SUNDAY REFLECTIONS 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time - 05 February 2012 Job 7:1-4,
6-7; 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23; Mk l: 29-39
Suffering is inevitable in life. Each religion has to deal with this as a fact. The
maximal intensity of suffering is death. In the face of suffering man is powerless
and he tries to find meaning to it. In Christianity, the attitude towards suffering
is quite basic and definitive. It is the suffering of Christ that gives meaning to
our sufferings. Christ has come as the redeemer and the conqueror of suffering and
of death. He does not limit his healing mission to the physical sufferings alone but
seeks to heal the whole person. The inner healing of the person and the forgiveness
of sins is the mission of Jesus. God intervenes in human situation to alleviate suffering,
yet he permits suffering to take place. Sufferings often motivate people to seek
God, and as they draw closer to Him they can understand Him better. In the first
reading we have Job, that legendary model of long-suffering patience, is speaking
of the tiresomeness of life. He complains of the hardships he had to experience in
life in the face of sudden disasters. He gives expression to the pain and sorrow he
is facing. He is unable to see the happiness that lies in store for him. In the second
reading Paul speaks of the obligation imposed on him to preach the Word of God, making
himself the slave of the Gospel. Yet he does this task willingly and freely without
looking for any reward. The Gospel gives the vivid picture of healing ministry of
Jesus and his popularity as everyone was searching for him. But he chooses to go to
other places to continue his ministry of preaching and healing. In the midst of his
heavy work of teaching and healing he spends his time in prayer. In the first reading
Job feeling abandoned by friends and by God when confronted with sufferings, offers
the dark reflection on the world. The story of Job expresses a typical human problem
that bad things happen to good people and the question whether people can serve God
selflessly, without hope of any reward. In all his suffering, Job did not know what
we know, that he was being tested by God to see if he would remain faithful in his
service to God. He did not know Satan was challenging God regarding his loyalty. He
did not know that in the end, God would reward his faithful loyalty, blessing him
with more than he had in the beginning. Job and his friends did have an extended dialogue
on sufferings. One said that Job had sinned. Another said that Job should repent.
The last said that Job's guilt deserved punishment. Even his wife questioned his integrity,
telling him to curse God so he could die. But, remaining faithful in the service of
the Lord, Job said that he has received good things from the hand of God and why not
receive bad things from him. At this point of his journey there appears to be no
end to Job’s misery. The nights seem to drag on and on since he is unable to sleep
because of all his pain. For him his days seem to move more swiftly than a shuttle
across the threads on a loom. Soon the frail fabric that is his life will come to
an end. In the Second Reading Paul expresses his fidelity in the service of the
Lord. To emphasize this fact he tells them how he has given up rights and privileges
which he certainly could claim, in order to give himself fully and entirely to the
spreading of the gospel among them and to be free from any personal interest and gains.
Thinking spiritually, he considers himself as a slave indebted to Jesus, never being
able to repay for the gift of salvation that was promised to him by the grace of God.
The fact that he had been chosen by Jesus to proclaim the Gospel was not a reason
to boast. It was an obligation as a born again Christian to preach the Word of God
in answer to his calling to walk his living faith in Christ. His loyalty to Christ
who had personally called him motivated him to preach the Gospel so that he could
share in the eternal reward that awaits all those who remain as faithful servants
of the Lord. Paul viewed his work for the Lord as he being entrusted with a commission,
to be the faithful ambassador of Jesus. Therefore his first and utmost preoccupation
is to deliver the message at all cost in complete obedience and service to his master.
He does his work freely and willingly, without any charge. He says that in order
to win many over to Christ, he made himself a slave to all. He set aside many of the
freedoms that he previously enjoyed in order to make himself acceptable to all. He
becomes all things to all in order to save at least some. When Mark in his Gospel
describes the typical day in the life of Jesus, he explains the first of his missionary
activity in Galilee. Jesus taught as one with authority, preached convincingly the
Word of God in the Synagogue of Capernaum and by a single command drove the unclean
spirit out of a man. Later the same day after sundown, he worked many more miracles
of healing, beginning with Peter’s mother-in-law and drove out many other demons.
