February 6, 2010
Memorial of Saint Paul Miki, martyr, and his companions, martyrs
People saw them leaving and many came to know about it. They hastened there on foot from all the towns and arrived at the place before them. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. Mark 6:33-34
Piety
O LORD, my God, you have made me, your servant, king to succeed my father David; but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act.
I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted.
Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong. For who is able to govern this vast people of yours? 1 Kings 3:7-9
Study
How do you deal with rejection? How do you cope when faced with a task so great that you do not know where to begin?
Jesus has repeatedly faced rejection from his family and neighbors in his home town. The mission clashed with their personal and theological comfort zone. Plus, he has now seen how the Herod deals with the prophetic message preached by John. The mission also clashed with the established social and political order. Yet, instead of shaking the dust off his feet as he advised the disciples, he jumps right back in to preaching.
Why? Perhaps because Jesus can rise above this humanity. Instead of treating rejection with rejection, he treats rejection with love – admittedly not a common reaction among the people.
Jesus has every rational reason to walk away from the crowds. Let’s face it. They are tired emotionally and physically. The disciples have just returned from their first mission and want to tell Jesus all about what they faced. Jesus is trying to find a sacred space where he can mourn the death-by-execution of his cousin John. So, as Jesus and his apostles attempt to go on a retreat to recharge their batteries, the people now gravitate toward his preaching and healing.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. Mark 6:34
Now, nearly 40 percent into the narrative, St. Mark tells us that Jesus’ ministry has a new beginning. Rather than anger at his prior rejection and rather than selfishness to deal with his own sorrows, Jesus can not turn away from the crowd like others have turned away from him. He is instead moved to pity and begins to teach them all he knows.
Action
Commitment is a term which has passed down to us from Latin and French origins. It comes from com- (meaning “together") and mittere (meaning "to put, send"). Implied here is that once we make a personal commitment, that commitment has to extend beyond ourselves and be joined together with others. That is what we learn from Solomon’s perspective as well as Jesus’ reaction to the crowd.
Community is a corresponding term which means that a certain quality is “shared by all or many.” When Jesus, the disciples or we make a commitment, it can not stand locked in a box in a corner or hidden away on a deserted shore. Jesus shows us that we have to share that with the broader community. Even when we want to retreat to our comfort zone, someone or something is pulling us out. A personal commitment to the Good News results in a community action.
As we sit under a growing blanket of snow, it is hard to focus on action. Our concerns are more personal. Are we ready if the power goes out? How will we keep the food from spoiling? How will we keep the pipes from freezing? How will we find out way around in the dark?
Not to minimize these concerns for physical safety and security, we also can take a lesson away from today’s reaction by Jesus. He wanted to disciples to take care of themselves so that they could go out again and witness for the broader community with renewed commitment. As we take prudent steps to deal with our personal safety and security, what else can we do for those around us -- the rest of our family, our neighbors and others?
