Day 155: Jesus is Lord

Mark 3:1-6 At first, the scribes and Pharisees questioned in their hearts whether Christ had committed blasphemy by forgiving the paralytic’s sins; later, they confronted him verbally when the disciples picked corn on the sabbath; now, when he healed on the Sabbath, they began to plot against him. (CCC 548, 574, 582, 2173)

Ch 3:4 While one should avoid unnecessary work on the Sabbath, Christ taught that works of mercy ALWAYS supersede the Sabbath rest. (CCC 2173)

Ch 3:5-6 Hardness of heart: Such stubborn refusal to be converted is not morally neutral. To arrive at a point where the truth cannot penetrate one’s heart requires habitual choices of resisting divine invitations to moral and spiritual reform. This hardness of heart is, therefore, the result of choosing various forms of selfishness over deeds of humility and love. (CCC 591, 1859)

Ch 3:7-12 You are the Son of God: The demons know who Christ is, but they are not all-knowing and, lacking charity, do not understand the nature of his salvific mission. (CCC 454)

Ch 3:13-19 In founding his Church, Christ gave it a particular structure that will endure until the end of time. Its hierarchy was to be formed by the Twelve Apostles with Peter as their head. The Greek apostolos means “emissary” or “one who is sent.” The Apostles were chosen to accompany Christ, to participate in his mission, and to receive a share in his authority as they in turn were sent out to preach and heal in his name. Their number is significant: Just as there were twelve tribes of Israel, the Chosen People of God, under the Old Covenant there would be twelve Apostles to lead the Church of the New Covenant that Christ formed as the new People of God. The apostolic ministry of the Twelve is continued today through their successors, the bishops in communion with and under the Pope, the successor of Peter. (CCC 551-552, 765, 858, 1577)

Ch 3:20-30 The crowds who followed Christ to his home left him no time even to eat. He was, therefore, accused even by his friends of being beside himself due to his generosity and heroic dedication to teaching and healing. The scribes descended upon the town and claimed Christ could cast out demons only because he was possessed himself. At that time, there was a belief that a more powerful demon could cast out a less powerful one. Beelzebul was the name of a pagan god whose name the Jews applied to Satan. (CCC 548, 574)

Ch 3:27 Christ explained that he was not the collaborator of the Devil but his conqueror, who “binds the strong man” and takes back what belongs to him. (CCC 539)

Ch 3:29 Christ implicitly stated that his accusers had committed blasphemy by characterizing the work of God as the work of the Devil. This sin is forgivable, but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit-the denial of sin or maintaining a “right” to commit a sinful act to the point of a resolute REFUSAL TO REPENT and the REJECTION OF GOD’S OVERTURES OF MERCY-is not. God’s willingness to forgive is LIMITLESS, but he will not force a person to accept his mercy. (CCC 1864)

Ch 3:31-35 Brethren: This term, in the language spoken by Christ, can refer to cousins or other male relatives (cf. Mt 12:46). Christ was not rejecting his family but rather widening the scope of his spiritual family to include all the faithful people of God. (CCC 500-501)

Ch 4:1-33 Parable: Christ unveiled the mysteries of his kingdom through the use of parables. It was of vital importance that the Apostles understood the meaning of the parables, since they would be the first recipients of the Deposit of Faith. With the images of seeds, Christ taught that the expansion of the kingdom would come from within and overflow in the lives of his followers. (CCC 546, 2607)

The twelve: A common reference in Mark to the Twelve Apostles. 

Ch 4:3-20 The Parable of the Seed and the Sower goes to the heart of each disciple’s reception of the Word of God. The call to discipleship and the gift of faith demand a response if they are to be nurtured and grow. Personal prayer and meditation are means to draw us ever closer to Christ and his Word. Prayer strengthens our faith, solidifies our will for humble obedience to God, and effects an interior conversion of our hearts to Christ. (CCC 1153)

Ch 4:21-25 Being the light of the world involves a close union with Christ, which finds expression in mercy, peace, and love. The heart of Christ should not be hidden through a lukewarm spiritual life. (CCC 89, 298)

Ch 4:26-32 The first parable in this passage shows how the invisible action of the Holy Spirit causes the growth of the Kingdom of God. Over a period of time, the extension of the kingdom becomes quite noticeable. The second parable here expresses how the Kingdom of God, like a mustard seed, starts off very small but grows to mighty proportions, having an effect on the entire world. (CCC 851-854)

Ch 4:33-34 Again the privilege of the disciples to hear the more complete explanation of the parables is affirmed. (CCC 546)

Ch 4:35-41 Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?: The basic lesson of this story is to manifest that Christ is perfect God and perfect man, who can overcome all obstacles. (CCC 1808)

Psalm 20 Only in union with God can we be safe-guarded from sin and the wiles of the Devil. The military allegory of this psalm aptly describes the battles that the faithful must wage against the internal inclination to sin, the attacks of the Evil One, and the world’s hostility and indifference to God’s Laws. The forces of evil are no match for the power of the Lord. Yet, it is intrinsic to Christ’s teachings that his followers seek peace, not war; in practice, we are to respond to those who hurt and revile us with forgiveness and efforts to reconcile. (Cf. St. John Paul II, General Audience, March 10, 2004)

His anointed: Nearly all references in the Psalms to the anointed refer to a king among the Jewish people, but ultimately these references point to the definitive King of Israel, Jesus Christ. The image of “mighty victories” here points to Christ’s victory over sin and death. (CCC 438, 453, 783)

• So here is the story of the man with the withered hand in Mark Ch 3

• This man comes into the synagogue on the Sabbath

• Jesus KNOWS that the elders are looking around at him because they want to see him break the law

• Jesus asks them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or do harm, to save life or to kill?”

