28th Sunday in Ordinary Time B. October 13, 2024

28^th Sunday in Ordinary Time B. October 13, 2024

Wisdom 7:7-11; Hebrews 4:12-13; Mark 10:17-30

 

Theme: Two Steps to Accomplish to Go To Heaven

We know that nobody lives eternally in this world. Everybody dies. We also believe that there is another life after death: either eternal life in God’s kingdom or eternal condemnation in hell. The Scripture readings today deal with eternal life in the heavenly kingdom. They tell us what we must do to go to heaven. In the Gospel, Jesus suggests two steps to go to heaven: First, we must follow God’s commandments, and second, we must give up any possessions and follow him. The first reading advises us to pray to God continuously for Wisdom; when we get it, we should prefer it above all other things. This Wisdom stands for our intimate relationship with God. Therefore, we should live in transparency in front of God because, as the second reading reminds us, no creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of God to whom we must render an account.

Today’s Gospel is followed by the stories of Jesus predicting his Passion for the third time and the ambition of James and John (10:32-45). Before our Gospel story, Jesus delivered three significant teachings. First, he strongly warned the people about the temptation to sin and called them to radical repentance lest they go into the unquenchable fire of Gehenna (hell) (see Mark 9:42-50). Second, he challenged married people to live the unity and love of the first creation for the entirety of their lives. Quoting the book of Genesis (Gn. 2:18-24), he demonstrated that God did not envisage divorce when he created the first man and woman. The person who divorces his spouse and marries another commits adultery (see Mark 10:1-12). Third, Jesus taught that the people will not enter the kingdom of heaven unless they accept it like the children (Mark 10:13-16). All these teachings of Jesus set up the context for our Gospel story. After hearing all of Jesus’ warnings and statements about eternal life in God’s kingdom and eternal condemnation in Gehenna, the rich man of our Gospel is interested to know what he needs to do specifically to avoid the unquenchable fire of hell and gain eternal life.

Our Gospel text is a narrative story with images. It can be structured into three parts. The first part is the dialogue between the rich man and Jesus regarding the rich man’s question about what he must do to inherit eternal life (vv.17-22). The second part recounts the dialogue between Jesus and the disciples regarding how difficult it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God (vv.23-27). The third part discusses the disciples’ concern that Peter raises about what will happen to them, who left everything and followed Jesus (vv.28-31).   

The first part of our Gospel (vv. 17-22) is a dialogue between Jesus and the rich man. Mark first describes three significant actions the rich man did before he asked his question to Jesus. He runs up, kneels before Jesus, and calls him “Good teacher.” Running expresses how serious his quest for eternal life is. Kneeling before Jesus signifies his prayer of adoration. And by calling Jesus “Good,” this rich man confesses that Jesus is God because the word “Good” was reserved only for God. Jesus himself reveals it when he says, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.” Jesus does not deny his divine identity here, but in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus prefers to keep it secret (Messianic secret.) Through this introductory part, our Holy Mother Church teaches us that we should consider the quest for our eternal salvation seriously. She encourages us to always run to Jesus in prayer (especially the Mass), adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, confession, and other sacraments to discuss and prepare our eternal salvation.   

The rich man asks Jesus what he must do to avoid the unquenchable fire of hell and inherit eternal salvation in God’s kingdom. In his answer, Jesus suggests two steps to undertake. The first step is the observance of the commandments that refer to human relationships: ‘You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; you shall not defraud; honor your father and your mother.” (Vv.19-20). The second step concerns the relationship with God, which consists of becoming Jesus’ disciple: “Go, sell what you have, and give to [the] poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” (V.21). The rich man has no problem with the first step. From his youth, he has observed all of God’s commandments that refer to his duties to other people. Jesus loves him for being good with the first step. However, the rich man fails in the second step: his relationship with God. He cannot become Jesus’ follower because he is not ready to love Jesus above his possessions. Mark tells us that the face of this rich man fell as he walked away sad because he had many possessions.

This first part of the Gospel teaches us that we must undertake these two steps to inherit eternal life at the end of time. First, we must care for our relationships with our brothers and sisters by observing God’s commandments. We cannot pretend we love God if we are not in a good relationship with our fellow humans. First step first. Let us make an effort to observe God’s commandments daily and help our children observe these commandments from their youth age. When we do so, Jesus will love us the way he loved this rich man. Second, having good relationships with our fellow humans alone is not enough. It must be associated with our relationship with God, which requires us to become Jesus’ disciples. One condition for discipleship, as Jesus reminds us, is that we must sell what we have and give to the poor, and we will have treasure in heaven; then we come and follow him (see v. 21). Jesus does not ask us here to dispossess everything we have in order to follow him. Money is necessary to take care of our families and Church. Instead, Jesus wants us to exchange our transitory wealth for lasting treasure in heaven. He wants us to love him above all that we possess. Money, jobs, power, and all material goods we have cannot obstruct our discipleship. We need to pray to God constantly so that our love for Jesus and his Church must be our priority. This is what the author of the Book of Wisdom teaches us in today’s first reading. He tells us that he prayed to God and pleaded for the wisdom. Wisdom here stands for his relationship with God. He says he preferred wisdom to a scepter, throne, and riches. Gold and silver are sand and are to be accounted mire. He loves wisdom (his relationship with God) beyond health and beauty. He chose to have a relationship with God because its radiance never ceases. He affirms that wisdom did not come to him alone. It came with all good things and riches. We are called to prioritize our relationship with God and love it above all our possessions.

