Thursday, February 2, 2012
Mary as an Image of the Church
New commetary on the Gospel of Mark - inexpensive, unique, enlightening --->
The destiny of the Church is wrapped up in the destiny of Mary. Mary shares an intimate role as a type for the Church. She shares in the many paradoxes that our faith expresses For it is Mary who brought forth the body of Christ, yet the Body of Christ is mystically one with the Church of which Mary is a part.
We meet Mary for the first time at the Annunciation, being approached by an angel and consenting to the Will of the Father to allow the Holy Spirit to overshadow her and bring forth the Son of God. Mary then travels to Judea where the Holy Spirit is communicated through her greeting of Elizabeth . This event is repeated with the Twelve Apostles at Pentecost. Angels appear promising the return of Jesus . The Holy Spirit then comes upon the Apostles and then through their preaching and Baptism, the Holy Spirit is given to those who hear them .
At the visitation, Elizabeth proclaims that Mary is "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb !” This phrase “blessed are you” brings promises from the Old Testament that are fulfilled in the New by both Mary and the Church. This phrase points us back to only two women in the Old Testament who received a similar blessing. They received this blessing because both women, Jael and Judith had defeated the enemy of their people by destroying the general of the enemy’s camp by a blow to the head . This blessing is now being given to Mary who is fulfilling the prophecy of Genesis 3 “I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel .” Moses records this prophecy as a curse against the serpent who is the devil , that one day a woman would come whose seed would destroy the devil and those who follow him. This crushing of the devil finds its fulfillment not only in our Lady but again in the Church. St. Paul tells the Romans, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet .”
Just as Mary became the dwelling place of God on Earth, so the church does the same. Mary in the most physical way, by being the Mother of God is temple, because it is in her the God chooses to dwell when the Holy Spirit overshadowed her . At the birth of Our Lord, it is Mary who brings Him forth and places Him in a manger giving us a figure of Christ in the Eucharist who came that we might consume Him. Likewise the Church, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit , through the priesthood gives us Christ in the Eucharist for our adoration and salvation.
In the Gospel of John, Mary is presented as a New Eve who will cooperate in the restoration of men and women and God and men . This role is fulfilled as well in the Church. John opens his Gospel with, “In the beginning… ” to put us in the mindset of that first creation . In that first creation there were two covenants made, one between God and Man and the other between man and woman. The covenant between God and Man is made when God fathers man, “in our image, after our likeness” . The covenant between man and woman is established at the creation of woman. God takes from the side of Adam a rib and from it creates his bride, Woman, saying, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh .”
As we soon find out, sin corrupts both of these covenants. There is a struggle now between not only man and woman, but between man and all men. There is now also contention between God and men.
In the Gospel of John, Mary is present at the restoration of both covenants, though never called ‘Mary’ by Jesus, she is seen in the eyes of Jesus as being a New Eve and is called ‘Woman’. At the wedding at Cana, when the wine runs dry, we see Mary who intercedes for the wedding couple and tells Jesus of the problem. Jesus’ response points us to his work on the cross, "O woman… My hour has not yet come. " He then proceeds to bring about his first miracle and blesses the marriage with not only the best wine but in superabundance. It is here at this miracle, through the intercession of the ‘woman’ with the New Adam that the church “sees in it the confirmation of the goodness of marriage and the proclamation that thenceforth marriage will be an efficacious sign of Christ's presence .”
Mary appears one more time in the Gospel of John at the Redemption. While Jesus is on the Cross He addresses Mary as ‘woman’ and it is at the cross that Jesus and Mary beget children not in any natural way but in a supernatural way. “When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home .” Then John reports another event that coincides with Jesus’ words to his mother “But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water .” This event is seen by the church as the moment of its birth, “"For it was from the side of Christ as he slept the sleep of death upon the cross that there came forth the 'wondrous sacrament of the whole Church.'" As Eve was formed from the sleeping Adam's side, so the Church was born from the pierced heart of Christ hanging dead on the cross .”
