FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
7 FEBRUARY 2021
As
we listen to the first chapter of the Gospel of Mark, we can see in the actions
of Jesus what will transpire throughout his public ministry. Last Sunday, we heard about the first time he
drove out a demon in the synagogue at Nazareth.
The demon knows his identity and his mission – he is the Son of God sent
to destroy the power of the evil one on the cross. Today, he leaves the synagogue to enter the
house of Simon and Andrew. Seeing the
fever of Simon’s mother-in-law, he works his first physical healing. He grasps
her by her hand and raises her up. The
verb used in raising her up is exactly the same word used at the end of the
Gospel to say that the Father had raised him up from the dead. Then she waits on him. That is what true disciples do. Once they experience the Lord’s healing touch,
their immediate response will be to give themselves in humble service to
others.
Saint Mark
tells us that once the Sabbath ended after sunset, people crowd around the
house, bringing sick people and those possessed by demons. He tirelessly ministers to them. Wildly popular, he is getting his ministry
off to a strong start. Instead of
basking in popularity and impressing the crowds with his healing powers, he
rises early in the morning and goes to a deserted place to spend time in
prayer. Simon wants him to return to
build on his popularity. But instead, he
invites them to join him in moving on and sharing in his mission of proclaiming
the Good News to the nearby villages.
What happens
in these early chapters of Mark’s Gospel speaks volumes about both the identity
and mission of Jesus Christ. He avoids
bringing attention to himself or pandering to the adoring adulation of the
crowds. He respects the need for Sabbath
rest by going off to a deserted place to spend time in prayer. But he also understands that critical human
needs (like curing the fever of Simon’s mother-in-law) come before Sabbath
laws. In time, healing on the Sabbath
will get him in trouble with the authorities.
He knows that he cannot depend on the fickle moods of adoring
crowds. He knows that his ultimate act
of love will be to give himself on the cross and trust that his Father will
raise him from the dead.
After his
conversion on the road to Damascus, Saint Paul understands the true nature of
Jesus Christ. He challenges the
Corinthians to put their spiritual gifts at the service of the community. Like Simon’s mother-in-law, Paul responds by serving
the needs of that community like a humble slave. It is a stewardship of proclaiming Christ
crucified and risen.
Today’s
readings teach us how to be disciples of Jesus Christ. Having encountered the
risen Lord, we too are called to commit ourselves in humble service. We build up the Body of Christ by serving our
human families and this parish family.
In a culture which equates lost time with lost income, we need to “waste”
an hour every Sunday to praise God for his blessings and to take our rest. In this year dedicated to improving our lives
of prayer, we can learn the value of “wasting time” with the Lord in our daily
lives.
However,
being faithful disciples of Jesus Christ does not protect us from the tragedies
and difficulties that are part of everyone’s life. That is what happened to Job. He lost absolutely everything – his family,
all his possessions, his health, and even his wife. Three friends come to comfort him. He responds today to Eliphaz, who argues that
he is suffering because of a great sin.
Job is neither patient nor quiet about his suffering. But he is passionately convinced that God has
not abandoned him. Even though he never
understands the mystery of his suffering, he does not lose faith. The same is true of us when our lives are
devastated. Grounded in payer, we know
that God will never abandon us. The Lord
Jesus who died for us will raise us up.
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