The second part of our Gospel (vv. 23-27) recounts the dialogue between Jesus and his disciples about how it is difficult for those who behave like this rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Like the rich man, the disciples also are sad about loving Jesus above all possessions as a condition of discipleship. They are amazed and exceedingly astonished to hear Jesus being against wealth. This is contrary to what they always believed. The Jews considered wealth to be a sign of God’s blessing. Moreover, since the observance of the Laws of Moses was mandatory and was considered the path to eternal salvation, and since most of these Mosaic laws were very expensive, and only the wealthy had the resources and leisure to fulfill them, the Jews believed that having possessions was a blessing because it allowed the people to follow the laws and, consequently, go to heaven. Yet, here, Jesus says that it is an obstacle to inherit the kingdom of heaven. This justifies the question the disciples ask among themselves, “Then who can be saved?” (V.26).

This second part of the Gospel teaches us again that Jesus is not against the rich people, nor does he say that having possessions is a sin. Instead, he warns his disciples and us about the danger possessions can cause. They can damage our relationship with God and prevent us from following Jesus when we do not use them properly. Many Christians today support the Church with their treasures but do not attend Masses regularly, and they are not yet Jesus’ disciples. Supporting the Church with what we possess is good, but it does not make any difference if we are not Jesus’ disciples. Possessions must support our discipleship and nurture our relationship with God.

The third part of our Gospel story (vv. 28-30) deals with the disciples’ concern that Peter raises. If the Jews considered wealth to be God’s blessing and the path to eternal salvation, and yet Jesus says that it is hard for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God, the disciples want now to know about them, who left everything and followed Jesus. What does Jesus have to say about their destiny? Their reflection is quite logical. In his answer, Jesus reassures them and us that they and all people today who have given up everything for his sake and the sake of the Gospel will not only receive eternal life in the age to come but will receive a hundred times more now in this present age. Here, Jesus wants to say that discipleship is already the manifestation of the heavenly kingdom on earth. When we, Christians, love Jesus above all our possessions and follow him, we already enjoy part of the eternal salvation in this present age and will enjoy it fully in the age to come.   

Our second reading tells us that the Word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword. It can discern the reflections and thoughts of the heart. May this Eucharistic celebration enable us to accept and practice the Word of God we heard today. Amen.

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator &

Retreat Center Director

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time B. October 6, 2024

 27^th Sunday in Ordinary Time B. October 6, 2024

Genesis 2:18-24; Hebrews 2:9-11; Mark 10: 2-16

 

Theme: Oneness and Indissolubility in the Sacrament of Marriage

Today’s Scripture readings deal with Oneness and Indissolubility in the sacrament of Marriage. The Gospel and first readings say that God created a man and a woman not to be two but one flesh, and no human being must separate what God has joined together. Love, like that of Jesus described in our second reading, makes this indissolubility and oneness possible.

The context of our Gospel comes from a serious debate among the Pharisees concerning the reasons that justified divorce. Some schools (like the school of Shammai) were very restrictive and allowed divorce only for some grave reasons. While other schools (like the school of Hillel) permitted divorce for any reason whatsoever[1]. In our Gospel text, the Pharisees approached Jesus with this topic, testing him to see which point of view he would support. This Gospel story comes immediately after Jesus' strong teachings about the Temptation to Sin and the Simile of Salt. (9:42-50). It is followed by the story of the Rich Man who questioned Jesus to find out what he could do to inherit eternal life (10:17-31).

Our Gospel text is a narrative story. It can be structured into three parts. The first part is the dialogue between Jesus and the Pharisees on marriage and divorce. (vv. 1-9). The second part recounts the private dialogue between Jesus and his disciples in the house. They again discuss the same topic of divorce (vv. 10-12). In the third part, the dialogue shifts. It is now between Jesus and all people. The topic is the children and the kingdom of God (vv. 13-16).

The first part of our Gospel passage begins with the setting that the lectionary has omitted. Jesus and his disciples left Capernaum (Cf. 9:33) and went into the district of Judea across the Jordan. He taught the crowds who gathered around him (v. 1). Then, the Pharisees test Jesus with a question about marriage and divorce: “Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?” (v. 2). Note that in the law of Moses, divorce is permitted: “Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce and dismiss her.” Jesus recognizes this Mosaic law but tells them that it was because of the hardness of their hearts Moses wrote that commandment for them. He then teaches them and all of us today to consider marriage at its sacramental level. He refers to the story of the creation of the first ancestors, Adam and Eve, in the book of Genesis, which we heard in our first reading, to teach them the primary nature of marriage in God’s vision. He emphasizes two characteristics of marriage: Oneness and indissolubility. By stressing that God willed that the male shall leave his parents’ house to join his wife, and together, they become not two but one flesh (see Gn 2:24; Mk 10:6-8,) Jesus emphasizes “oneness” as the first characteristic of marriage. Jesus expresses the “Indissolubility of the sacrament of marriage in his concluding words, “What God has joined together, no human being must separate” (see Mk 10:9). Here, he demonstrates that God did not envisage divorce when he created Adam and Eve. He created them to be one flesh and to live this oneness for good. So, in the sacrament of marriage, husband and wife become one flesh and are called to live this oneness until they die.   

