present, much suffering is the result of sin. For instance, the suffering of a mother who weeps over the murder of her child. Jesus has something to say about this too. Once, in Jerusalem, a tower fell and killed 18 persons (Lk 13:4). In another place, Pilate massacred a group of Galileans and mingled their blood with that of the sacrifices (Lk 13:1). Jesus asks: “Do you suppose these Galileans who suffered like that were greater sinners than any other Galileans? They were not, I tell you. No, but unless you repent you will all perish as they did” (Lk 13:2.4). Jesus transformed evils by appealing to conversion and change. But there was no repentance or change, and forty years later, in the year 70, Jerusalem was destroyed, many towers fell and much blood was spilt! Today too, many evils that we suffer are not a matter of destiny but are the consequence of sinful actions. Other evils are the result of culture. Others still are the result of a neo-liberal system that has been imposed on us and that oppresses us. Thus the evils we suffer are a call to conversion. An appeal to our responsibility. That which came into the world as a result of free actions to cause evil, can be driven out by free actions for good.

6. Psalm 32 (31)

I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Be not like a horse or a mule,
without understanding,
which must be curbed with bit and bridle,
else it will not keep with you.

Many are the pangs of the wicked;
but steadfast love surrounds him who trusts in the Lord.
Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice,
O righteous, and shout for joy,
all you upright in heart!

7. Final Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank for the word that has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice that which your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, your mother, not only listen to but also practice the Word. You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

Jesus heals a leper. Reintroducing the marginalized into human society.

Mark 1:40-45

1. Opening prayer

Lord Jesus, send Your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind that You read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the Bible, You helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of Your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.

Create in us silence so that we may listen to Your voice in creation and in the scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May Your word guide us so that we, too, like the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, may experience the force of Your resurrection and witness to others that You are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of You, Jesus, Son of Mary, who revealed the Father to us and sent us Your Spirit. Amen.

2. Reading

a) A key to the reading:

The Gospel of this sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time tells us how Jesus receives a leper. In those days, lepers were the most excluded people of society, avoided by all. Lepers could not take part in anything. In olden days, the lack of effective medicines, the fear of contagion and the necessity of defending the life of society led people to isolate and exclude lepers. Besides, among the people of God whose defense of the gift of life was one of the most sacred duties, they thought that the exclusion of lepers was a divine duty because it was the only way to defend the community from deadly contagion. Thus, in Israel, the leper felt impure and excluded not only by society, but even by God (cf. Lev 14:1-32). Gradually, however, as better remedies came to light and, above all,  thanks to the deep experience communicated to us by Jesus concerning God our Father, lepers began to be accepted and reintegrated as brothers and sisters in human society.

In spite of two thousand years of Christianity, the exclusion and marginalization of some categories of people goes on even today, whether in society or in the Church. For instance, those suffering from AIDS, migrants, homosexuals, divorced persons, etc. Today, in your society and in the Church, what are the categories of excluded and avoided people? With these questions in mind, let us read and meditate on the Gospel for this Sunday.

b) A division of the text as a help to our reading:

Mark 1:40: The state of abandonment and exclusion of a leper

Mark 1:41-42: Jesus welcomes and heals the leper

Mark 1:43-44: Reintroducing those excluded into fraternal society

Mark 1:45: The leper proclaims the good Jesus did to him, and Jesus becomes an excluded person

c) Text:

A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged Him and said, "If you wish, you can make me clean." Moved with pity, he stretched out His hand, touched him, and said to him, "I do will it. Be made clean." The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. Then, warning the him sternly, He dismissed him at once. He said to him, "See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them." The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to Him from everywhere.

3. A moment of prayerful silence

so that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.

4. Some questions

to help us in our personal reflection.

a) What did you like best and what touched you most in this text? Why?

b) How does this text express the exclusion of lepers?

c) How does Jesus welcome, heal and reinstate the leper? Try to observe each detail carefully.

d) How can we, today, imitate Jesus’ attitude towards those excluded?

5. For those who wish to go deeper into the theme

A) The context of then and of today:

Whether in the 70’s, when Mark was writing, or today in our times, it was and still is very important to hold to some criteria or models to know how to live and proclaim the Good News of God and how to carry out our mission as Christians. In verses 16 to 45 of the first chapter of Mark, in gathering together eight episodes, describes how Jesus proclaimed the Good News. Each episode contains the criterion for the community of His time, so that people then could examine their own mission. This Sunday’s text makes concrete the eighth criterion: reinstating those excluded. Here is the overall scheme to clarify what follows:

