Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Mk. 1:21-28) “Who’s in Charge?”
Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Mk. 1:21-28) “Who’s in Charge?”
Group dynamics is fascinating. We have people in groups who talk a lot. We also have people who listen a lot, saying very little. When they do speak, everyone listens because the quiet people usually have something very pertinent to say. We could say they speak with authority. The people who listened to Jesus said that of him. We are left to wonder did Jesus remain quiet from the time he was a boy until he embarked on his public ministry. Did he shock people with the wisdom he had when he finally spoke?
We could say that there are other aspects to the authority Jesus had. Religious leaders usually have a way of operating. The Jewish religious law said that if you met a person who was unclean you stayed away. A person became defiled for numerous reasons. A woman who had a flow of blood was supposed to withdraw from other people until her flow of blood stopped. Lepers were also unclean. Lepers lived apart in colonies. People who were possessed were also considered impure. The way to deal with such an impurity was to keep it at a distance.
The man Jesus met in the synagogue was defiled by the evil spirit that possessed him. When the man came into the synagogue the whole building was rendered unclean. But Jesus didn’t interact with the possessed man like other religious leaders would. He didn’t move away. He stood his ground. The unclean spirit didn’t know what to make of it. The evil spirit asks Jesus what he means to do. The Spirit then flees because Jesus shows no fear.
St. Ignatius Loyola was a spiritual master. Ignatius studied spiritual movements a lot. He knew that there were good spirits and bad. He had a sense the devil was real. Ignatius felt that the way to deal with the devil was to remain strong. The devil is like a bully. A bully hopes to intimidate others. When the devil is met with resolve, the bad spirit will retreat. Jesus met the evil spirit firmly. By doing so he showed he had authority in spiritual matters.
Another way Jesus showed authority is that he practiced what he preached. We can point to all kinds of examples in church history where religious leaders haven’t applied the Gospel when it was dangerous for them to do so. We might reflect on how the German clergy reacted with the rise of Nazism in the 1930’s and 40’s. Most clergy remained silent when gypsies were exterminated, the mentally challenged were killed, when Jews were gassed and cremated. The excuse that was put forth by Christian leaders was that if the church were to speak out then the Nazis would persecute Christians.
The silence wasn’t universal though. A good number of priests and ministers protested at the moral evil they were witnessing. Many were arrested. Many were sent to concentration camps where they died. We remember those people as having a great deal of stature. We tell their stories today. Any number of them were saints. When someone is willing to give up their privileged position to speak out about what is morally right these people have credibility. All this takes courage. Such people not only talk about what is right, but they live it out even at great personal cost.
What did people see in Jesus? First, they perceived a man who always did a great deal of listening. Second, they saw a person who wouldn’t compromise his convictions even at great personal cost. He not only spoke the truth, He lived it out.
When we are wondering about what leaders we might follow, we might ask who speaks with authority. When we meet such people, we are amazed. We can also pay attention because they can show us the way we need to act if we want to live and speak with authority.
Reflection Questions:
Whose authority do I respect? Why?
How might I gain respect? Am I willing to pay for such respect?
Dear Parishioners,
Lent is coming soon. It seems hard to believe. We go from singing Silent Night to Ashes in a matter of weeks. Do we have a game plan for Lent? We need one if we are going to make the most of this special time of the year.
I don’t know about you, but January was a brutal month for me. The cold and the snow took a lot out of me. And then we had days of gray skies and rain. We were all living in a fog. Finally, we were able to come out of our homes. I think we all were glad to gather as a Christian community again. A couple of Sundays the congregation was sparse.
I always feel like a battery that has lost its charge during this time of year. I have gotten into bad habits like watching television too much or being on my computer and surfing from one subject to the next. I don’t eat right. I don’t sleep enough.
Penance is a way to regain my health mentally, physically and spiritually. I enjoy Lent because if I keep Lent well, I will be renewed and refreshed by the end.
Let’s pray now about what we want to do in the weeks ahead. In that way, we will prepare for a meaningful Lenten journey.
May our Lady Our Lady pray for us,
Fr. Mark