So we see that at both the wedding at Cana and the Cross there is the New Adam and the New Eve reconciling both covenants between woman and man and God and Men.
Finally, in brief, just as Mary was taken into heaven body and soul and was glorified, so the Church will one day be taken up in the Resurrection, body and soul, and be glorified.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
The Holy Name of Jesus
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Recently, a young evangelist by the name of Paul Meyers passed away. He wanted everyone to know about The Most Holy Name of Jesus. What does the Bible say about the name of Jesus?
The name Jesus is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name Joshua; pronounced yeshua, which means salvation. It is, of course, of no coincidence that Jesus and Joshua share the same name. Joshua’s mission was fulfilled in the mission of Jesus.
Joshua was the successor to Moses way back after that exodus from Egypt. It is Joshua who actually led the people from their time of wandering through the Jordan River into the Promised Land. Jesus does the same. He leads us through the waters of Baptism into the Promised Land of Heaven.
So right away the name of Jesus is associated with Salvation and Heaven. There aren’t any other contenders out there, like Buddha or Mohammed, where you have to know their names to be saved or be enlightened. Others preach a message that is to be believed, Christianity preaches a Person.
And in Biblical times as well as today, names were associated with the person whom they represented. So much so that to say a person’s name was inviting them to be present. That is why God said that we aren’t to use His name in vain because to speak of His Holy Name is to ask Him to be present. His Holy Name is for Holy conversations or prayer, not occasions of great surprise, like certain websites advertise today.
What did Jesus say about his own name?
John 15:16 so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
John 16:23-24 Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.
What is happening here? Jesus is telling us that it is through his name that God the Father acts. Jesus name is associated with real power. Listen to Acts of the apostles.
Acts 3:2-6 And a man crippled from birth was carried and placed at the gate of the temple called "the Beautiful Gate" every day to beg for alms from the people who entered the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked for alms. But Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, "Look at us." He paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them. Peter said, "I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, (rise and) walk."
That miracle occurred because St. Peter called on the name of Jesus with faith. Consequently, look at what happens when we call on the name of Jesus without faith:
Acts 19:13-17 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches." Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, mastered all of them, and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And this became known to all residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks; and fear fell upon them all; and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled.
So clearly, it is faith in the name of Jesus that brings fourth this Power. The early Christians even got persecuted because of the name Jesus.
That is right. After Pentecost and the Apostles receiving the Holy Spirit, they can’t stop talking about Jesus. This so offended the Jewish officials at the time that the Apostles were persecuted just for talking about Jesus.
Acts 5:40-41 So they took his advice, and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.
Today is no different, for some Catholics the name of Jesus is an embarrassment in public. We need to ask God for help in this area of our lives and be not afraid to talk about Jesus in public.
Matthew 10:32-33 So every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
We need to be a people who not only confess the name of Jesus, but also have reverence for His Most Holy Name.
Philippians 2:9-11 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Now while we can’t be genuflecting every time we hear the name of Jesus, what can we do to honor His Name in a physical way?
This is what Paul Meyers wanted everyone to know. It is an old custom that has been kind of forgotten to bow our heads when we say or hear the name of Jesus. By doing this, we are honoring His Name and thus honoring Jesus himself.
This is a public witness to the Holiness, Power, and Salvation that is found in the name of Jesus. We are of course short on time, but I want to encourage everyone to get a little booklet by TAN publishers and share it with others. It is called, “The Wonders of the Holy Name.”
Also, please pray for the repose of Paul Meyers’ soul.
The Wonders of His Holy Name - Click Here
Recently, a young evangelist by the name of Paul Meyers passed away. He wanted everyone to know about The Most Holy Name of Jesus. What does the Bible say about the name of Jesus?
The name Jesus is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name Joshua; pronounced yeshua, which means salvation. It is, of course, of no coincidence that Jesus and Joshua share the same name. Joshua’s mission was fulfilled in the mission of Jesus.