They brought many persons who were sick and he healed their illness. Early next morning
he left Peter’s house and went to a lonely place to pray. Here Peter and his companions
found him in prayer and told him that all people were waiting to see him in Capernaum.
But Jesus told them that his plan was not to restrict himself to one place but to
travel to other towns and villages of Galilee to bring them the good news of the Messianic
Kingdom. Surely on this first day of his public ministry among the people of Capernaum,
people realized that this man from Nazareth who had come to proclaim God’s word among
them was no ordinary preacher, no ordinary rabbi, and no ordinary man. They saw his
extra ordinary way of proclaiming the Word and were astonished and amazed at his power
and authority. He teaching and life was totally different from their own teachers. In
the gospel of today Jesus shows himself as a divine friend, who is at work curing
the sick people. He is using his human and spiritual energies to bring healing and
wholeness into their lives. His was a totally different approach: he was there to
serve, to give, to share. He was not a person who looked for power, influence, success,
wealth. He truly was a Man for Others, quiet and generous. That attitude of his was
life-giving, that gave his work meaning and value. Although the disciples Simon,
Andrew, James and John had not known Jesus long, they had already begun telling him
their troubles. The first thing they tell him about the sickness in Peter’s own house.
Mark tells us that Jesus moved from the synagogue where he performed the exorcism,
to the house of Simon Peter and Andrew where he does the healing of Simon’s mother-in-law
who was suffering from fever. The event is described with a minimum of words. When
Jesus is informed about it, he goes into the house, takes the woman by her hand and
raises her up and the fever is gone. The word translated as “helped her up”, is the
same word often used for the resurrection of Jesus. There is something more than
a simple cure from fever in this person’s case. The woman’s immediate response to
being raised up is that she waited on them or served them their meals. Mark uses
the same words after the Temptation Narrative where after the Satan left, the angels
waited on him. This implies a form of service or ministry. The woman has been set
free of her illness to minister to and with Jesus. Mark follows the healing of
Simon’s mother-in-law with what is called a summary statement. These statements are
inserted into the Gospel at strategic places where Mark wants to make a transition
in thought or action. Generally these statements have Jesus healing many people of
all kinds of diseases, casting out demons and attracting large crowds of people.
He undertook this action not to enhance his attractiveness to people but he did the
healing because he was interested in people who needed help. People who heard about
his healing approached him with their ailments. Observing fully the law of Sabbath,
they came to him after sunset, when the Sabbath was over bringing those sick and those
possessed by demons and Jesus healed them all. Through his healing miracles Jesus
seeks to give dignity to the human person for in general sickness is considered weakness.
However this includes a sad note too. People did not come to him out of love but just
to be healed. Here is an added reference to Jesus not allowing the demons to speak
because they knew him. This is referred to as the messianic secret. Jesus does not
want his real identity known until after his death and resurrection. Otherwise he
might be misunderstood as another healer and a powerful miracle worker and miss the
real purpose of his mission. At the same time Mark shows us that his mission was
incomplete without his personal contact with his Father. Early Sunday morning Jesus
went off to a deserted place to pray. He goes there, not to escape from the pressures
of life, but to be refreshed for further service. The Evangelists tell us about the
prayer of Jesus at important moment of his life or at times of stress over the true
nature of his ministry. All this time Jesus sought communion with God through his
prayer. He goes alone to a quiet place withdrawing completely from activities and
looking for quiet time with God. Indeed this was the moment of success for him when
all admired his power. His disciples came to inform him that all were looking for
him indicating his popularity and the desire of people to retain him there with them
so that he could minister to their needs. Jesus must have shocked them when he expressed
his desire to move elsewhere to other towns and villages. For him it was a moment
of stress and decision. They had only seen him as a miracle worker and now he shows
the real purpose of his coming. This is just the beginning of a misunderstanding
between Jesus and his followers over the true nature of his mission and the meaning
of the discipleship. His mission to establish the kingdom of God was not understood
by them. His communion with his Father would have allowed him to search out the meaning
of his mission. Once he found it in his prayer he tells his disciples that they have
to go elsewhere and he will have to preach there too. It would have been a difficult
decision when he experienced the popularity. Yet the love of God and obedience to
him was more important. The Gospel seems to hint that the disciples are basking
in the reflected glory of Jesus' popularity and disappointed that Jesus went off just
when things seemed to be going so well. But Jesus showed no interest in being the
centre of attraction, of being popular, of being 'successful'. He simply wanted to
be in places where the real needs of people existed. He had given what he could give
in one place and he will now move on to other places to serve others in the same way.