TEXT

ACTIVITIES OF JESUS

AIM OF THE GOOD NEWS

Mark 1:16-20

Jesus calls His first disciples

forming community

Mark 1:21-22

The people are amazed at His teaching

creating a critical conscience

Mark 1:23-28

Jesus drives out an evil spirit

fighting against the power of evil

Mark 1:29-31

The healing of Peter’s mother-in-law

restoring life through service

Mark 1:32-34

The healing of the sick and those possessed by devils

welcoming the marginalized

Mark 1:35

Jesus gets up to pray while it is still dark

staying united with the Father

Mark 1:36-39

Jesus goes on proclaiming the Good News

not allowing results to stop us

Mark 1:40-45

Jesus heals a leper

reinstating those excluded

b) A commentary on the text:

Mark 1:40: The state of abandonment and exclusion of a leper

A leper approaches Jesus. He was an excluded man, impure! He was to be sent away from human society. Anyone who came close to him would also be impure. But the leper had much courage. He broke the rules of religion so as to approach Jesus. He says, “If You are willing, You can cleanse me!” In other words, “There is no need for You to touch me! If You are just willing that is enough to heal me!” This sentence reveals two evils: 1) the evil of the disease called leprosy that made him impure; 2) the evil of solitude to which he was condemned by society and religion. It also reveals the great faith people had in the power of Jesus.

Mark 1:41-42: By receiving and healing the leper, Jesus reveals a new face of God

Deeply compassionate, Jesus heals both evils. Firstly, to heal the evil of solitude, He touches the leper. It is as though He says to him, "For Me you are not an outcast. I welcome you as a brother!" Secondly, He heals the disease called leprosy, saying, “I am willing. Be cleansed!” In order to come into contact with Jesus, the leper had broken the rules of the law. For Jesus to be able to help this excluded one and thus reveal a new face of God, He breaks the laws of His religion and touches the leper. In those days, anyone who touched a leper became impure in the sight of the religious authorities and before the law of that time.

Mark 1:43-44: Reinstating those excluded into fraternal life

Not only does Jesus heal, but He wills that the healed person be able to live with others. Reinstating a person to society. In those days, for a leper to be received within the community, he or she had to have a declaration of healing from a priest. Thus it was written in the law concerning the purification of a leper (Lev 14:1-32). This still happens today. The sick person leaves the hospital with a letter signed by the doctor of a particular section. Jesus obliges the leper to get the document from the competent authority so that he may be reinstated into normal society. He is thus obliging the authorities to confirm that the man has been healed.

Mark 1:45: The leper proclaims the good that Jesus worked for him and Jesus becomes excluded.

Jesus had forbidden the leper from speaking of his healing. But the leper did speak. The leper started freely proclaiming the story everywhere, so that Jesus could no longer go openly into any town, but stayed away in desert places. Why did Jesus stay away in desert places? Jesus had touched the leper. Thus, according to opinion in those days, now He was impure and had to live away from all. He could not enter any city. But Mark implies that people did not much care about official rules, because people from all around kept coming to Him! A complete turn around!

The double news that Mark conveys to the communities of his time and to all of us is this: 1) that proclaiming the Good News means witnessing to the concrete experience that one has of Jesus. What does the leper proclaim? He proclaims to others the good that Jesus did to him. That’s all! And it is precisely this witness that drives others to accept the Good News that Jesus proclaims. Anyone who has no experience of Jesus will have little to proclaim to others. 2) To take the Good News to others one need not fear breaking religious rules that are contrary to God’s plan and that render communication, dialogue and a life of love difficult, even if such an attitude may create difficulties for people as it did for Jesus!

c) Further information:

The eight criteria for evaluating the mission of the Community

A double slavery marked the situation of people at the time of Jesus: the slavery of the official religion, upheld by the religious authorities of the time, and the slavery of Herod’s politics, upheld by the Roman Empire and supported by the whole organized system of exploitation and repression. Because of all this, many of the people were excluded by religion and by society: the very contrary of the fraternity that God dreamt of for all! And it is precisely in this context that Jesus begins to carry out His mission of proclaiming the Good News of God.

This Sunday’s Gospel is part of a broader literary unit (Mk 1:16-45). Apart from the description of the preparation of the Good News (Mk 1:1-13) and of the proclamation (Mk 1:14-15), Mark brings together eight activities of Jesus to describe His mission of proclamation of the Good News and to describe how the mission of the community should be (Mk 1:16-45). This is the same mission that Jesus received from the Father (Jn 20:21). Mark puts together these episodes, which were passed on orally in the communities, and links them together like old bricks in a new wall. These eight episodes are eight criteria that serve the community to revise and check whether they are carrying out their mission well. Let us see:

i) Mk 1:16-20: Creating community.

The first thing that Jesus does is to call people to follow Him. A fundamental task of mission is to gather people around Jesus in order to create community.

ii) Mk 1:21-22: Creating a critical conscience.