Joshua was the successor to Moses way back after that exodus from Egypt. It is Joshua who actually led the people from their time of wandering through the Jordan River into the Promised Land. Jesus does the same. He leads us through the waters of Baptism into the Promised Land of Heaven.
So right away the name of Jesus is associated with Salvation and Heaven. There aren’t any other contenders out there, like Buddha or Mohammed, where you have to know their names to be saved or be enlightened. Others preach a message that is to be believed, Christianity preaches a Person.
And in Biblical times as well as today, names were associated with the person whom they represented. So much so that to say a person’s name was inviting them to be present. That is why God said that we aren’t to use His name in vain because to speak of His Holy Name is to ask Him to be present. His Holy Name is for Holy conversations or prayer, not occasions of great surprise, like certain websites advertise today.
What did Jesus say about his own name?
John 15:16 so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
John 16:23-24 Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.
What is happening here? Jesus is telling us that it is through his name that God the Father acts. Jesus name is associated with real power. Listen to Acts of the apostles.
Acts 3:2-6 And a man crippled from birth was carried and placed at the gate of the temple called "the Beautiful Gate" every day to beg for alms from the people who entered the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked for alms. But Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, "Look at us." He paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them. Peter said, "I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, (rise and) walk."
That miracle occurred because St. Peter called on the name of Jesus with faith. Consequently, look at what happens when we call on the name of Jesus without faith:
Acts 19:13-17 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches." Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, mastered all of them, and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And this became known to all residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks; and fear fell upon them all; and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled.
So clearly, it is faith in the name of Jesus that brings fourth this Power. The early Christians even got persecuted because of the name Jesus.
That is right. After Pentecost and the Apostles receiving the Holy Spirit, they can’t stop talking about Jesus. This so offended the Jewish officials at the time that the Apostles were persecuted just for talking about Jesus.
Acts 5:40-41 So they took his advice, and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.
Today is no different, for some Catholics the name of Jesus is an embarrassment in public. We need to ask God for help in this area of our lives and be not afraid to talk about Jesus in public.
Matthew 10:32-33 So every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
We need to be a people who not only confess the name of Jesus, but also have reverence for His Most Holy Name.
Philippians 2:9-11 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Now while we can’t be genuflecting every time we hear the name of Jesus, what can we do to honor His Name in a physical way?
This is what Paul Meyers wanted everyone to know. It is an old custom that has been kind of forgotten to bow our heads when we say or hear the name of Jesus. By doing this, we are honoring His Name and thus honoring Jesus himself.
This is a public witness to the Holiness, Power, and Salvation that is found in the name of Jesus. We are of course short on time, but I want to encourage everyone to get a little booklet by TAN publishers and share it with others. It is called, “The Wonders of the Holy Name.”
Also, please pray for the repose of Paul Meyers’ soul.
The Wonders of His Holy Name - Click Here
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Luke 15 - How They Were Lost
Note: Gospel of Mark - 4 Source Commentary is now for sale. --->
In Luke chapter 15 we have three parables about being lost. Some have even called it the ‘lost chapter of the Bible’, because it speaks of a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. What we are looking at today is yet another great aspect of Luke Chapter 15. We usually focus on God searching so diligently to find us and the joy that is experienced over being found. Today though we are going to examine each parable and see why the things were lost to begin with. To start, this idea came from Servant of God Archbishop Fulton Sheen.
The shepherd has a 100 sheep and one is lost. Why? What would compel a sheep to leave the fold. Well sheep are kind of dumb. There is a great riddle – If you have 100 sheep and 3 wander off into another field – how many do you have left? None – they all followed the three sheep into the other field. Sheep just go where were they think they will find grass.
So we can conclude that some people leave the church out of ignorance. I truly believe that there are some Catholics who are attending a protestant service on Sundays thinking that they are fulfilling their Sunday obligation. The preaching is better, the music is more lively, the people were more friendly and so on, yet they miss the most improtant event in the world - The Mass. The leave because on some level they didn’t know any better.