In his response to the disciples Jesus did not directly condemn their worldly outlook
but indicated that his mission indeed has a new purpose, an entirely different objective.
He had not come to earth to bring earthly prosperity to any town or country but to
bring spiritual salvation and blessing on all people. That very morning having spent
his time with his Father he began to carry out his mission and for the remaining two
years or more he went from town to town proclaiming the Kingdom of God. Therefore
Mark concludes by saying that Jesus went to their synagogues in every village and
this would have taken long time to accomplish. His going from one synagogue to another
acted not merely as a social worker with a great heart, or as a reformer fighting
for a particular cause. He saw the mystery of human suffering much more profoundly.
Suffering deep in human existence, and an essential part of human nature, needs a
healing. Jesus realized the need of people and worked to bring that healing and ultimately
to the full reconciliation with the divine. He did not ignore pain but went out of
his way to remove it and show the working of God with human persons. Today's Readings
tell us that we have different examples of how one can think spiritually as against
worldly thinking. They echo how the weak human nature often overcomes the spiritual
nature that perceives the greater mysteries of God. We have come to the realization
that in order to remain faithful in the service of the Lord, we must embrace a spiritual
mind so that we can understand the things of God. We have learned that no matter how
hard life be at times, by the power of the Holy Spirit and a spiritual approach we
can overcome any obstacles in life. We can by the grace of God the Father in the
Name of Jesus face any suffering and pain. As we receive freely from God many blessings,
we must give freely to others our self, not expecting any worldly reward. What Jesus
presents us today is a life filled with meaning: A life where there is time for prayer,
reflection and coming closer to God; where there is time for sharing with others in
word and action; where there is time for building and healing and reconciling. Jesus
needed prayer to find the will of his Father and he shows us way to pray in order
to discover the will of God in our lives and discover the path he has chosen for us.
Prayer is essential for everyone and helps us to overcome the darkness of life. There
is absolutely no one who cannot learn to live like this. During this week let us reflect
on the typical day in the life of Jesus: a teacher, a preacher, a healer and a man
of prayer. As the followers of Jesus let us all aim to be like him in our life and
in our proclamation of his kingdom. This real story is said of the German concentration
camp during the Second World War. In the camp were a group of rabbis and learned
Jews along with persons who had been in high standing prior to their arrest. They
had to work for six and half days every week but on Sunday afternoons they were left
in relative peace. One such afternoon some of the learned Jews in their despair decided
to put God on trial. The rabbis acted as judges and witnesses came forward for defence
and for the prosecution. The case for the prosecution was overwhelming. They had
only to look around them: they were being wiped out as a race; many of their families
had already died in the gas chambers. They were unable to look for their dear ones.
How could a good God allow this to happen? The judges, despite a stout defence had
no difficulty in reaching the verdict. God was guilty as charged, guilty of abandoning
his chosen people. Silence fell upon the court. Then an elderly Jew got to his feet
and said: “Nevertheless, let us not forget…it is time for our Evening Prayers.”