• WE KNOW THIS because this is DAY 155

• In the Old Covenant, YOU CAN SAVE LIFE on the Sabbath

• But the elders were SILENT

• Jesus looked around at them WITH ANGER

• ANGER!!!

• I wouldn’t ever want Jesus to look at ME with ANGER!! 😬

• What would that even be like?

• It’s just so CONVICTING

• These elders know the TRUTH

• These elders know the RIGHT THING

• These elders know the RIGHT ANSWER

• THESE ELDERS WERE SILENT

• It was not that they gave the WRONG ANSWER

• It was that they WERE NOT WILLING TO GIVE THE RIGHT ANSWER

• It was not that they TOLD A LIE

• It was that they were NOT WILLING TO TELL THE TRUTH

• JESUS LOOKED AROUND AT THEM WITH ANGER

• That is SO POWERFUL

• That is SO CONVICTING

• How many times have we said, “Well I didn’t LIE. But I didn’t SPEAK THE TRUTH when it was NEEDED, when it was NECESSARY, when I was being asked DIRECTLY?”

• Not only does LYING dishonor the Lord

• But NOT SPEAKING THE TRUTH WHEN IT IS NEEDS TO BE SPOKEN dishonors the Lord

• That is HEAVY

• That is something to REFLECT ON

• That is something to PRAY ON 

• That is something to ACKNOWLEDGE AS TRUE

• FOR ALL OF US

• So Fr. Mike read a commentary by Dr. Mary Healy, who wondered something

• All these healings that happen on the Sabbath that Jesus keeps getting accused of, why wouldn’t he AVOID the Sabbath?

• He seems like he is INTENTIONALLY PROVOKING the elders by doing these things on the Sabbath

• Jesus is doing this INTENTIONALLY

• Remember yesterday Jesus said, “Is the Sabbath made for man, or man made for the Sabbath?”

• Jesus shows he is the LORD OF THE SABBATH

• Jesus is REVEALING HIS LORDSHIP by exercising his lordship ON THE SABBATH DAY

• Jesus is undoing the EFFECTS OF SIN and inaugurating a NEW CREATION by which humanity is RESTORED to the fullness of life that God meant FROM THE BEGINNING

• Jesus thereby FULFILLS the original purpose of the Sabbath

• The ORIGINAL PURPOSE of the Sabbath is to bring HUMANITY into COMMUNION WITH GOD

• So that is why Jesus spends this time healing and doing these works ON THE SABBATH

• Jesus wasn’t breaking rules for breaking rules’ sake

• Jesus is revealing his VERY IDENTITY

• Jesus is demonstrating the WHOLE PURPOSE OF THE SABBATH

• THE PURPOSE OF THE SABBATH IS TO BRING ALL OF HUMANITY INTO COVENANT, BACK INTO COMMUNION, WITH GOD HIMSELF

• Oh so that’s good to know 😉

• Jesus talks about the sin against the Holy Spirit

• ALL SINS are forgivable EXCEPT for Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit

• So have you ever wondered how to make sure you don’t commit a sin against the Holy Spirit?

• So what is this “unforgivable sin” aka blasphemy against the Holy Spirit

• The Church declares VERY CLEARLY that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is ANY SIN THAT WE DO NOT ALLOW GOD TO FORGIVE

• THAT’S IT

• THAT’S THE SIN

• It does not mean saying something negative or blasphemous against the Holy Spirit

• It is ultimately ANY SIN that we REFUSE TO SURRENDER to the Lord for His MERCY

• CCC 1864 says there are NO LIMITS to the Mercy of God

• BUT…

• Anyone who DELIBERATELY REFUSES TO ACCEPT HIS MERCY BY REPENTING REJECTS THE FORGIVENESS OF HIS SINS AND THE SALVATION OFFERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. SUCH HARDNESS OF HEART CAN LEAD TO FINAL IMPENITENCE AND ETERNAL LOSS.

• So keep this in mind…

• ANY SIN can be a sin against the Holy Spirit, but there is not “I did this ONE THING that is unforgivable”

• WE NEED TO BRING EVERYTHING TO THE FOOT OF THE CROSS

• WE NEED TO BRING EVERYTHING TO THE LORD JESUS AND ALLOW HIM TO GIVE US HIS REDEMPTION AND ALLOW HIM TO FORGIVE US

• So here we now talk about the “brothers of Jesus”

• This is IMPORTANT for us to understand 

• Church Tradition FROM THE VERY BEGINNING is that Mary remained a virgin FOR HER ENTIRE LIFE

• Jesus was her ONLY CHILD and ALWAYS WAS

• This doesn’t just come out of NOWHERE

• This doesn’t come from a desire for Mary to be considered a virgin for her entire life

• THIS COMES FROM THE TEXT

• The RSV-CE says “brethren” which is more helpful in some ways

• WHY?