I have heard on EWTN before how in the past few decades that people just haven’t been catechized properly. I can bear witness to that. I think that is why some churches are getting depopulated, people in general don’t even know why they are suppose to be there. I think the older generation is leaving for other churches because, while they are aware of the Sunday obligation, they are unaware that the Catholic Church is the one true Church of Christ. I think the younger generation is even ignorant of the Sunday obligation rule.
So we need some great and drastic catechesis.
Now concerning the parable of the lost coin, how is this person lost. Coins don’t loose themselves, people loose coins. Unfortunately here the people are the church and the coins are some of those who are leaving because of the church itself.
These people are lost through carelessness; the carelessness of parents, schools, and others that teach the faith. Sometimes the Christ that is proclaimed is just another great teacher like Mohamed or Buddha. Sometimes the Christ that is proclaimed is only one of social justice and not holiness.
We have a responsibility of instructing our neighbor. Listen to what Moses says:
Deuteronomy 6:4-7 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD; and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
How often is that we are to speak of God’s word and teach them to our children? From the time you get up until you go to bed. Now I admit here that I fall short, yet this message is for us today as St. Paul says
2 Timothy 4:2 preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching.
In season and out of season – that means when it is popular and when it isn’t. St. Paul tells us to convince people – let me tell you there is plenty to be convinced about, but we must get educated. He says to rebuke – wildly unpopular today. I count as best friends those who look at me and tell me I am headed in the wrong direction, because that tells me three things about them. First there is a right direction, second that they think I should be going that way, third they care enough to tell me.
Then St. Paul says to exhort people – get them excited about the faith. There is plenty to be excited about. Finally be unfailing that we are to be unfailing in patience and also in teaching. Don’t fail to be patient and don’t fail to teach.
Concerning the parable about the lost son; how do we find this in the church? There are people who want to remove themselves from the whole church equation. Their own desires pull them out. They let their fleshly desires run amuck. This happens to all of us sometimes, but there are some that leave and have no desire for reconciliation until things get really bad.
So what is the solution to these parables.
While nothing is going to be perfect we can creation near occasions of grace. We talk about near occasions of sin is when you pass by that bar on the way home you get tempted to go in and get too many drink so you should avoid that bar and you will avoid the sin of drunkenness.
I think we need to create more near occasions of grace. We should saturate our lives with our faith. Almost everybody it seems is busy these days. Be busy with the Lord’s work. Adoration, Bible study, prayer group, soup kitchen, feast day party.
We need to do this without fear. Yes some people will call us fanatics and we will loose some friends possibly. Then on the other hand we will strengthen our faith, strengthen the faith of those around us and build a culture that is attractive to everyone.
Our faith is the fulfillment if every other religions desire and we will attract people to our church to Jesus by just living it in its fullness.
I think we can bring back the lost sheep people by helping them grow in knowledge of their faith.
I think we can attract back to the faith the lost coin people by being dedicated to our hope in our Lord Jesus.
I think we can bring back those who have left the faith through their own lusts, by out loving them. Loving them more than they love themselves, just like Jesus does for us.
In Luke chapter 15 we have three parables about being lost. Some have even called it the ‘lost chapter of the Bible’, because it speaks of a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. What we are looking at today is yet another great aspect of Luke Chapter 15. We usually focus on God searching so diligently to find us and the joy that is experienced over being found. Today though we are going to examine each parable and see why the things were lost to begin with. To start, this idea came from Servant of God Archbishop Fulton Sheen.
The shepherd has a 100 sheep and one is lost. Why? What would compel a sheep to leave the fold. Well sheep are kind of dumb. There is a great riddle – If you have 100 sheep and 3 wander off into another field – how many do you have left? None – they all followed the three sheep into the other field. Sheep just go where were they think they will find grass.
So we can conclude that some people leave the church out of ignorance. I truly believe that there are some Catholics who are attending a protestant service on Sundays thinking that they are fulfilling their Sunday obligation. The preaching is better, the music is more lively, the people were more friendly and so on, yet they miss the most improtant event in the world - The Mass. The leave because on some level they didn’t know any better.