The first thing that people see is the difference between the teaching of Jesus and that of the . Part of mission is to create a critical conscience in people, even in the face of the official religion.

iii) Mk 1:23-28: Fighting the power of evil.

Jesus’ first miracle is the driving out of an impure spirit. Part of mission is fighting the power of evil that destroys life and alienates people from themselves.

iv) Mk 1:29-31: Restoring life through service.

Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law, and she gets up and begins to serve. Part of mission is the care of the sick, so that they may be able to get up and once more serve others.

v) Mk 1:32-34: Welcoming the marginalized

After the Sabbath, people bring to Jesus the sick and the possessed that He may heal them, and, by laying His hands, He heals them all. Part of mission is to welcome the marginalized.

vi) Mk 1:35: Staying united with the Father through prayer.

After a day of labor that extends far into the night, Jesus gets up quickly so that He may pray in a desert place. Part of mission is staying united with the source of the Good News, that is, the Father, through prayer.

vii) Mk 1:36-39: Keeping up an awareness of mission.

The disciples were happy with the results and wanted Jesus to return. But He carried on with His journey. Part of mission is not to be content with results, but to keep alive an awareness of mission.

viii) Mk 1:40-45: Reinstating the marginalized into human society.

Jesus heals a leper and asks him to present himself to a priest so that he may be declared healed and may be able to live among people. Part of mission is reinstating the excluded to human society.

These eight points, so well chosen by Mark, indicate the purpose of Jesus’ mission: “I came that all may have life, and may have it abundantly!” (Jn 10:10). These same eight points may serve to evaluate our own community. Thus we can see how Mark built up his Gospel - a beautiful structure that keeps in mind two things at once: (1) it informs people of what Jesus did and taught; (2) and it forms the community and people in the mission of proclaimers of the Good News of God.

6. Praying a psalm: Psalm 125 (124)

Anyone who trusts in the Lord will not waver!

Whoever trusts in Yahweh is like Mount Zion:

unshakable, it stands for ever.

Jerusalem! The mountains encircle her:

so Yahweh encircles His people,

henceforth and forever.

The scepter of the wicked will not come to rest

over the heritage of the upright;

or the upright might set their own hands to evil.

Do good, Yahweh,

to those who are good,

to the sincere at heart.

But the crooked, the twisted, turn them away,

Yahweh, with evil-doers. Peace to Israel!

7. Final Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank You for the word that has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May Your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice what Your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, Your mother, not only listen to but also practice the Word. You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

The healing of Peter’s mother-in-law and the proclamation of the Reign of God in Galilee Meeting with Jesus, the merciful Healer  Mark 1:29-39

1. Opening prayer

Lord, it is not herbs or emollients that can cure the wounds and diseases of our souls, but Your Word, which sustains everything, creates everything anew every day. Come, stretch forth Your strong hand over us so that, held by You, we may let ourselves be raised and begin to be Your disciples, Your servants. Jesus, You are the Gate of the sheep, the Gate that opens onto heaven; to You we come with all that we are and all that we have in our hearts. Take us with You, in silence, into the flowering desert of Your company and there teach us to pray with Your voice, Your word, so that we too may become heralds of the Kingdom. Send now Your Spirit upon us in abundance so that we may listen to You with all our hearts and minds. Amen.

2. Reading

a) Placing the passage in its context:

Continuing from the preceding verses (21-28), this passage describes the conclusion of a typical day with Jesus. He is in Capernaum, on a Sabbath, and after taking part in the liturgy in the synagogue, Jesus continues the celebration in Peter’s house, in an intimate atmosphere.

When sunset comes and after a rest, Jesus continues His ministry going throughout Galilee. The Gospel presents me with three sequences that are historical and lets me know what Jesus did in Capernaum, but also reveals the great mystery of the salvation by Christ that upsets my life. These events may help to fix my attention on the journey Jesus took: from the synagogue to the house, to the desert and to all the villages in Galilee. The Evangelist also emphasizes the passing of time, the coming of the night, that is, sunset, and then the morning still immersed in darkness.

b) Some assistance in the reading of this passage:

vv. 29-31: Jesus enters Peter’s house and accepts the disciples’ request. He cures Peter’s mother-in-law, who is lying in bed with a fever.

vv.32-34: After the Sabbath, Jesus heals many sick and possessed persons who are brought to Him.

vv.35-39: Jesus wakes up before dawn and goes to pray in a solitary place, but many people follow Him and finally find Him.

He leads them to a wider ministry that embraces the whole of Galilee.

c) The text:

On leaving the synagogue Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them. When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him. Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, "Everyone is looking for you." He told them, "Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come." So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.

3. A moment of prayerful silence

I enter into the silence that Jesus has prepared for me with His deep healing action, with His prayer that overcomes the night. Thus, I dispose my being to seek Jesus ceaselessly and to follow Him wherever He takes me.

