Sunday Gospel Comment
Alberic Jacovone OSB
YEAR B SIXTEENTH SUNDAY - 20.7.03 Jer 23,1-6; Eph 2,13-18; Mk 6,30-34 Rest-less Hunger for Justice You are called to alleviate evil Galilee Act 3 of Markıs Gospel (6,6-8,21) starts with a Osandwichı story. Jesus sends his disciples to preach to the Jews, then the tragic murder of John the Baptist is inserted, then the disciples return boasting about what they had done and taught. To them this mission was a smashing success. But Mark doesnıt think so: he uses a split-story technique to impress on us a sobering thought: Godıs work is prophetic: itıs meant to confront people -at times powerful people- with the danger of evil. It is never easy and can never avoid persecution and opposition. We are meant to go out to confront the power of evil and never underestimate it. In Markıs Gospel, two Passions are told: Jesusı and John the Baptistı: both warn us about the strangle-hold of evil in Godıs plan for us. Insights from the Osandwichedı story. For Mark, Jesus is Son of God and John is the greatest Prophet of allı. He inserts the tragic murder of this greatest Prophetı between the sending and the returning of Jesusı disciples. By this horrendous murder at the hands of Herod Antipas, Herodias (Othe wife of brother Phillipı) and her daughter, Marks asks us to stop and look for clues, as to where in the Old Testament are those Prophets who dared to confront powerful people for their enormous wickedness, and suffered the bitter consequences. Soon, we are reminded of Pharaoh in Exodus; of Lev. 18,6 Thou shall not uncover the nakedness of your brotherı; of Nathan who confronted King David; of Elijah who shamed King Ahab and Queen Jezebel into obedience to Godıs law (IK 21,1-16). In Elijahıs story, Ahab had some redeeming vibes, against Jezebel who preserved all her ruthless evil; in the same way Herod and Herodias are portrayed in Mark. Even the Banquet where Herod offers half of the kingdomı has its parallel in the great and popular story of Esther, the queen who risked her life and pleased the king who boasted that it shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdomı (Est. 5,3). In the Jewish story, Esther succeeded in obtaining deliverance of her people, yet-tragically and conveniently - she took no responsibility, for the slaughter of 75,000 people, which was perpetrated by the Jews and supported by Esther, in revenge for their anti-semitic discrimination and persecution. In Markıs story, the wickedness of Herodias is never veiled: she simply, asks for the head of John the Baptist: as in Jezebel, her hatred goes to the bitter end. A restless hunger for justice. On purpose, Mark puts this enormously emotional split-story as a divider between the sending out of the disciples (with lots of warnings!), and their return with false impressions. Jesus never tires to tell them (and us!) that their task as missionaries is never popular or easy; itıs got to do with addressing and confronting the many evils of our society. The sad procession, ³when Johnıs disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb², is a sobering warning that in our ambitions, we humans may become dreadfully evil, preferring darkness to lightı and being wolves to one another, rather than brothers and sistersı. Having said this, the other side of the sandwich fits also. The disciples return. While satisfied, they are stressed out, overworked and overwhelmed by the enormity of human needs. They still fail to see their mission, as one of confronting the many evils of society. So no matter how great human needs are, their own need for rest and deeper understanding is greater. In Mark they did not understand so you may grow in conviction and commitment: never to be overcome or desensitized by evil. ______________________________________ |