I have heard on EWTN before how in the past few decades that people just haven’t been catechized properly. I can bear witness to that. I think that is why some churches are getting depopulated, people in general don’t even know why they are suppose to be there. I think the older generation is leaving for other churches because, while they are aware of the Sunday obligation, they are unaware that the Catholic Church is the one true Church of Christ. I think the younger generation is even ignorant of the Sunday obligation rule.
So we need some great and drastic catechesis.
Now concerning the parable of the lost coin, how is this person lost. Coins don’t loose themselves, people loose coins. Unfortunately here the people are the church and the coins are some of those who are leaving because of the church itself.
These people are lost through carelessness; the carelessness of parents, schools, and others that teach the faith. Sometimes the Christ that is proclaimed is just another great teacher like Mohamed or Buddha. Sometimes the Christ that is proclaimed is only one of social justice and not holiness.
We have a responsibility of instructing our neighbor. Listen to what Moses says:
Deuteronomy 6:4-7 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD; and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
How often is that we are to speak of God’s word and teach them to our children? From the time you get up until you go to bed. Now I admit here that I fall short, yet this message is for us today as St. Paul says
2 Timothy 4:2 preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching.
In season and out of season – that means when it is popular and when it isn’t. St. Paul tells us to convince people – let me tell you there is plenty to be convinced about, but we must get educated. He says to rebuke – wildly unpopular today. I count as best friends those who look at me and tell me I am headed in the wrong direction, because that tells me three things about them. First there is a right direction, second that they think I should be going that way, third they care enough to tell me.
Then St. Paul says to exhort people – get them excited about the faith. There is plenty to be excited about. Finally be unfailing that we are to be unfailing in patience and also in teaching. Don’t fail to be patient and don’t fail to teach.
Concerning the parable about the lost son; how do we find this in the church? There are people who want to remove themselves from the whole church equation. Their own desires pull them out. They let their fleshly desires run amuck. This happens to all of us sometimes, but there are some that leave and have no desire for reconciliation until things get really bad.
So what is the solution to these parables.
While nothing is going to be perfect we can creation near occasions of grace. We talk about near occasions of sin is when you pass by that bar on the way home you get tempted to go in and get too many drink so you should avoid that bar and you will avoid the sin of drunkenness.
I think we need to create more near occasions of grace. We should saturate our lives with our faith. Almost everybody it seems is busy these days. Be busy with the Lord’s work. Adoration, Bible study, prayer group, soup kitchen, feast day party.
We need to do this without fear. Yes some people will call us fanatics and we will loose some friends possibly. Then on the other hand we will strengthen our faith, strengthen the faith of those around us and build a culture that is attractive to everyone.
Our faith is the fulfillment if every other religions desire and we will attract people to our church to Jesus by just living it in its fullness.
I think we can bring back the lost sheep people by helping them grow in knowledge of their faith.
I think we can attract back to the faith the lost coin people by being dedicated to our hope in our Lord Jesus.
I think we can bring back those who have left the faith through their own lusts, by out loving them. Loving them more than they love themselves, just like Jesus does for us.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
A Markan Sandwich with a dash of Mustard
Mark Chapter 4 is filled with parables about scattering and sowing seeds.
Mark Chapter 4 has at least 5 parables in it all about, I believe, the spreading of the word of God.
Jesus opens the chapter with the parable of the sower who sows seed and it falls into 4 different types of ground. To begin, this is one of the great parables where we don’t have to guess what it means. Jesus himself tells us the meaning. He says that the seed that is being sown is the word of God. The differing places that the words of God falls are on different kinds of hearts.
The 4 different types of ground are as follows: the road, stony ground, thorny ground, and good soil. The seed that falls on the road that is picked up by birds is like where someone hears the word of God and immediately rejects what he hears. Jesus says that Satan comes and takes it away.
Two thoughts about this part of the parable: first the road. The road or the path is mentioned elsewhere:
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.
