Sunday Gospel Comment
Alberic Jacovone OSB
YEAR B SIXTEENTH SUNDAY - 23.7.06 Jer 23,1-6; Eph 2,13-18; Mk 6,30-34 If you are on ‘Mission’, think again! A
‘World-Mission’: to confront evil. Today, as we read his Gospel, we realize that -again- (he does this
often), Mark has inserted a totally different story in the middle of the one he
is telling us. We heard last Sunday how Jesus sent his apostles (a word meaning
‘people sent on a mission’) ahead of himself, to preach on God’s love to
all everywhere. Today, before telling us how the apostles returned full of joy,
at the wonders they had worked in Jesus’ name,... he tells us the gruesome
story of John the Baptist’s beheading at a banquet of death. So, we ask why
does Mark tell us here a story ‘sandwiched’ in the middle of another? We know, he is an astute story teller & a great
catechist. Indeed, his Gospel is called ‘Gospel
for Catechumens’, since it was written to prepare converts for
Baptism, & -for centuries-, it was read in its entirety in the night-long
ceremony of Easter Vigil. In today’s lesson, Mark has on purpose chosen 2
important stories, & on purpose, has inserted one in the middle of the
other, in such a way that we are going to stop in the very middle of the first
story & think & reflect at a deeper level, on the gruesome reality with
which we are confronted in life. Mark wants to impress on us a sobering thought
about God’s Mission: it is bound to confront the powerful people of all time -
as such, it’s never easy & it can never avoid persecution &
opposition.... & this at all levels - from all groups of people - in all
life-situations & forever. The ‘Mission’ of God, of Jesus, of the Church
& of each of us, is about confronting evil, & it can never be
underestimated. In the end, both John the Baptist & Jesus -by their
horrendous & gruesome death- warn us about the strangle-hold that evil has
in the world: & in every age & in God’s plan for us. Are
we sheep without shepherd? The outcry at the bombing & counter rockets between Israel &
Palestinians at the expense of the Lebanese people, & with escalating petrol
& gold on the world market, makes us realize, that we today are no better in
keeping peace & harmony among cultures & nations, than were the people
in St. Mark’s time. Today, Mark asks us to stop & think. Who are the
prophets who in the past dared to confront powerful people for their wickedness
& suffered the bitter consequence?. Remember Moses & Pharaoh in Exodus
time?, or Nathan at David’s time?, or Elijah at Jezebel’s hands..? Yes!
Jezebel preserved all her ruthless evil as does Herodias in Mark’s Gospel.
Even the banquet where Herod offers ‘half of the kingdom’ has its parallel
in the great & popular story of Ester, the queen who risked her life &
pleased the king who also said: I will give you half of my kingdom (Est. 5,3).
In the Jewish story, Ester managed to free her people, & yet -tragically
& conveniently- she took no responsibility for the slaughter of 75,000
people, which was perpetrated by the Jews in retaliation for anti-Semitic
discrimination & persecution. In Mark’s story, the evil of Herodias is
blunt: she simply asks for ‘the head of John the Baptist’ her hatred as deep
as that of Jezebel. This week, it seems uncanny, but we really can learn a
lesson from Mark’s tragical & emotional ‘split-story’. In it, Jesus
sends out his apostles ( as He sends us now!) with lots of warnings... When they
return with false elation, Jesus tells them (& us!) that the mission of
peace-maker is tiring & confusing. It takes humility & prayer, to
address & confront the many evils of our world, across cultures &
nations: at Mark’s time & at ours. In the end, the disciples return, only
to hand over to us yet another lesson: no matter how great human needs are, our
need for wisdom & understanding is always greater. Pray for peace! ______________________________________ |