4. Some questions

that may help my spiritual ears to listen more deeply and the eyes of my heart to contemplate until I meet Jesus gaze.

a) Jesus leaves the synagogue to enter Peter’s house, which becomes the brilliant center of His saving action. I try to follow Jesus’ journey: He enters the most intimate part of the house, namely, the bedroom. I reflect, seeking and looking for the "way" that is within me, house of God. Do I allow Jesus to go into the deepest part of me, even to my heart? I observe and note Jesus’ gestures. Quickly He goes in, He approaches, takes the hand, raises. These are terms typical of the resurrection. Do I hear the Lord saying to me, too, "Arise, get up, be born again!"? I note the insistence on darkness: sunset, still dark. Why? What does this mean? What other terms can I relate to these expressions? All came crowding at Jesus’ door. Am I among them? Jesus’ word resonates in my heart: "Knock and it shall be opened to you". I try to imagine the scene. I lift my arm and knock at Jesus’ door. He opens. What shall I say to Him? And how will He answer me? They knew Him. I ask myself concerning my relationship with the Lord, “Do I really know Him? Or do I just go on hearsay, as Job says?” I look at myself and ask Jesus to help me with this relationship of discovery, of closeness, of communion and sharing with Him. I try to remember some verses that may help me: "Lord, make me know Your ways"; "Show me Your face". Jesus prays in a desert place. Am I afraid to go with Him into that prayer through the night that precedes the light? Am I afraid of moments of silence, alone with Him? And went off to a lonely place and prayed there. He was praying. This tells me of a calm, long and deep action. Would I rather run away and not wish to stop? Set out in search of Him ...... in Jesus’ footsteps. This is a beautiful expression, which reminds me of the manuscript of St. Therese of the Child Jesus where she says that the shining footsteps of Jesus are spread throughout the pages of the Gospel. I reflect. Have I ever committed myself to following these footsteps, sometimes well defined, at other times almost imperceptible? Do I know how to recognize them, even along the paths of time and of the history of each day, mine and that of others? Is there a special trace of Jesus, an indelible imprint that He has left on the earth of my heart, of my life?

b) I pause on the last verses and note the verbs of motion, of action: "Let us go elsewhere, so that I can proclaim the message there too, because that is why I came.” And He went preaching. I know that I too am called to go and proclaim love and salvation in Jesus. Am I ready, with the grace and strength that come from this Word that I have pondered, to take on now a concrete, clear, even small commitment to proclaiming and evangelizing? To whom shall I go? What steps do I wish to take?

5. A key to the reading

I can take various paths in order to go deeper into the text, paths that can help me enter more into dialogue with the Lord and to listen to His Word.

• The passage from the synagogue to the Church

The synagogue is the mother, but the Church is the spouse. Jesus, who is the Spouse, reveals her to us and makes us know the beauty and splendor that radiates from her for us. If we try to follow Him, in the Gospels, we realize that Jesus leads us on a journey of salvation from the synagogue to the Church. Mark, as well as Luke, insists much on the bond that Jesus quickly establishes with the synagogue, which becomes the privileged and sacred place of His revelation and the place for teaching. I read, for instance, Mk 1:21 and Mk 6:2, or Lk 4:16 and 6:6 and also Jn 6:59.  During His passion Jesus will say before Pilate that He has always taught openly in the synagogue and in the temple (Jn 18:20). It is also the place of healing where Jesus reveals Himself as a powerful healer, who heals and saves: see, for instance, Mk 1:23 and 3:1. This double action of Jesus becomes the bridge over which one goes to the new house of God, house of prayer for all peoples, that is, the Church: a house with open doors so that no one need stay outside. We are all invited to enter, with Jesus, into this place of reconciliation, communion and salvation. Christ loves the Church (Eph 5:25), because He is her Head (Eph 1:22; 5:23), has acquired her with His own blood (Acts 20:28) and does not cease to nourish and take care of her (Eph 5:29). She is the spiritual edifice made of living stones, that is, we ourselves, as we read in St. Peter (1Pt 2:4 ff). However, life gushes out of us like water from the rock if we abandon ourselves to the Lord (Eph 5:24) as a reciprocal gift of love and trust, if we persevere in constant prayer and for all (Acts 12:5) and if we share in the passion of the Lord for humankind (Col 1:24). The Church is the pillar and the support of truth (1 Tim 3:15). It is beautiful to walk in her, united with Christ the Lord.

