Sunday Gospel Comment
Alberic Jacovone OSB
YEAR B THIRD SUNDAY OF THE YEAR Jonah 3,1-5.10; 1 Cor 7,29-31; Mk 1,14-20 Theory behind Jesus’ School (Part Two) Appropriate Attitudes. Last Sunday, John’s Gospel helped us reflect on Jesus’ "Call Stories": Words like ‘disciple, discipleship, discipline & discernment’ ... derive from Latin language & are part of Latin school-education and culture: discere means to learn, discernere refers to a process of learning by choosing one option out of many; disciplina describes the method of acquiring skills by repetition and discipulus (disciple) is the candidate who learns such skills at a school. This Sunday, Mark gives us further insights into the attitudes, a candidate must have to enter Jesus’ school. Today’s story is classic, as Jesus’ school of discipleship is presented in chiastic & concentric verse - in condensed & cryptic form - with intent at converting & convincing, - expecting immediate, unconditional response from both candidate & reader - producing miraculous effects. From the outset, Mark sets the theme: Jesus is Messiah, and Son of God: as such, He is the best, ideal, only teacher of mankind. He calls people to follow & remains absolute leader: he takes the initiative - makes the first move - loves us first - chooses & calls us: he knows who we are and what we are capable of. To us, Mark leaves no attitude but to accept & gratefully respond, to discern & discover that we are part of God’s loving design for the salvation of mankind. It is God’s wish that by entering Jesus’ school, we help extend God’s kingdom to the people of our generation. In a nutshell: Jesus’ School of discipleship is God’s doing: no one volunteers & enrols, unless he is called; there is no room for people who boast about their assets, riches, physical ability, intellectual skills and power to influence. When God calls, we go through a religious experience, making it clear that it is God, and compelling to respond immediately & unconditionally. One accepts the risks of lack of family support, homelessness, poverty and vulnerability. Inappropriate Attitudes. With all the enthusiasm in the world, people at times volunteer into being followers of Christ, without understanding what it means or is involved: desiring to work for humanity or to do welfare is not enough. In the Gospels (Lk 9,57-62) we find three unsuccessful Call-Stories where candidates are motivated by inappropriate attitudes: one claims: ‘I will follow you wherever you go"; the other two put a condition: ‘First, let me go and bury my father - Let me go to say good-bye to my people at home’. All three attitudes are rejected by Jesus with extreme -even bizarre- pronouncements. These stories function as caricatures of the successful ‘Call-Stories’, insofar as they represent basic misunderstandings of what it means to be at Jesus’ school of discipleship. Jesus counters the heroic gesture of the first claimant, by pointing dramatically to the dangers a life of discipleship would entail: In following Jesus, -the missionary, homeless & wanderer- one is even more exposed and vulnerable than animals (‘Foxes have holes, but the son of man has no place to rest his head’). Similarly Jesus’ call has priority above all ties to an individual’s home or family (as well as to occupations and possessions). Not even the duty of burying one’s father can come between Master & disciple: who must choose between being lost or saved, foolish or wise. Indeed, not the shrewd, powerful or talented... are called, but the ordinary and even disreputable individual, as fishermen & tax-collectors. One does not decide to be a disciple of Jesus: the call rests with Jesus and the transformation or conversion is sudden, with no notion of preliminary training. The climax: ‘No one who puts his hand to the plough & looks back is fit for the Kingdom.
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