July 19, 2015

16^th Sunday in Ordinary Time B

Jeremiah 23: 1-6; Ephesians 2: 13-18; Mark 6: 30-34

In looking and reflecting on the readings today, my initial reaction was that they were a little disjointed. Maybe individually there were some points that could lead to deeper reflection, but overall it would be a little hard to find a common denominator. But there is a message and a deep one, I’m glad that I took the time to see what was written and what passages were ‘omitted.’

Jeremiah’s constant ‘sermon’ was to challenge the kings of Judah to rule the people by God’s standards. They were successors of David, thus their task was to serve God as ‘good shepherds’ leading the people deeper in their faith commitment to God. “I will appoint shepherds…who will shepherd the people so that they need no longer fear and tremble…these shepherds will reign and govern wisely.” But the kings turned not to the Lord but to Egypt for security and built their palaces with all the comforts of the pharaohs had. In doing this they focused on their own comforts, ignoring the poor. Today Jeremiah is condemning their spiritual failures. He tells us God will step forward to act and this ‘divine good shepherd’ will care for the flock. They have been scattered to so many lands, but God will bring them back and love them.

Paul goes deeper into this theme by saying that Jesus came to unite all: the Jews who were near and the Gentiles who were far off. Jesus did this by dying for all on the cross. All are to live together in mutual love and peace.

The sixth chapter of Mark starts out by showing how Jesus was rejected by his home town people so much so that “He was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying His hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.” (v 1-6)

Then Jesus sends the Twelve out to continue the work He had started. “So they went off and preached repentance. They drove out many demons, and the anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.” (v 7-13) One would guess that today’s gospel would follow immediately since it begins, “The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught.”

Instead are 15 verses that ‘come out of nowhere.’ Maybe it could be titled, ‘What Jesus did while the apostles were away’. But it goes into a deeper message. The narrative recounts a very vivid story of the murder of John the Baptist. Is it just about John the Baptist or does it also inform us of the suffering and opposition that awaits each Christian. The ‘Herod’ described is ‘Herod Antipas’, the son of Herod the Great. In Luke’s gospel, Jesus calls him ‘that fox.’ Also Luke tells us how Jesus, after Pilate’s interrogation, sent Jesus to Herod who agrees in His execution. In this ‘interlude’, Herod Antipas thinks that Jesus is John the Baptist whom he beheaded…was he somehow raised from the dead and is now haunting Herod? Mark describes the banquet that led to John’s murder. The Roman banquets routinely closed with dancing. Imagine a Herodian princess dancing at such a dinner. What father would allow his daughter or step-daughter to dance for a bunch of drunks? And the dancing so pleased him that he promises on an oath to give her whatever she asks for, ‘even half of my kingdom.’ A leading Marcan scholar, Dr. Bonnie Bowman Thurston, in Preaching Mark writes, “Mark could hardly have made the John/Jesus parallel clearer. Both John and Jesus are martyred by rulers who recognize their goodness but are too weak, too influenced by popular opinion, to act on their behalf. But official opposition cannot stop God’s plan of salvation (a message not lost on Mark’s community which suffered Roman persecution). As the proverb goes, the church flowers from the blood of its martyrs.”

Today’s passage begins with the apostles’ return. Mark always describes Jesus as being compassionate. He knows they must be worn out from their travels and preaching and now He invites them to come to a ‘deserted place’ or uninhabited place. This ‘word’ has come to be identified with the theme of ‘desert spirituality’ (a place where people go to meet God or where God chooses to appear). AND before they could begin their hiatus, the crowds had found them and Jesus “was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.” The compassionate Jesus saw that they were tired and hungry and asked the disciples “give them some food yourselves.” The next ten verses (34-44) describe the feeding of the five thousand with the five loaves and two fish.

We look at the sixth chapter as a whole: Jesus returns to His home town…the people no doubt proud of Him…He was now famous…They knew all about Him…but they were unwilling to see God in Him and to listen to the message of God He brought. Their faith was weak…they believed what they wanted. Jesus commissioned the Twelve to be ‘apostles’ … those SENT… He blessed them and gifted them. Then the narrative is interrupted with the story of John the Baptist and Herod and the bottom line the people believed what they wanted and followed the popular opinion and John was murdered. Then the twelve returned so very enthusiastic and excited because they did what they had been told. Jesus said ‘let’s go and reflect and be thankful and the crowds followed. Jesus as always the teacher and the compassionate one told the apostles to feed the people. We don’t have enough food. What is the food they are to share? We had the Roman banquet and the Jesus banquet…one of receiving and filling oneself; the other of sharing and caring.

Dr. Thurston helps with a deep reflection: “In an overworked, stressed out, and consequently burned-out world (and church!) It is important to highlight those places in scripture where Jesus invites, in fact, commands His followers to withdraw and to rest. Solitude and rest are not “icing” or ‘extras.” They are the very environment from which fruitful ministry grows. Verses 35-37 (chapter 6) are stark reminders of what happens when they are ignored; Jesus’ disciples can find themselves at odds with what He wants them to do….If people are hungry, Jesus expects His disciples to do something about it: ‘you give them something to eat’. If what we provide is not to be the spiritual equivalent of ‘junk food,’ then we must have deepened ourselves through the ‘withdrawal’ described in v. 31. But it is more serious than this. We are not only the ones commanded to feed, but we are the ones who are ‘taken, blest, broken, and given’ to feed. Sometimes we, like the disciples’, are called to meet serious, human needs at just the point we find ourselves at the very ‘end of our ropes’ physical and spiritually. And precisely then we become the body of Christ, as in our brokenness, we are blest and given to others.”

Sacred Space 2015 says: “Jesus cares about me and invites, too, to come away and rest a while. If I can go to a ‘deserted place’ occasionally, it will allow my soul to catch up. Otherwise, as T.S. Eliot says, I have the experience of God’s action in my life, but miss its meaning because I don’t give time to reflection.”