• Fever as a sign of sin

As the etymology of the Greek word itself says, fever is like a fire that flares inside us and consumes us negatively, attacking our inner and spiritual energies, rendering us incapable of doing good. In Psalm 31, for instance, we find a very eloquent expression that may well describe the action of the fever of sin in us: "My heart grew parched, a stubble in summer drought. At last I admitted to You I had sinned " (Ps 31:4ff). The only way to get well is what we saw in the Gospel, that is, by confession, by placing our evil before the Lord (Wis 16:16). In Deuteronomy also fever is expressed as a consequence of being far away from God, of the hardness of heart that will not listen to His voice and follow His ways (Dt 28:15,22; 32:24).

• Jesus merciful healer

This Gospel passage, like many others, allows us to meet Jesus, who, as true healer and true medicine, comes to us to touch our worst wounds, our worst illnesses and heal them, a healing that is always salvation. He is the Samaritan who, throughout our life’s journey, sees us with certainty and a keen and loving gaze and does not go by but approaches us, bends over us, bandages our wounds and pours into them the good medicine that comes from His heart. There are so many episodes in the Gospels that tell us of healing brought about by Jesus. Limiting myself to Mark’s Gospel I can quote Mk 2:1-12; 3:1-6; 5:25-34; 6:54-56; 7:24-30; 7:31-37; 8:22-26; 10:46-52. Reflecting on these passages and appreciating their deeper meaning can help me absorb better Jesus’ characteristics, He who heals, and thus I, too, by listening deeply to His Word, may be healed in my inner self and in my whole being. For instance, I may dwell on the verbs or the particular gestures of Jesus that are repeated in many of these stories and thus more and more bring to light the words He pronounces. I realize that it is not so much the gestures of Jesus that bring about the healing, but His word: "Get up and walk; go in peace; go; go, your faith has saved you." He rarely uses specific gestures that draw attention and confuse. The following are some of these: "taking him by the hand; taking him aside; he laid; He laid His hand". These stories echo the words of the Psalm that says, "sending his word and curing them" (Ps 106:20). Jesus is the Lord, He who heals, as the book of Exodus proclaimed (Ex 15:26), and He is that because He Himself has taken on Himself our infirmity, our sins. He is the wounded healer who heals us with His wounds (cf. 1 Pt 2:24-25).

• The night, darkness transformed by the light of Jesus

The theme of the night, of darkness, runs through a good part of Scripture, from the very first verses when light appears as the first manifestation of the force of the love of God who creates and saves. Light follows darkness, day follows night, and in parallel the Bible tells us that the interior darkness, which can invade humankind, is followed by the new light of salvation and of meeting with God, of the embrace of that brilliant gaze that enraptures. "To you, night would be as light as day" says Psalm 138:12 and it is true, because the Lord is light itself. "Yahweh is my light and my salvation,” says Psalm 26:1. In John’s Gospel, Jesus says of Himself that He is the light of the world (Jn 9:5), to tell us that whoever follows Him does not walk in darkness; indeed, it is He who, as Word of God, becomes light to our steps in this world (Ps 118:105). Darkness is often associated with the shadow of death, that is to say that spiritual darkness is the same as death. Read Psalm 87:7; 106:10,14. The Lord’s strong arm defeats darkness; it seizes us in its clutches and frees us, splitting the chains that oppress us. "Let there be light" is an eternal word that God ceaselessly pronounces and that reaches every human being in every situation.

"Stay with us Lord. It is already night." (Lk 24:9) is the prayer of the two from Emmaus, but it is also the prayer of us all. The words of the bride in the Canticle resonate on our lips, "Before the shadows flee, return! Be, my beloved (Song 2:17).

St. Paul helps us run a very strong interior journey that brings us close to Christ and that saves us from sin. He invites us, "The night is almost over; it will be daylight soon. Let us give up all the things we prefer to do under cover of the dark; let us arm ourselves and appear in the light.” (Rom 13:12). "You are all sons of the light and sons of the day; we do not belong to the night or to darkness.” (1 Thess 5:5). In many ways, the Word invites us to be children of the light and brings us into the light of the divine Sun, who is Jesus, the East, to be enlightened and transfigured. The more we give ourselves to the light of Christ, the more will the word of the Apocalypse be true for us, "It will never be night again and they will not need lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will be shining on them. They will reign forever and ever." (Rev 22:5).

6. A moment of prayer: Psalm 29

Thanksgiving hymn for liberation from a great trial.

Refrain: Into Your hands, Lord, I commend my life.

I will extol thee, O Lord,

for Thou hast drawn me up,

and hast not let my foes rejoice over me.

O Lord my God, I cried to Thee for help,

and Thou hast healed me.

O Lord, Thou hast brought up my soul from Sheol,

restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.

Refrain

Sing praises to the Lord, O you His saints,

and give thanks to His holy name.

For His anger is but for a moment,

and His favor is for a lifetime.

Weeping may tarry for the night,

but joy comes with the morning.