God created us to be in a perfect relationship with him and each other. The book of Genesis tells the stories (such as Adam and Eve, Cain and Able, the account of Noah and the Tower of Babel) to show us, on the one hand, how human beings failed to preserve this oneness through sins, and on the other hand, how God continuously came to their rescue. Today, we still fail to maintain our oneness with God in different ways, but God is always there to rescue us. Thus, when one man and one woman decide to live together in the sacrament of marriage, they resolve to live the oneness and love of the first creation. They accept to make visible the invisible love with which God loves his people. However, we know from experience that not all marriages reflect this ideal. For some reason, some marriages do not last. In the same way, when we receive baptism, we aim to live our relationship with God and others as in the first creation. But for some reason, we break this commitment. Note that the focus of Jesus in our Gospel story is not on “why the people divorce or why we sin” but on our effort to try to live our relationship with God as in the first creation. In other words, our everyday task as Christians (married couples, divorced, and single people) is to regain the primary nature God created us with.

The second part of our Gospel (vv. 10-12) recounts the private dialogue between Jesus and his disciples on this same topic. After he finishes dealing with the Pharisees, they return home. While in the house, the disciples question him about the same topic for further clarification. In his response, Jesus develops the indissolubility character of marriage. He says that whoever divorces his spouse and marries another commits adultery. Why does he or she commit adultery while he/she has already separated from his/her previous spouse before he/she started a new relationship with a new one? Note that for sexual intercourse to be considered adultery, it must be between a married person and a person who is not his or her spouse. So, in his response, Jesus affirms that divorce does not occur in the separation of spouses because valid marriage as a sacrament is indissoluble. That is why the Church teaches that whoever separates from his/her spouse remains legally and sacramentally married. He or she cannot contract another marriage unless the Church tribunal, after critical investigation, proves the invalidity of the sacramentality of the marriage and grants the couples “annulment.”  

The third part of our Gospel story (vv. 13-16) shifts the dialogue. Jesus now addresses all people. The topic is children and the kingdom of heaven. They are in one house (cf. v.10). The narrator says nothing about whom the house belongs. He reports that people brought their children so that Jesus could touch them. In this context, “to touch them” means to bless them. The disciples rebuked them. It is unclear if “them” represents children or parents or all parents and children. A couple of reasons can justify why the disciples acted like that. Perhaps the children were making noises, or parents created traffic in precipitating to get their children in the first line, causing discomfort in the house. It is a natural reflex for the disciples to rebuke them. We can imagine the noises and shouting the children bring in here. We act like these disciples when our youth make noises during Masses. Let us see Jesus’ reaction. Jesus takes this advantage to teach his listeners and us two crucial lessons concerning the children and the kingdom of heaven.

First, he asks his disciples and us not to prevent the children because “the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Should we not rebuke the children even when they disturb the liturgy of Masses? In one of the churches I pastored, there was a scenario involving two ladies. They were in severe conflict because the first lady wanted the second not to bring her grandchildren to Sunday Masses any longer as these two boys were making a lot of noise every Sunday, disturbing the whole congregation. I, the pastor, had to solve this issue. I just told the first lady that I myself was just like those two boys when I was their age. I imagine if my parents and our parish priest prevented me from attending Masses because of that, I would not be an active Christian, much less a priest, today. I, here, exhort the parish priests and ushers to find a perfect solution to this problem if it happens in their parishes. The liturgy of the Mass should not be disturbed, and the children should not be prevented from attending the celebration.     

Second, Jesus invites his audience and all of us (married, divorced, widowed, and single people) to embrace the heavenly kingdom as a child. “Whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” Here, Jesus emphasizes the children’s characteristics. They are transparent and willing to admit when they have done wrong. They continue to love, trust, and hope even amidst uncertainties. Jesus exhorts us to live all these virtues to enter God’s kingdom. The divorced and widowed are called to imitate children and continue to love God, his Church, and God’s people even when their marriages did not last as they intended. All of us are encouraged to imitate children, continue to trust God, and hope for eternal life. For this, our second reading reassures us that Jesus tasted death for the salvation of everyone. So, regardless of our struggles today, we must keep our hope for eternal salvation in the heavenly kingdom.

Let us pray for each other during this Eucharistic celebration. We pray that all married couples continue to be “one flesh,” reflecting the oneness of the creation, and not envisage divorce. We pray also for those whose marriages did not last as they intended that they continue to feel the love of God in their lives. Those who accept remaining single for the entirety of their lives may continue to live oneness with the Church through their dedication and love for others. Let us all pray that we must accept God’s kingdom as a child and work hard to inherit it. Amen.

