With His Disciples (January 20)

With His Disciples

Saturday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

"Saul and Jonathan, beloved and cherished, separated neither in life nor in death, swifter than eagles, stronger than lions! Women of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and in finery, who decked your attire with ornaments of gold." 2 Samuel 1:23-24

Jesus came with his disciples into the house. Again the crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat. When his relatives heard of this, they set out to seize him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."  Mark 3:20-21

Piety

Oh, Mary, don't you weep, don't you mourn.

Oh, Mary, don't you weep, don't you mourn.

Didn't Pharaoh's army get drowned?

Oh, Mary, don't you weep.

Well, Satan got mad, and he knows I'm glad.

Missed that soul that he thought he had.

Now, didn't Pharaoh's army get drowned?

Oh, Mary, don't you weep.

(For an alternative version by the Boss, listen to this video.)

Study

Lamentations fill today's readings. 

Lament #1: David over Saul:  After the confrontation between David and Goliath, the young shepherd became a fierce warrior and gained favor with King Saul.  However, as time went on, the military/political rivalry between Saul and David ebbed and flowed.  Sometimes Saul made attempts on David's life.  Other times, Saul's son Jonathan worked as a peace-maker, helping to mend the troubled relationship between king and subject.

David, in the Friday readings, passed up a chance to kill Saul in the cave and the men seemed to reconcile to another peaceful co-existence.  Thus, as news of Saul's death reaches David's camp, the future king breaks down into a full-scale lament.

Lament #2: Relatives of Jesus:  Switching to the Good News, hardly anyone would call this news good.  Jesus is just hanging out in his own house: teacher and pupils.  Crowds pressed in from all sides.  There were so many people that family members could not even move around in the house. Imagine what the relatives were saying: "…he could have had such a great position as village carpenter.  Why does he not continue working in Joseph's shop?  Instead, all these lepers and prostitutes are following him around. He is out of his mind throwing away a great vocation for this."

Those closest to Jesus did not know what to make of this scene and became outright dismissive of Jesus – attesting that he was out of his mind to entertain so many followers.  His family tried to intervene but they could not. 

Even when it is the darkest hour when our friends are dying, or our own family fails to recognize our work, it helps to remind ourselves that throughout sacred scripture and salvation history, there have been other dark hours.  And at those times, even Pharaoh's army got "drown-ded." The positive overcomes the negative. David rises to become King.  Jesus rises again after his execution.

Action

While we like to focus on the joy of the seasons, scripture has a way of snapping us back to harsh reality.  On Palm Sunday, when Jesus triumphantly enters into Jerusalem, minutes later we transported to the foot of the cross yelling "Crucify him!"  The very day after Christmas and the joy of Emmanuel-God-With-Us, we meditate on the first martyr St. Stephen.

On the other hand, we also can quickly move in the other direction – from sadness to joy.  One minute, Mary of Bethany and Jesus are weeping over the death of Lazarus.  In the next, Jesus commands Lazarus out of the grave. In the middle of Lent, the purple vestments get hung up for a week for the joy of rose-colored vestments.

What are you lamenting?  Now?  In the past? In the days to come?

Nothing is impossible with Jesus. Especially the joy that comes after the weeping. Pharaoh's army of woe will still get "drown-ed."