As for me, I said in my prosperity,

"I shall never be moved."

By thy favor, O Lord,

thou hadst established me as a strong mountain;

Thou didst hide Thy face, I was dismayed.

Refrain

To Thee, O Lord,

I cried; and to the Lord I made supplication:

"What profit is there in my death,

if I go down to the Pit?

Will the dust praise Thee?

Will it tell of Thy faithfulness?

Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me!

O Lord, be Thou my helper!"

Thou hast turned my mourning into dancing;

Thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,

that my soul may praise Thee and not be silent.

O Lord my God, I will give thanks to Thee for ever.

Refrain

7. Closing prayer

Lord, I want to praise You, bless and thank You with all my heart for this Your Word, written for me, today, proclaimed by Your Love for me, because You truly love me. Thank You, because You came, You came down, You came into my house and have touched the place where I was not well, where I burned with a terrible fever. You touched me when I was far away and alone. And You seized me. You took me by the hand and made me get up, restoring me to that full and true life that comes from You, that I live close to You. Hence I am now happy, my Lord.

Thank You because You have bypassed my darkness, because You have defeated night with Your powerful, solitary and loving prayer. You have shone Your light in me, in my eyes, and now I, too, see anew and am enlightened from within. I pray with You and I grow, precisely because I pray with You. Lord, thank You because You urge me on towards the other, towards new worlds, new ways, outside the door of my house. I am not of the world, I know, but I am and remain in the world to continue loving it and to evangelize it. Lord, Your Word can make the world a truly beautiful place. Thank You, Lord. Amen.

Jesus teaches and heals people
The first impression of the Good News of Jesus on the people
Mark 1:21-28

1. Opening prayer

Lord Jesus, send Your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind that You read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the Bible, You helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of Your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.
Create in us silence so that we may listen to Your voice in Creation and in the Scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May Your word guide us so that we, too, like the two disciples from Emmaus, may experience the force of Your resurrection and witness to others that You are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of You, Jesus,  Who revealed to us the Father and sent us Your Spirit. Amen.

2. Reading

a) A key to the reading:

The Gospel text of this fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time speaks of the amazement of the people who see Jesus passing on His teaching (Mk 1:21-22), then presents the first miracle of the casting out of a devil (Mk 1:23-26) and finally speaks again of the amazement of the people who hear the teaching of Jesus about His power to cast out devils (Mk 1:27-28).
In the 70’s, the time when Mark is writing, the community of Rome needed some guidance as to how to proclaim the Good News of God to people who lived under the oppression of the fear of evil spirits because of the arbitrary imposition of religious laws by the Roman Empire. In describing Jesus’ activity, Mark showed how the communities were to proclaim the Good News. The Evangelists catechized by telling the facts and events of Jesus’ life.
The text on which we are to meditate shows the impact of the Good News of Jesus on the people of His time. As we read, let us try to pay attention to the following: Which activities of Jesus most gave rise to the amazement of the people?

b) A division of the text to help with the reading:

Mark 1:21-22: The people, in amazement at the teaching of Jesus, begin to develop  a critical awareness.
Mark 1:23-24: The reaction of a man possessed by the devil in the presence of Jesus in the Synagogue.
Mark 1:25-26: Jesus conquers and drives the devil away.
Mark 1:27-28: Again, the impact  of the Good News of Jesus on the people.

c) Text:

 Then they came to Capernaum, and on the sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!" Jesus rebuked him and said, "Quiet! Come out of him!" The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another, "What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him." His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.

3. A moment of prayerful silence

so that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.

4. Some questions

to help us in our personal reflection.

a) What part of the text did you like best?
b) What caused most amazement on the part of the people in Jesus’ time?
c) What drove the people to see the difference between Jesus and the doctors of the time?
d) Devils have no power over Jesus. What impression does this make on the people?
e) Does the reality of our community produce amazement among people? How?

5. For those who wish to go deeper into the theme

a) The context of the times and of today:

This Sunday we meditate on the description in Mark’s Gospel of the first miracle of Jesus. Not all the Evangelists tell the facts of Jesus’ life in the same way. Each of them took into account the communities for whom he was writing, each stressed some points and aspects of the life, activities, and teachings of Jesus that could help their readers more. Matthew’s readers lived in the north of Palestine and in Syria, Luke’s lived in Greece, John’s in Asia Minor, and Mark’s probably in Italy. A concrete example of this diversity is the way each of the four represents Jesus’ first miracle. In John’s Gospel the first miracle is at the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee, where Jesus transforms the water into wine (Jn 2:1-11). For Luke, the first miracle is the tranquility with which Jesus frees himself from the threat of death on the part of the people of Nazareth (Lk 4:29-30). For Matthew, it is the healing of a large number of sick and possessed (Mt 4:23) or, more specifically, the healing of a leper (Mt 8:1-4). For Mark, the first miracle is the casting out of a devil (Mk 1:23-26). Thus, each Evangelist, in his own way of telling the facts, stresses what are, according to him, the most important points in the activities and teachings of Jesus. Each one of them has a concern that he tries to transmit to his readers and to the communities. Today we live in a place and an era quite different from those of Jesus and the Evangelists. What for us is the greatest concern today in living out the Gospel? It is worthwhile that each of us should ask him or herself, “What, for me is the greatest concern?”

