10th Sunday of Year B, 2018

May God in the Eucharistic celebration of today bestow on you the grace to recognize the power of Jesus working in the Church and in the world and grant you by the same power the graces to fulfill God’s will always in your life as Jesus did. Happy Sunday! +John I. Okoye

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DOCTRINE AND FAITH

(Genesis 3,9-15 ; 2 Cor 4,13-5,1: Mark 3,20-35:  10th Sunday of Year B, 2018)

        This gospel reading contains an example of intercalation, a distinctive characteristic   of Mark’s Gospel, where one narrative is sandwiched within another. Here, a report of a hostile encounter with scribes from Jerusalem (vv. 22-30) is found within one that is about the arrival and concern of members of Jesus’ family (vv. 20-21, 31-35). Though very distinct stories, when placed together, as they are here, they interpret each other. The narrative states that Jesus came home, probably not to Nazareth, the place he grew up, but to Capernaum, the place he has now made his home. His relatives (later identified as his mother and his brothers, v. 31), have come to seize him, to take charge of him with force if need be. They believed that he was beside himself, out of his mind. Why they believed this was not stated. Most likely they have heard of the claims he has been making and of the wonders he has performed, and they might fear for his safety. Their concern betrays their lack of faith in the authenticity of these claims and in the origin of the wonders. The scribes also misunderstand Jesus, but it was not out of concern for him. They acknowledge that he has extraordinary power to cast out demons, but they ascribe this power to the prince of demons. They spoke of Beelzebul (Baal-zebul, or Lord of the temple), while Jesus spoke of Satan. Both were references to the same spirit of evil. Once again the challenge of the scribes was an attempt to shame Jesus (cf. Mark 2:23-28). Jesus counters their accusation with but two parables. He first pointed out the absurdity of their allegation, maintaining that neither a house nor a kingdom would be able to endure if either were divided against itself. Both would collapse from within. In order for the house or the kingdom to stand firm it would need internal coherence and stability. With a second image Jesus alludes to the ruin of a house when one stronger than the householder attacks and plunders the property. Before this pillage can be accomplished, the attacker has to incapacitate the householder, thereby, preventing any kind of resistance. This parable suggests that Jesus is indeed incapacitating the evil one and is bringing the house of evil to ruin. Jesus ends his riposte (a quick, clever reply to an insult or criticism) with a pronouncement that is dire in its consequences. To impute the power of the Holy Spirit that is at work in Jesus to the spirit of evil is an unforgivable blasphemy.

        Attention was again directed to the family members of Jesus, who were outside, while Jesus was inside in the midst of a crowd. They have already demonstrated their misunderstanding of Jesus’ mission. Jesus now makes a daring statement about family ties. Upon being told that his mother and brothers and sisters were outside and asking for him, Jesus replied:  Who are my mother and brothers? … Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother. In a society where familial bonds and obligations supersede all other responsibilities, Jesus claims that real kinship is determined by acceptance of the will of God, not by blood or marriage. Acceptance of God’s will and God’s marvellous deeds are the fundamental challenge in both of these stories.

        Jesus is the perfect model of one who submitted and fulfilled the will of the Father. Indeed, entering into the world he declared: Behold I come oh God, to fulfil your will (Hebrew 10,7). Doing the will of God was always in his mind; it was driving and uniting all he did. That was why he was able to say: My food is to do the will of he who sent me ((John 4,34). At the summit of his ordeal in the Garden of Olives when his human nature was shrinking from impending passion, he was able to clearly state: Abba, Father, All is possible for you, take away this chalice from me! However, it is not my will but yours that will be done (Mark 14,36). Obedience to the Father and doing the will of the Father sum up the entire life of Jesus. He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross and for this God exalted him (Philippians 2,8-9). Doing the will of the Father is what Jesus demands of us, his disciples, when he warns: Not everyone who says to me, Lord , Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven (Matt 7,21). Taking clue from the gospel passage, we make bold to say that Mary, the mother of Jesus was a perfect disciple of Jesus in doing God’s will. Mary was very much united with Jesus both by reason of natural blood relationship and having the good disposition of doing God’s will. From Annunciation to Calvary, the entire life of Mary can be summarised in her fiat: Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to your word.  

        The gospel passage of today indicates clearly that God’s power can be misconstrued. Those who do not want to accept goodness that does not conform to their standards or models, frequently dismiss it by claiming that this or that goodness is actually evil. There is need to be open to the Holy Spirit of God and not harden one’s heart and sin against the Holy Spirit by blasphemy when we ascribe the works and designs of God as evil or attribute them as coming from the evil one. Even those who were the closest to Jesus, the members of his own family or kin group, misunderstood the origin of his power. We who claim kinship with him, because we are baptised Christians, but who rely on our own power and insight are no more preserved from error than they were. It is only in the power of God that we can stand secure. And it is only by following Jesus in doing God’s will in our lives that new kinship bonds will emerge. It is the acceptance of Jesus as the one who wields the power of God and following his example in doing God’s will that make us brothers and sisters of Jesus and, like Mary who bore him to the world, mothers of him as well. In this same power we can be victorious in our struggle with the offspring of the serpent; we too can cast out the demons that have taken possession of us and of others. We too can gather with those who sit around Jesus, listening to his words and being transformed by them. By the power of God we are made a new people with new identity and new destiny. By the power of God we will enjoy the fullness of redemption. As we listen to, and come into communion with Jesus in today’s Eucharist may he therefore, bestow on us all the graces we need to be ever disposed to always fulfill in our entire lives the will of God. Happy Sunday! + John I. Okoye

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