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator &

Retreat Center Director

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[1] John Bergsma, The Word of the Lord: Reflection on the Sunday Mass Readings for Year B (Steubenville, Ohio: Emmaus Road Publishing, 2021), 422.

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time B. Sept. 29, 2024

26^th Sunday in Ordinary Time B. Sept. 29, 2024

Numbers 11:25-29; James 5:1-6; Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

 

Theme: Clerics and Laity Are Called to Work in Perfect Collaboration in Our Prophetic Mission of Warning and Calling People to Radical Repentance

September is the month of the Word of God. Our Holy Mother Church encourages us to become familiar with the Bible. In today’s first reading, Joshua tried to convince Moses to stop Eldad and Medad from prophesying in God’s name because they were not part of the group that attended the commissioning ritual. Similarly, in the Gospel, the apostle John tried to persuade Jesus to stop someone from exorcising in Jesus’ name because the person did not belong to their group. The reaction of both Moses and Jesus teaches us that God bestows the Prophetic Spirit not only to the ordained ministers but to any believers he wants. This underscores the importance of collaboration between clerics and laity in our prophetic mission of denouncing unjust practices, as James did in our second reading, and inviting people to radical repentance as Jesus did in our Gospel. Each of us, whether cleric or layperson, is a valuable integral part of the Church's mission.

Our Gospel passage with vv. 49-50, which the lectionary has omitted, concludes chapter 9. Mark places it immediately after the pericope of Jesus announcing his Passion, Death, and Resurrection to his disciples for the second time, his disciples’ selfish reaction, and Jesus’ exhortation based on their attitude (9:30-37). Jesus’ teaching about marriage and divorce (10:1-12) immediately follows our text. The context of our Gospel story is that the disciples heard Jesus predicting his Passion, Death, and Resurrection for the second time (9:30-32). They became concerned about their selfish ambition instead of showing their compassion and support to their Master. First, they argued among themselves to find out who would be the group leader after their Master died.  For this, Jesus taught them that the greatest of the group must be the last and servant of all (vv. 33-35).  Now, in our text, they raise another concern. They saw someone exorcizing in Jesus’ name and tried to stop him because that person was not one of the Twelve. Their problem is to ensure that no one joins their group of disciples after their Master’s death. In his answer, Jesus prepares his disciples, who will oversee his Church later, to know that God can bestow his Spirit to anyone who believes in him and is willing to do his work. He calls them to concentrate on their mission and avoid anything that causes and leads them to sin.  

Our Gospel text is a narrative story with images. V. 38 can be considered an introduction. The body of the text has two parts. In the first part, Jesus opens the discipleship ministry to everyone who believes in him and promises rewards to those who support his disciples in their ministry work (vv. 38-41). In the second part, Jesus calls his disciples to radical repentance (vv. 42-48).  Vv. 49-50, which the lectionary has omitted, concludes the story.

  Mark introduces today’s Gospel story with the disciples requesting Jesus to stop one unnamed man who drives out demons in his name because this exorcist does not belong to their group of apostles (v. 38). Jesus reacts in two phases. First, he prevents his disciples from stopping this outsider exorcist. He justifies his position with the fact that no one who performs mighty deeds in his name can at the same time speak ill of him. In other words, no one who does not believe in him can perform mighty deeds in his name. He lets his disciples understand that there are people who are not against them even though they do not belong to their group of disciples. This echoes our first reading story. In the passage that precedes our first reading story, Moses complained to God that his ministry of leading the Chosen People became too much of a burden for him alone to bear (Numbers 11: 14-17). In response, our first reading passage tells us that God used some of the prophetic spirit that was on Moses and bestowed it on the seventy elders, enabling them to assist Moses by prophesying. In this context, their gift of prophecy is not of foretelling the future but of calling the Israelites to keep God’s commandments. The scenario is that two of the seventy elders, Eldad and Medad, missed the celebration of commissioning that Moses organized for them to start prophesying officially. However, in the camp where they were, even without being commissioned by Moses, they, too, began to prophesize the same way as the sixty-eight who attended the commissioning ritual. Then Joshua, Moses’ aid, requested Moses to stop them because they were not part of those Moses commissioned. Moses’ reaction was not to stop them. He said, “Are you jealous for my sake? If only all the people of the Lord were prophets! If only the Lord would bestow his spirit on them!” (Numbers 11:29).

 Through this first part of the Gospel and our first reading, our Holy Mother Church teaches us that the kingdom of God is all-embracing. The saving mission of the Church is not exclusively to the apostles and their successors as the hierarchy of the Church today. God bestows the prophetic gifts to all believers. Clerics and laity are called to collaborate perfectly to build God’s kingdom. The Second Vatican Council states, “The apostolate of the laity derives from their Christian vocation and the Church can never be without it. Sacred Scripture clearly shows how spontaneous and fruitful such activity was at the very beginning of the Church.” (Apostolicam Actusitatem, Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, November 18, 1965, 1). From our baptism, we all have received this same prophetic spirit, like the seventy elders of our first reading, and the power over unclean spirits, like that person of our Gospel. Let us work together, ordained and lay ministers, and build the reign of God in our families, Church, and everywhere we live.