b) A commentary on the text:

Mark 1:21-22: Amazed at Jesus’ teaching, the people form a critical conscience in themselves.
The first thing that Jesus did at the beginning of His missionary activities was to call four people to form a community together with Him (Mk 1:16-20). The first thing the people see in Jesus is the different way He teaches and speaks of the Kingdom of God. It is not so much the content, but rather His way of teaching that is striking. The effect of this different way of teaching was the critical conscience formed in the people in relation to the religious authorities of the time. The people saw, compared, and said, “He teaches with authority, unlike the scribes.” The scribes taught the people by quoting from the doctors and the authorities. Jesus did not quote any doctor, but spoke from His experience of God and of life. His authority came from inside of Him. His word was rooted in the heart and in the witness of His life and his divinty.

Mark 1:23-26: Jesus fights the power of evil
In Mark, the first miracle is the casting out of a devil. The power of evil took hold of people and alienated them from themselves. People were crushed by fear of devils and by the action of unclean spirits. Today, the fear of devils is great and on the increase. We see it in the interest in films on the exorcism of devils. As in the times of the Roman Empire, many people live alienated from themselves because of the power of mass communication, advertising and commerce. People are slaves to consumerism, oppressed by bills to pay by a certain date, and the threat of creditors. Many think that they are not worthy of respect if they do not buy what advertisements tell them to buy. In Mark, the first sign of Jesus is that of fighting evil. Jesus restores people to themselves. He restores their conscience and freedom. Could our faith in Jesus succeed in fighting these devils that alienate us from ourselves and from the reality of God?

Mark 1:27-28: People’s reaction: the first impression.
The first two signs of the Good News of God that people see in Jesus are: His different way of teaching the things of God and His power over unclean spirits. Jesus opens a new way of purity for people. In those days anyone declared impure could not come before God to pray or receive the blessing of God promised to Abraham. He had to purify himself first. There were many laws concerning the purification of people and ritual norms that made life difficult for people. These marginalized many people who were considered impure. For instance, washing one’s arm to the elbow, sprinkling oneself, washing metal glasses, cups, jars, etc. (cf. Mk 7:1-5). Now, purified by faith in Jesus, the impure could once more prostrate themselves in the presence of God and no longer needed to observe the ritual norms. The Good News of the Kingdom of God proclaimed by Jesus must have been a relief for people and a cause of great joy and tranquility.

Further information: casting out devils and the fear of people

* The explanation of the evils of life

In Jesus’ days, many people spoke of Satan and the casting out of devils. There was much fear and some took advantage of this fear in others. The power of evil had many names: demon, devil, Beelzebub, prince of devils, Satan, Dragon, Dominations, Powers, Authority, Sovereignty, etc. (cf. Mk 3:22-23; Mt 4:1; Rev 12:9; Rom 8:38; Eph 1:21).

Today, when people cannot explain a phenomenon, problem, or pain, they sometimes take recourse in explanations and remedies from tradition or ancient cultures and they say, “ It is the evil eye, it is the punishment of God, it is some evil spirit.” There are those who seek to silence these devils through magic and loud prayers. Others seek an exorcist to cast out the impure spirit. Others still, urged by the new and sadistic culture of today, fight the power of evil in other ways. They seek to understand the cause of evil.

In Jesus’ day, the manner of explaining and solving the evils in life was similar to the explanations given by our ancient traditions and culture. In those days, as we read in the Bible, the word devil or Satan often pointed to the power of evil that led people astray from the right path. For instance, during the forty days in the desert, Jesus was tempted by Satan who tried to lead Him by a different path (1:12; cf. Lk 4:1-13). On other occasions, the same word pointed to a person who led another by a wrong path. Thus, when Peter sought to divert Jesus’ path, he was Satan for Jesus: “Get behind Me Satan! Because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s.” (Mk 8:33). At other times, these same words were used to indicate the political power of the Roman Empire that oppressed and exploited people. For instance, in the Apocalypse, the Roman Empire is identified with “the great dragon, the primeval serpent, known as the devil or Satan, who had deceived the whole world” (Rev 12:9). In Mark’s Gospel, this same Roman Empire is given the name of Legion, a name given to the devil who ill-treated people (Mk 5:9). At other times, the people used the words devil or spirit to indicate aches and pains. Thus people talked about the devil of the dumb spirit (Mk 9:17), of the deaf spirit (Mk 9:25), the devil of the impure spirit (Mk 1:23; 3:11), etc. And there were exorcists who cast out these devils (cf. Mk 9:38; Mt 12:27).