When he says – I am the “way”, he is using the same word. Jesus is the “road” to the Father. But Jesus does speak of another road.
Matthew 7:13-14 "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. "For the gate is small, and the road is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.
Jesus here speaks of a broad road that leads to destruction. I think this might be appropriate for what he is speaking of in the gospel of Mark. Some seed fell on the road, but Satan picked it up. To me this is comparable to the modernist scholarship that we see on certain cable stations that talk about history and discovery. When they examine the Bible, they begin with asking questions about the Bible and in the end leave you with more questions than when they began. So when you do hear the Good News of Jesus, you begin to count it all as myth and fluff.
There is an example of this in the Gospel of Mark itself:
Mark 8:31-33 And he began to teach them that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter, and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not on the side of God, but of men."
Next we see the word that falls on the rocky ground of little soil. This is the person who is excited about the faith, but when challenged, tucks tail and runs for cover. Jesus’ disciples again give an example of this in the garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus is arrested, his disciples run for their own lives.
Then we have the word of God that falls into the thorny ground of the - I believe – three lusts: The lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life. It is these worldly things that choke the word of God i.e. entertainment, possessions, pornography.
Finally, there is the word of God that leads us to eternal life and finds in our souls fertile ground. We heard God’s word and put it to work for the Kingdom of God.
But now Jesus’ words take a strange turn. He says this: Mark 4:21-22 "Is a lamp brought in to be put under a bushel, or under a bed, and not on a stand? For there is nothing hid, except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret, except to come to light.”
What is hid and secret? What is manifest and will come to light? It is the seed that was sown, the word of God that is spread in the world. We don’t usually see the effects of our words when we sow them in the souls of people, but in time they will be seen.
Again another seemingly unrelated parable:
Jesus then says this: Mark 4:24-25 "Take heed what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away."
I ask, the measure of what? What more will be given to me? It again is that seed, that word of God. This ultimately isn’t a message of philosophy or a way of life but a person and a relationship with HIM. The more we spread Christ, the more Christ will be given to us. Yes we will see more people reject the Gospel we present, but we will also see more fruit. The measure you give will be the measure you get.
Jesus then continues with the seed theme:
He says that the kingdom is like seed scattered but the sower doesn’t know how the seed grows. Meaning that the word of God goes out but who will accept and reject is a mystery to the preacher. St. Paul says as much in: 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
Finally, Jesus compares the kingdom to a mustard seed. It is one of the smallest of seeds and yet it grows to be a big shrub. The seed again is the word in the world, and while it is small, beginning with 12 men hiding in an upper room. It is today covering the whole earth in which people of every nation rest and make their homes.
Mark Chapter 4 has at least 5 parables in it all about, I believe, the spreading of the word of God.
Jesus opens the chapter with the parable of the sower who sows seed and it falls into 4 different types of ground. To begin, this is one of the great parables where we don’t have to guess what it means. Jesus himself tells us the meaning. He says that the seed that is being sown is the word of God. The differing places that the words of God falls are on different kinds of hearts.
The 4 different types of ground are as follows: the road, stony ground, thorny ground, and good soil. The seed that falls on the road that is picked up by birds is like where someone hears the word of God and immediately rejects what he hears. Jesus says that Satan comes and takes it away.
Two thoughts about this part of the parable: first the road. The road or the path is mentioned elsewhere:
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.
When he says – I am the “way”, he is using the same word. Jesus is the “road” to the Father. But Jesus does speak of another road.
Matthew 7:13-14 "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. "For the gate is small, and the road is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.
Jesus here speaks of a broad road that leads to destruction. I think this might be appropriate for what he is speaking of in the gospel of Mark. Some seed fell on the road, but Satan picked it up. To me this is comparable to the modernist scholarship that we see on certain cable stations that talk about history and discovery. When they examine the Bible, they begin with asking questions about the Bible and in the end leave you with more questions than when they began. So when you do hear the Good News of Jesus, you begin to count it all as myth and fluff.
