Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany – Year B
February 4, 2024
Gospel Lectionary Text
Mark 1:29-39
1:29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.
1:30 Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once.
1:31 He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
1:32 That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons.
1:33 And the whole city was gathered around the door.
1:34 And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
1:35 In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.
1:36 And Simon and his companions hunted for him.
1:37 When they found him, they said to him, "Everyone is searching for you."
1:38 He answered, "Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do."
1:39 And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.
Context
Last week, Jesus garnered fame by casting out a demon in the synagogue. This week, we see more of the same. The crowds, and expectations, grow, and with them, the potential for great harm. Instead of capitalizing on the momentum, Jesus slows things down, concealing his identity and withdrawing from the crowd in order to pray. What gives?
Crowds unconsciously hold the collective spirit of those who inspire them, which is why Jesus approaches crowds with a blend of compassion and caution. In the Gospels, this spirit is predominantly shaped by a religious system steeped in sacrificial violence. Might Jesus, in casting out demons, actually be purging the very spirit of the religious system and the hidden violence it fosters within the crowd?
Exposing the triangular relationship between the religious system, crowds, and the demonic puts Jesus in harm’s way. That would explain why he orders demons and disciples alike to be quiet about his identity. When the time is right he’ll be crucified, revealing both the fruits of violent religion, and the mercy of the One who forgives us, including the crowds who cry “Hosanna” one day and “Crucify him” the next.
Question
In today's tribalistic world, where do you find yourself swept up in the crowd's energy, seeking a scapegoat?
Reflections
Praying Eucharistically - Weekly Homily by James Alison:
Understanding the Bible anew through the Mimetic Theory of René Girard.
Poetry
I Feel Sorry for Jesus
by Naomi Shihab Nye
“I Feel Sorry for Jesus
“People won’t leave Him alone.
I know He said, wherever two or more
are gathered in my name…
but I’ll bet some days He regrets it.
“Cozily they tell you what He wants
and doesn’t want
as if they just got an e-mail.
Remember ‘Telephone’, that pass-it-on game
“where the message changed dramatically
by the time it rounded the circle?
Well.
People blame terrible pieties on Jesus.
“They want to be his special pet.
Jesus deserves better.
I think He’s been exhausted
for a very long time.
“He went into the desert, friends.
He didn’t go into the pomp.
He didn’t go into
the golden chandeliers
“and say, the truth tastes better here.
See? I’m talking like I know.
It’s dangerous talking for Jesus.
You get carried away almost immediately.
“I stood in the spot where He was born.
I closed my eyes where He died and didn’t die.
Every twist of the Via Dolorosa
was written on my skin.
“And that makes me feel like being silent
for Him, you know? A secret pouch
of listening. You won’t hear me
mention this again.”
Prayer
Coming soon.