All this shows the great fear people had of the power of evil, which they called devil or Satan. When Mark was writing his Gospel, this fear was on the increase. Some Eastern religions were spreading the cult of spirits, who acted as intermediaries between God and humanity, considered as devils, demiurges or demigods. These cults taught that some of our gestures could irritate the spirits, and they, to wreak vengeance, could prevent our access to God, and thus deprive us of divine benefits. So, through magic rites, loud prayers and complicated ceremonies, people tried to invoke and calm these spirits or demons, so that they would not bring harm to human life. This was the form that some religions had devised in order to defend themselves from the influence of the spirits of evil. And this way of living one’s relationship with God, rather than freeing people, bred in them fear and anxiety.

* Faith in the resurrection and the victory over fear

Now, one of the objectives of the Good News of Jesus was to help people free themselves of this fear. The coming of the Kingdom of God meant the coming of a superior power. Mark’s Gospel says, “But no one can make his way into a strong man’s house and take his property unless he has tied up the strong man first. Only then can he rob his house.” (Mk 3:27). The strong man is a figure of the power of evil that keeps people chained to fear. Jesus is the stronger man who comes to chain Satan, the power of evil, and to snatch from him this humanity chained to fear. “If it is through the finger of God that I cast out devils, then know that the kingdom of God has overtaken you!” (Lk 11:20) This is what the writings of the New Testament insist on, especially the Gospel of Mark: the victory of Jesus over the power of evil, over the demon, over Satan, over sin and death.

As we have seen, in this Sunday’s reading in Mark’s Gospel, the first miracle of Jesus is that of the casting out the devil: “Be quiet! Come out of him!” (Mk 1:25). The first impression Jesus makes on the people is produced by the casting out of the devils: “He gives orders even to unclean spirits and they obey Him!” (Mk 1:27). One of the main reasons for the discussion between Jesus and the scribes is the casting out of devils. They accused Him saying: “Beelzebub is in Him…It is through the prince of devils that He casts devils out!” (Mk 3:22). The first power given to the apostles when they were sent on a mission was the power to cast out devils: “…giving them the authority over unclean spirits” (Mk 6:7). The first sign that goes with the proclamation of the resurrection is that of casting out devils: “These are the signs that will be associated with believers: in My name they will cast out devils” (Mk 16:17).

The casting out of devils was what impressed people most (Mk 1:27). It went to the very heart of the Good News of the Kingdom. By means of it, Jesus restored people to themselves. He gave them back common sense and a conscience (Mk 5:15). From beginning to end, in almost the same words, the Gospel of Mark repeats unceasingly the same message: “Jesus casts out devils!” (Mk 1:26.34,39; 3:11-12,30; 5:1-20; 6:7,13; 7:25-29; 9:25-27,38; 16:17). It seems to be an endless refrain. Today, however, rather than use the same words all the time, we use different words to send out the same message. We would say, “Jesus conquered, chained, dominated, destroyed, beat, eliminated, exterminated annihilated and killed the power of evil, Satan who frightens so many people!” What Mark wants to say to us is this: “Christians are not allowed to be afraid of Satan!” By His resurrection and by His liberating action present among us, Jesus chains the fear of Satan and gives birth to freedom of heart, determination, and hope on the horizon! We must walk along the Path of Jesus with the taste of victory over the power of evil!

6. A prayer with Psalm 46 (45)

God, revealed in Jesus, is our strength!

God is both refuge and strength for us,
a help always ready in trouble;
so we shall not be afraid though the earth be in turmoil,
though mountains tumble into the depths of the sea,
and its waters roar and seethe,
and the mountains totter as it heaves.

There is a river whose streams bring joy to God's city;
it sanctifies the dwelling of the Most High.
God is in the city, it cannot fall;
at break of day God comes to its rescue.
Nations are in uproar,
kingdoms are tumbling,
when He raises His voice the earth crumbles away.

Yahweh Sabaoth is with us,
our citadel, the God of Jacob.
Come, consider the wonders of Yahweh,
the astounding deeds He has done on the earth;
He puts an end to wars over the whole wide world,
He breaks the bow, He snaps the spear,
shields He burns in the fire.

“Be still and acknowledge that I am God,
supreme over nations, supreme over the world.”
Yahweh Sabaoth is with us,
our citadel, the God of Jacob.

7. Final Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank You for the word that has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May Your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice that which Your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, Your mother, not only listen to but also practice the Word. You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.