There is an example of this in the Gospel of Mark itself:
Mark 8:31-33 And he began to teach them that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter, and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not on the side of God, but of men."
Next we see the word that falls on the rocky ground of little soil. This is the person who is excited about the faith, but when challenged, tucks tail and runs for cover. Jesus’ disciples again give an example of this in the garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus is arrested, his disciples run for their own lives.
Then we have the word of God that falls into the thorny ground of the - I believe – three lusts: The lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life. It is these worldly things that choke the word of God i.e. entertainment, possessions, pornography.
Finally, there is the word of God that leads us to eternal life and finds in our souls fertile ground. We heard God’s word and put it to work for the Kingdom of God.
But now Jesus’ words take a strange turn. He says this: Mark 4:21-22 "Is a lamp brought in to be put under a bushel, or under a bed, and not on a stand? For there is nothing hid, except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret, except to come to light.”
What is hid and secret? What is manifest and will come to light? It is the seed that was sown, the word of God that is spread in the world. We don’t usually see the effects of our words when we sow them in the souls of people, but in time they will be seen.
Again another seemingly unrelated parable:
Jesus then says this: Mark 4:24-25 "Take heed what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away."
I ask, the measure of what? What more will be given to me? It again is that seed, that word of God. This ultimately isn’t a message of philosophy or a way of life but a person and a relationship with HIM. The more we spread Christ, the more Christ will be given to us. Yes we will see more people reject the Gospel we present, but we will also see more fruit. The measure you give will be the measure you get.
Jesus then continues with the seed theme:
He says that the kingdom is like seed scattered but the sower doesn’t know how the seed grows. Meaning that the word of God goes out but who will accept and reject is a mystery to the preacher. St. Paul says as much in: 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
Finally, Jesus compares the kingdom to a mustard seed. It is one of the smallest of seeds and yet it grows to be a big shrub. The seed again is the word in the world, and while it is small, beginning with 12 men hiding in an upper room. It is today covering the whole earth in which people of every nation rest and make their homes.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
When Did The Millenium Begin?
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When it comes to Bible interpretation, we have a lot in common with most non-Catholics. Yet there are those verses that are defining of our position to the exclusion to any other interpretation that do divide us. One such set of verses is in the Book of Revelation.
Today we are talking about the Millennium, which means 1000 years.
Revelation 20:1-3 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
The controversy is how we interpret those verses, when do they occur and are they literal?
There are two points here that I would like to raise.
#1 what is meant by 1000 years?
#2 When is Satan bound?
#1 what is meant by 1000 years? I think we must first keep in mind that the book of Revelation is highly symbolic. Next we see the number 1000 used in symbolic ways.
Psalm 50:10 For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.
Do we ask the question, “Which thousand hills is that exactly?” No, because God owns all the cattle on all the hills. Here in the Psalm, 1000 just means – a lot. We believe that is means the same thing here in Rev 20:3
#2 When is Satan bound? Obviously Satan is bound at the beginning of the 1000 years, but do other scriptures talk about when this happens – They do:
Matthew 12:28-29 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
Luke 13:16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?
John 12:31-33 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die.
Here is my reasoning at least. Satan had the power to bind people. Jesus came and loosed those that Satan had bound (Luke 3:16). By the work of Jesus binding the Satan - the strong man (Matt 12:29) - Jesus was showing that this was evidence that the Kingdom of God had in fact come.
Just to reiterate; with the first coming of Christ we see Jesus’ kingdom inaugurated and at the same, Satan is cast out and bound.
There is another topic addressed in Revelation 20 that points us again to a first century fulfillment of the beginning of the 1000 years.
Revelation 20:4-6 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, … and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
So what is the first resurrection? When does that happen?
Notice first that it says that the saints reign with Christ for 1000. Now listen to St. Paul
Ephesians 2:5-6 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus…
- St. Paul here uses the past tense and links us reigning with Christ with his resurrection.
Here in Rev 20 St. John tells us that those who are a part of the first resurrection are priests, and they reign with Christ for the thousand years.
