A New Heaven Awaits June 6

Piety

Jesus, give us the patience to wait for and hasten your coming to us through our piety, study and action. When you find us, may we be without blemish before you and at peace. Guide us to growth in piety and knowledge of you, our Lord and savior, so that we may fulfill your commandment to love one another. Amen.

Study http://www.usccb.org/nab/060606.shtml

“We await new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” 2 Peter 3:12

The first reading connects to the passage today from the Gospel of Mark where Jesus meets – head on – the challenge of the old earth and the old heaven where the people put him to the test.

Today, Jesus once again turns the question around on the interrogator. In these instances, Ched Myers et. al. point out that Jesus is approached by opponents who challenge him with a question concerning political authority. Jesus in turn answers the question with another question in which he compels his grand inquisitors to declare their own loyalties to divine authority. Rather than reacting defensively, Jesus spars with the opponents in order to reveal their true intentions.

In this we see the conflict between heavenly and earthly authority. Jesus’ questions challenge the assumptions of both the dominant culture and of his own disciples. And like Peter, he awaits a new heaven and a new earth in which the social order is turned upside down.

Action

Just as Jesus probed authority, we too must probe with our questions the discrepancy between rhetoric and reality, between stated values and practice. Those who define the questions frame the public debate. But are their motives always out of humility?

Lately we have seen proponents on both sides of the aisle trying to frame the public debates on war, economics, stem cell research, gay marriage, and more. Those in power whom Jesus faced did not like to be questioned by opponents. Do you?

Is Jesus questioning you today, too? In Mark, Jesus is portrayed not as the answer to our questions by rather as the questions to our answers.

How is Jesus questioning you? After all, you are richer than almost all the citizens of Jerusalem and Galilee of His time. If Jesus the answer to your questions? Or is he the question to your answers.[1]

Sometimes what Jesus leads us to differs from our prevailing views. In this week’s Arlington Herald, we can read about how Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza’s views of the death penalty changed over time as he contemplated the call of the Good News.

How do Jesus’ question for you cause you to change? to act?



[1] Myers, Ched, et. al. “Say to This Mountain:” Mark’s Story of Discipleship. Maryknoll, NY; April 2003 (NY: Orbis Books).