After preventing his disciples from stopping the outsider exorcist and letting them know that the discipleship ministry is extended to all believers, Jesus discussed the consequence of causing someone, even the least one, to sin. He says its punishment is worse than having a millstone tied around their necks and being thrown into the sea. He calls his followers to radical repentance to avoid this extreme sentence in “Gehenna,” which means hell. Using the imagery of cutting off and plucking out one’s members of the body, Jesus exhorts his believers to do whatever it takes to remove from their lives anything that leads them to sin and causes others to sin.  

 Notice the fourfold repetition of “to cause or to lead to sin” Jesus employs here. The first one concerns how we treat our ordained and lay ministers who have dedicated their lives to the mission of the Church. Jesus calls them “the little ones.” Previously, he said that if we assist his ministers even with the simplest needs (a cup of water to drink), we will surely not lose our rewards (v.41). Now here he warns his disciples and us that if we cause them to sin, meaning we weaken their commitment, our punishment will be worse than being thrown into the sea with a massive stone hung around our necks. Jesus uses strong language to emphasize the necessity of not weakening the commitment of our brothers and sisters who minister to our Church communities.

The other three repetitions of “to cause or to lead to sin” concern how everyone must strictly avoid sin. He asks his disciples and us to cut off our hands and legs and pluck out our eyes if they cause us to sin. It is better for us to go to heaven maimed, crippled, or with one eye than to go to the unquenchable fire of hell with all our body members. Jesus does not mean we should physically remove our body members if they lead us to sin. If so, many of us would have lost our legs, hands, and eyes long ago. Instead, Jesus challenges us to cut off and pluck out any behavior that causes and leads us to sin. For instance, we need to cut off any addictions (to alcohol, money, sex, etc.), pluck out anything that prevents us from coming to Church, especially on Sundays, and cut off any anger that prevents us from forgiving and loving our brothers and sisters and ourselves.

In our second reading, the Church gives us James as another model of a prophet. He strongly warns and challenges the unjust rich who work mainly to accumulate wealth and material possessions for themselves and abuse those who work for them. As Christians, we are the prophets of our time. We are called to address wrong practices in our families, Church communities, neighborhoods, and societies by warning people and inviting them to “pluck them out” and “cut them off.” For instance, jealousy (like that of Joshua and disciples in our first and Gospel readings) prevents many of us from accepting good things other people accomplish in our Church, families, and societies just because they do not belong to our clubs, Church communities, social classes, or political parties. We need to “pluck jealousy out”.  Racism is another sin we need to “cut off.” It causes division among us. We must “pluck out” criticism that discourages people and fear that prevents us from serving God as we should. We must “cut off” any addictions (alcohol, shopping, gambling, etc.)

Let us ask God’s grace in this Eucharistic celebration that we, clerics and laity, might collaborate perfectly in our prophetic mission of warning and inviting people and ourselves to radical repentance. Amen.  

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator &

Retreat Center Director

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time B. Sept. 22, 2024

 25^th Sunday in Ordinary Time B. Sept. 22, 2024

Wisdom 2:12, 17-20; James 3:16—4:3; Mark 9:30-37

 

Theme: Our Selfishness and Wickedness Prevent Us From Being Good Disciples

September is the month of the Word of God. The Church encourages us to regularly study, meditate, share, and pray with the Sacred Scriptures. Today’s Scripture readings deal with our selfish ambitions and wicked desires, which prevent us from being good disciples. In the first reading, the author talks about the unnamed righteous person whom the selfish and wicked people plot to condemn to a shameful death unjustly because his teachings challenge their wrong actions. The tradition connects this righteous person to Jesus, who was also unjustly condemned to death, as he announces it to his disciples in our Gospel. In the second reading, Saint James affirms that selfishness and jealousy cause conflicts and wars among his people.

Today’s Gospel passage immediately comes after the story of the Healing of a Boy with a Demon (vv.14-29), and it precedes the story of Jesus’ disciples who wanted to stop one exorcist from driving out demons in Jesus’s name because he was not one of Jesus’ followers (vv.38-41). Our Gospel story is in the context of Jesus revealing the type of Messiah he is to his disciples. He does it through the predictions of his Passion, Death, and Resurrection, which he announces to his disciples during their journey to Jerusalem. Like Mathew, Mark has recorded three predictions of Jesus’ Passion. All of them follow the same pattern. (1) Jesus announces his Passion, Death, and Resurrection to his disciples. (2) His disciples reject or object or ignore his announcement purposely. (3) Based on their attitude, Jesus teaches them a lesson. For instance, in the first prediction (last Sunday’s Gospel, Mark 8:27-35, its parallel is in Mt 16:21-28), first, Jesus announced to his friends that he would suffer, die, and resurrect after three days. Second, the objection came from Peter, who, on behalf of his fellow disciples, objected by rebuking Jesus. Third, because of their attitude, Jesus taught them a lesson regarding the three conditions of discipleship: deny oneself, pick up one’s cross, and follow him. Jesus’ second prediction of his passion is in Mark 9:30-37 (today’s Gospel. Its parallel is in Mt 17:22-23 and 18:1-4.) The three phases are: first, Jesus announces his Passion, Death, and Resurrection to them. Second, the disciples ignore him purposely by arguing among themselves about who will be the group leader after Jesus dies. Third, based on their attitude, Jesus teaches them that whoever wants to be the first and greatest must be the last and servant of all. The third Jesus’ prediction is in Mark 10:32-35. (We will read a part of it [10:35-45 or 10:42-45] on Sunday, October 20, 2024, the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time B. Its parallel is in Matthew 20:17-28.) The three phases are: First, Jesus predicts his Passion, Death, and Resurrection as usual. Second, the disciples ignore his announcement and focus on their selfish ambitions. The two sons of Zebedee want Jesus to grant them the privilege of sitting one on his right and another on his left in his glory. The rest of the disciples became indignant.  Because of their selfish attitude, Jesus teaches them the same lesson of the second prediction story: whoever wishes to be the greatest and first among them shall be the servant and the slave of all.

