The Nazareth Page- A gospel meditation for your home

September 8, 2024 – Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Mark 7:31-37

 REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
Download this simple process to Prepare for Sunday using the Observe, Judge, Act Metho

We are now living in a time of what seems like excessive self-promotion. Millions of dollars are being spent on media devoted to displaying the virtues of political candidates and the vices of their opponents. It’s hard not to feel that this is all “too much.” Further, I have read that what’s called “name recognition” is very important when citizens vote in November. Thus, along highways and byways, in front yards and open fields, we see an abundance of signs with no more information about candidates that their name.

With this background, we might be surprised by the message of today’s gospel where Jesus seems not only unconcerned about what people know about him, but he even tells his followers not to tell anyone about the good he is doing.

He seems especially worried about creating a reputation of possibly being someone sent by God to improve their lot, or possibly even be a warrior messiah, one sent directly by God to make them mighty and powerful. Or even more misleading would be the idea that he was the one who would restore the wonderfully prosperous life that was experienced during the reign of the great King David.

Biblical scholars have labelled this reticence of Jesus to gain notoriety or popularity “the messianic secret.” This tactic of “secrecy” is found especially in Mark’s gospel. In brief, it is part of the Jesus narrative because he was deeply worried that people might get the wrong idea of what God was doing in their midst.

Jesus was not sent to create a great military country, not to bring riches and prosperity to God’s people and not to take away all pain and suffering. While all these situations might be the desire of many, it was not that of Jesus.

One of my favorite descriptions of him was that he was “meek and humble of heart.” He did not place himself above others. He was not intent on calling attention to himself. Nor did he seek in any way to dismiss or downgrade others. In fact, he did the opposite.

His constant attitude was how can he help others and not how they might help him. That’s why one of the themes of Mark’s gospel is to define Jesus as one who came to give his life for others. He was not in search of votes or fame or popularity. He came to serve and not to rule, an approach to life that will always, it seems, be countercultural.  And he invited us to do the same.

David M. Thomas, PhD