• The Greek word for brother is ADELPHOI

• The singular for ADELPHOI is ADELPHUS

• Adelphus is singular for “brethren” or “relative”

• Adelphoi can mean brothers, siblings, COUSINS, UNCLES, NEPHEWS

• We see this earlier in The Old Testament

• Lot and Abraham are ADELPHOI

• But we know that they are NOT BROTHERS

• They are UNCLE (Abraham) and NEPHEW (Lot)

• So they are ADELPHOI aka relatives aka kinsmen

• So that is the word used here

• So when it says “Jesus’ brothers” if you automatically ASSUME this means “siblings” that is ACTUALLY INCORRECT

• IN FACT, the Early Church NEVER BELIEVED THIS

• In the 3rd or 4th Century AD St. Jerome translated The Bible from Hebrew and Greek into Latin, which was the language of the people at that time

• At one point, some people were coming to St. Jerome and told him that he needed to clarify things because there was a guy that was teaching that “brethren of Jesus” meant “brothers/siblings of Jesus”

• So they asked St. Jerome to write a refutation against this belief

• St. Jerome said, “There is no need to write a refutation against this person because no one in their right mind would possibly believe that Jesus actually had siblings.” (Something tells me St. Jerome would be miffed at what people think these days 🤔)

• But if St. Jerome didn’t write a refutation against this person who is positing this idea that ADELPHOI should be translated as SIBLING/BROTHER then people would think maybe that person was right

• So St. Jerome wrote the refutation

• The Early Church was UNANIMOUS that ADELPHOI simply meant RELATIVE or KINSMEN and NOT SIBLING 

• IN FACT…

• The Bible goes on to PROVE that the people who are referred to as “Jesus’ brothers” are actually the SONS OF ANOTHER WOMAN

• Mark is not referring to FULL SIBLINGS OF JESUS

• This is indicated by his later mention of James and Joses, sons of a DIFFERENT MARY in Mark 6:3 and 15:40

• We also see this in Matthew’s Gospel

• We also recognize that at the END of the Gospel of John, Jesus from the Cross gave his Mom to the care of John, the beloved disciple

• Then John took him into his home

• This would be UNTHINKABLE if Mary had OTHER SONS THAT COULD CARE FOR HER!!!

• INCONCEIVABLE!!!!!! 😉

• So the UNANIMOUS TRADITION of the Church is that ADELPHOI refers to Jesus’ cousins, relatives, kinsmen and NOT SIBLINGS

• JESUS DIDN’T HAVE SIBLINGS BECAUSE MARY WAS ALWAYS PERPETUALLY A VIRGIN!!!!

• ALWAYS!!!

• The last thing we heard in Mark Ch 4 after Jesus calms the storm it says, “And they were filled with awe, and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?’”

• This is SO IMPORTANT

• THE WHOLE POINT OF THE GOSPEL IS TO ESTABLISH THE IDENTITY OF JESUS

• What they will DISCOVER is what the DEMONS already KNOW

• JESUS IS THE HOLY ONE

• JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD

• The demons already know this in some way

• The Apostles are filled with FEAR and AWE

• They ask the question, “Who then possibly could he be?”

• That is the question that Jesus ultimately answers WITH EVERY MIRACLE

• That is the question that Jesus ultimately answers WITH THE RESURRECTION

• JESUS IS THE LORD GOD, THE MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH

• JESUS IS THE WORD OF THE FATHER

• JESUS IS THE ETERNAL SON OF THE FATHER

• JESUS TRULY IS GOD

• HE TRULY IS GOD

• We are SO GRATEFUL

• We are SO GRATEFUL that Jesus was sent to us from The Father, He came forth from The Father to be OUR REDEMPTION, to be OUR SALVATION, and to make us into ADOPTED SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE FATHER

• WOW!!

• I really hope this Messianic Checkpoint goes nice and SLOW 😁

• PRAY FOR EACH OTHER that we continue to walk in FAITHFULNESS

• PRAY FOR EACH OTHER that we continue to walk in JOY

• PRAY FOR EACH OTHER that we continue to walk in HOPE

• PRAY FOR EACH OTHER that we continue to walk in LOVE

• PRAY FOR EACH OTHER that we continue to be the men and women that GOD HAS MADE US TO BE

• PRAY FOR FR. MIKE

Prayer by Fr. Mike: “Father in Heaven we give you praise and thanks and we just honor you and love you for the gift of your Son, Jesus, and for the gift of knowing here is His teaching, here is His heart, here is YOUR heart, because He is the Word, the Word of the Father. And when we see Him, we see YOU, Father in Heaven. And so we thank you. We thank you for every one of these moments that we get. We thank you for every one of these clips, these images we have of Jesus here in Mark’s Gospel. Thank you for Mark. Thank you for Peter, who taught Mark this. And thank you for YOU, Lord God, because you are deserving of all things and all praise in everything. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”