Our Gospel passage is a narrative story. It is structured in three movements. (1) Jesus announces to his disciples his Passion, Death, and Resurrection (vv.30-31). (2) The disciples ignore him and dispute among themselves who will be the group leader after their Master dies (vv.32-34).  (3) Jesus teaches them a lesson based on their attitude (vv. 35-37).

The first movement is Jesus’ prediction of his Passion. Mark begins our story by commenting that Jesus and his disciples are on a journey through Galilee, but he does not want his friends to know about it. He will reveal Jerusalem as their destination when he announces to them his Passion for the third time (Mk 10:32.) Note that this trip to Jerusalem is significant because it is when and where the Paschal Mystery (Jesus’ Passion, Death, and Resurrection) will take place. On their journey, Jesus announces to his friends that he will undergo Passion and Death but will resurrect on the third day. Here, Jesus reveals to his disciples what type of Messiah he is. He is not the political conqueror Messiah as the disciples taught before. Instead, he is a Messiah who accepts suffering and death to save the world.

The second movement is the disciples’ ignoring Jesus’ announcement by focusing on their selfish ambitions. Unlike Matthew, who, in his version of the same account, said that the disciples understood Jesus but were overwhelmed with grief (Mt 17:22-23,) Mark, first, reports that they did not understand Jesus’ saying and were afraid to question him (v. 32). What kind of misunderstanding does Mark speak about here? We know that in the first prediction, Mark already added an important detail to clear the possibility of misunderstanding. He said that Jesus spoke to them openly (Mark 8: 32), meaning not in parables but in simple words, making it easier for all of them to understand. In our text, when Mark says that they did not understand, he does not refer to the lack of comprehension. The stress is not in the first part of the phrase, “they did not understand,” but rather in the second part, “they were afraid to question him.” The disciples refuse to ask Jesus a question for further clarification because they are afraid to hear the same prediction again, which frustrates them. The real problem here is not intellectual teaching (which requires intelligence to understand) but a personal experience with Jesus, which entails their total commitment. Jesus invites them and all of us to relate to him as a suffering Messiah ready to lay down his life to save the world. Consequently, they, including us, must be prepared to lay down our lives to save our brothers and sisters. Jesus’ teachings are a big challenge for the disciples. They do not want to accept them. That is why they avoid asking a question for further clarification. In our first reading, the sacred author of the Book of Wisdom tells us that the wicked people plotted to unjustly condemn an unnamed righteous man to a shameful death because this man’s teachings challenged their wrong actions. Jesus’s teachings continue to challenge us today. Many of us sometimes do not read the Bible and refuse to study it because we avoid being challenged. Let us humble ourselves and allow the Word of God to challenge and transform us.

Second, Jesus shares with his disciples the painful and emotional situation of his upcoming death. He expects them to give him support and show him their compassion. However, his disciples ignore Jesus, do not support him, or show him their compassion. Instead, they are preoccupied with their selfish ambitions and wicked desires as they argue among themselves about who will be the group leader after their Master dies. Today, Jesus expects us to listen to him with consideration when he speaks to us through the Scriptures (especially at Masses) and our brothers and sisters (particularly those suffering.) Many of us, like the disciples, ignore Jesus. We do not listen to him attentively. Instead, we are concerned about our selfish ambitions and wicked desires. In our second reading, Saint James teaches his people and all of us about the danger that selfish ambitions and wicked desires cause. He says that where jealousy and selfish ambition (what he calls “passions”) exist, there is disorder and every foul practice. They are the reasons for the conflicts and wars among us in our families, neighborhoods, and societies (James 3:16; 4:1). So, the Church teaches us to eliminate our selfishness and wickedness. Christians are called to listen to Jesus when he speaks to us through the Scripture readings and our brothers and sisters.

The third movement of our Gospel passage is the lesson Jesus teaches his disciples. Based on their selfish ambitions and wicked desires to be the greatest among others, Jesus describes the two characteristics of discipleship. “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” (v. 35). A disciple must be the last of all and the servant of all. To illustrate his lesson, Jesus takes a child, places him in their midst, puts his arms around him, and then invites them to be like that child. There are two interpretations here. (1) Jesus uses a child to symbolize the anawim: the poor in spirit and lowly in the Christian community. So, Jesus let his disciples and all of us understand that discipleship is a service to the people, especially the poor and lowly. (2) At Jesus’ time and in their culture, the children were seldom noticed, much less served by the people. So, here, Jesus wants his friends to know that they may be treated likewise by the people they will serve. If or when it happens, they should know that whoever receives them, like a child, receives Jesus himself and receives God. Our Holy Mother Church exhorts us to receive well and support the Church and all its ministers. When we do so, we receive and support Jesus himself.

May the liturgy of this Mass enable us to eliminate our selfishness and wickedness, accept to follow Jesus, the suffering Messiah, and be the “last” and “servants” of our brothers and sisters, especially the poor and lowly. Amen.

 

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

SVD USS Biblical Apostolate Coordinator &

Retreat Center Director     

 

 

 

24th Sunday in Ordinary time B. September 15, 2024

 24^th Sunday in Ordinary time B. September 15, 2024

Isaiah 50:5-9a; James 2:14-18; Mark 8:27-35

 

Theme: What Kind of Messiah Jesus is, and What Kind of Disciples We Are Called to Be

September is the month of the Word of God. The Church encourages us to regularly study, meditate, share, and pray with the Sacred Scriptures. In last Sunday’s Gospel, we heard how Jesus healed a deaf man with impediment speech. We, too, need Jesus to open our spiritual ears and tongues so that we might hear and “speak” or proclaim the Word of God wherever we live. Today, the Church suggests we meditate on the kind of Messiah Jesus is and the kind of disciples we are called to be. The “suffering servant” the author of our first reading refers to is the kind of Messiah Jesus is and the kind of disciples we are called to be. Jesus is the Messiah who accepted to suffer and die to save the world. As his disciples, we should deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow him. This is not just a calling but an inspiring invitation to a strong faith, which is put into action that Saint James talks about in our second reading.

According to the setting of the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE), the story of the healing of the Blind Man of Bethsaida (7:22-26), which immediately precedes our text, closes the part two of the Gospel of Mark called “The Mystery of Jesus.” Then our Gospel text (including vv.36-38 and ch.9:1 that the lectionary has omitted) opens part three, “The Mystery Begins to Be Revealed. Mark’s Gospel contains sixteen chapters. Our Gospel story is at the heart of it all, a pivotal moment that we are all part of. In the first half of his Gospel, Mark walked us through the ministry of Jesus in the Jewish and Gentile territories. Now, with our Gospel episode, he introduces us to the turning point in his account of Jesus’ public ministry: Jesus starts revealing what kind of Messiah he is and what kind of disciples his followers must be.    

Our text is a narrative story. Vv. 27-30 can be considered an introduction. The body of the text (vv. 31-35) has three movements: (1) Jesus announces his Passion, Death, and Resurrection for the first time (v. 31); (2) Peter rejects Jesus’ possibility of dying and Jesus rebukes him for doing it (vv. 32-33); (3) Based on Peter’s objection, Jesus teaches all of them about the conditions of discipleship (vv. 34-35). Vv.36-38 and ch.9:1, which the lectionary has omitted, can be considered a conclusion.  

The introductory part begins with the setting and Jesus’ double questions to his disciples regarding his divine identity, which is hidden so far. On their way to the villages of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asks his disciples to tell him what the people and themselves say who he is. He finds out that the people confuse him with John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the prophets, and his disciples, through the profession of faith of Peter, believe he is the Messiah.

Why do people confuse Jesus with these three significant figures? John the Baptist, Elijah, and a prophet share a common characteristic. (1) John the Baptist called the people to radical repentance to prepare themselves to welcome Jesus, the Messiah. (2) In 800 B.C., Elijah’s mission was to call the Israelites to repent and remain faithful to God. According to Malachi’s prophecy, Elijah will return to convert people before God comes for final judgment (see Malachi 3:23-24). (3) Each prophet had a mission to call the people of his generation to repentance and remain faithful to God. So, Mark, already in chapter 6, showed how the people had different opinions of Jesus. Some, like Herod, believed that Jesus was John the Baptist, who had been raised from the dead. Others thought Jesus was Elijah. Still others confused Jesus with one of the prophets (see Mark 6:14-16).  In our Gospel passage, the disciples' answer to Jesus’ first question demonstrates that, in the first half of Jesus' ministry, people’s opinion of Jesus has not yet changed. They still think Jesus is John the Baptist, or Elijah, or one of the prophets, but not the Messiah.

Unlike the people who still do not grasp Jesus’ divine identity, Peter, on behalf of his fellow disciples, confesses that Jesus is the Messiah (Mark 8:29). In Matthew’s version, Peter’s profession of faith was the Divine revelation: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.” (Mat 16:17). Then, Jesus acknowledges this identification but orders his disciples not to reveal it to anyone. Mark again employs the “Messianic secret” here as he did in the stories of the Healings of a Deaf Man (see Mark 7:31-37) and the Blind Man of Bethsaida (see Mark 8:22-26). Jesus prohibits his disciples from revealing his divine identity to avoid confusing him as a political Messiah whom the Jews were waiting for. He wants to ensure that his disciples understand well what type of Messiah he is. Many people today still do not believe in Jesus as their Messiah.  We, Christians, are called to tell them who Jesus really is. Before we do that, Jesus wants to ensure that we, ourselves, believe and understand well the type of Messiah he is. To connect it with this month of the Word of, the Church encourages us to promote the Word of God to our brothers and sisters. But before we do that, we should first become familiar with the Word of God by regularly reading, studying, meditating on, and praying with the Bible.  

The body of our Gospel story (vv. 31-35) contains three movements. (1) Jesus declares his Passion, Death, and Resurrection. (2) Disciples reject the type of Jesus’ Messiahship. (3) Jesus teaches them the conditions for discipleship.

(1). After he finds out that his disciples know he is the Messiah, Jesus starts revealing to them what kind of Messiah he is. “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days. He spoke this openly.” (Vv. 31-32a). Notice this detail the evangelist added here: “[Jesus] spoke this openly.” He said it plainly, not in a parable as usual, because he wanted his followers to understand the type of Messiah he is and, consequently, the type of disciples they are to be. This is the first time the disciples have heard about this shocking declaration. At this point, they follow Jesus because they expect him to be a conqueror and a glorious Messiah. To hear that their trusted Master is going to die is a shock. What is their attitude now? Well, they are lost and deeply disappointed. Remember, Mark puts this big announcement in the center of his Gospel to mean that it is a very important issue to think of. This is the personal experience Jesus wants his followers, including you and me, to do. As we follow Jesus, we must understand very well that we are the followers of a suffering Messiah who is ready to do everything that it takes, including laying down his life, to save the people of God.

(2) Through Peter, the disciples reject the type of Messiah Jesus wants to be, and Jesus rebukes them for doing so. “Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. At this, he turned around and, looking at his disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” (Vv. 32b-33). In Matthew’s version, the narrator tells us the words Peter used in his rejection: “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.” (Mat 16: 22b). Here, Peter not only refuses “such thing” to happen to Jesus, but he also refuses it to happen to them because he knows very well that as Jesus’ disciples, they are called to follow their Master’s footsteps. Peter’s idea of not accepting the cross is not the will of God but the will of Satan. That is why Jesus calls him “Satan”. When he professed that Jesus was the Messiah, Peter was inspired by God (see Matthew 16:17), but here, the fact that he rejects the type of Messiah Jesus is, he is inspired by Satan. Like the disciples, many of us still prefer to follow the glorious Messiah, who performs miracles whenever we call upon him. Our Holy Mother Church teaches us that we should look at our Messiah first of all as a suffering Messiah who denied himself, took up his cross, and died for the salvation of humankind. His glory and power are demonstrated in his cross. Therefore, we, his followers, are called to follow in his footsteps to save our brothers and sisters.

(3) Based on the disciples' objection, Jesus teaches them the three conditions of discipleship. To be Jesus’ disciples, his disciples and all of us Christians must deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Jesus. To deny ourselves means God’s mission is first, and we are next because there is nothing more important than the mission of the Church, which is to save the souls of God’s people.  To take up our crosses means to accept with courage and faith any suffering related to the mission of the Church. Prophet Isaiah gives us his own painful experience as an example in our first reading. he did not run away from those who tortured him. Rather, he courageously faced them, believing God would not abandon him. To follow Jesus means we must learn from him, imitate him, and so become “another Christ” where we live. Through these three conditions of discipleship, Jesus wants his disciples and all of us to know this paradox: “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.” (V. 35). When we accept to give up our lives (which means, we accept suffering for his sake and the sake of the Gospel), we save them in the kingdom of heaven, which begins here and now; but when we do not accept to be his disciples (which mean, we avoid suffering for his sake and the sake of his Gospel), we lose eternal life. We cannot say we are Christians or disciples by the time we do not accept the conditions of discipleship. In our second reading, Saint James says the same thing when he teaches his audience and us that faith without works is dead. We need to demonstrate our faith from our works (James 2:14-18).

Mark concludes our Gospel episode in Vv. 36-38 and Ch. 9:1, which the lectionary has omitted. Jesus declares, “Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this faithless and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” Notice how Mark associates Jesus with his Words or Gospel. He uses Words and Gospel interchangeably. In v. 35b and 10:29, he employs “Gospel.” By linking Jesus with the Word of God, the evangelist wants to teach us that we cannot love Jesus without loving the Scriptures. September is the month of the Word of God. Our Holy Mother Church encourages us to promote the Bible wherever we live. To do that, we are called to study, meditate, share, and pray with the Sacred Scriptures often and often without being ashamed.

Jesus is a Suffering Messiah, and we are the Christians and disciples who accept suffering for his sake and the sake of his Gospel. May the liturgy of this Mass strengthen our faith and give us the courage to demonstrate our faith from our works without shame by denying ourselves, taking up our crosses, and following our Lord wherever we live. Amen.

Rev. Leon Ngandu, SVD

SVD USS Province Biblical Apostolate Coordinator &

Retreat Center Director