My question here “when is the first resurrection?”
Scripture suggests that the first resurrection is at our Baptism.
Romans 6:3-4 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Ephesians 2:1, 5-6 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins…even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus,
Ephesians 5:14 For this reason it says, "Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you."
Colossians 3:1 If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Colossians 2:12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
To pick up a point from earlier. Jesus associates the binding of Satan with the coming of the Kingdom (Luke 3:16, Mat 12:29). Further confirmation that the kingdom was established in Christ’s first coming is as follows:
Mark 1:14-15 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Luke 9:27 But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.
Luke 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Luke 22:29 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;
In conclusion, seeing as how the kingdom was established with Jesus’ first coming the next logical question to ask then is- where is it? We believe that the Catholic Church is this Kingdom.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
The 10 Plagues and the gods of Egypt
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The 10 plagues that God used to bring Israel out of Egypt have always captured our imagination. Why did God send those plagues and what was their significance?
Here was the situation: Moses flees Egypt because he murdered an Egyptian who was beating an Israelite. Some people found out about this and he fled to Median. While there, he sees the burning bush where God speaks to him and tells him “the plan”.
Exodus 3:12 And He said, "Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain."
So the whole purpose of the Exodus is to bring the people out to Mt. Sinai to worship God. Yet there is a two-fold problem. Naturally, pharaoh doesn’t want to lose his 500,000 slaves and more surprisingly, the slaves don’t want to go either. Not only is Israel stuck in Egypt, but Egypt is stuck in Israel. Israel, as we will come to see, has adopted for themselves the false gods of Egypt.
The “gods” that the Egyptians were worshipping are none other than fallen angels.
Acts 7:41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifices to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. And God turned, and gave them up to serve the host of heaven,
Exodus 12:12 - against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments-- I am the LORD.
These demons were worshipped under many forms: cattle, sheep, frogs, water, etc.
God intends to bring them out into the desert and reveal Himself to them so they can finally break away from these false gods and serve the true God.
They can’t do this in Egypt because how they would intend to worship God would offend the Egyptians.
Exodus 8:25-26 And Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, "Go, sacrifice to your God within the land." But Moses said, "It is not right to do so, for we shall sacrifice to the LORD our God what is an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice what is an abomination to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not then stone us?
What they are sacrificing are the animals that represent the false gods of the Egyptians. It is like renouncing your addiction to television by throwing it in the trash and beating it with a baseball bat. It will be good medicine for you but your housemate will get upset. So they need to go outside of Egypt to perform this sacrifice.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t go as smoothly as we would all hope.
God gives Moses three amazing signs to convince Pharaoh that this message is from God and should be obeyed. Staff to snake. Leperous hand. Pour water on the ground and it becomes blood.
So Moses returns and tells the Pharaoh to let the people go to worship.
No one commands the Pharaoh, though. It is at this point that he says that the Israelites can make the same amount of bricks without straw. So this gets the Israelites mad at Moses. So at this point everyone is against Moses, both Pharaoh and Israelites.
When Moses does get a chance to prove that this command was from God, he throws his staff on the ground and it turns into a snake.
Exodus 7:11 Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers, and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts.
Huh, wonder who gave them that power?
Next, Moses turns the water into blood, but the Pharaoh’s magicians can do that as well.
Then God, through Moses, has frogs cover the land, and again Pharaoh’s magicians can repeat this miracle.
Finally, though, God has gnats come as a plague and cover the land.
Exodus 8:18-19 And the magicians tried with their secret arts to bring forth gnats, but they could not; so there were gnats on man and beast. Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God."
Even the Pharaoh’s magicians recognize a more powerful God, even though Pharaoh doesn’t.
Let’s see which of these plagues were against specific false gods:
The Plagues of Egypt The Gods of Egypt
1. Nile turned to Blood 1. Hapi, god of the Nile, fertility
2. Frogs 2. Heket, frog goddess of fruitfulness
3. Gnats 3. Kepher, beetle god; symbol of sun
4. Flies
5. Cattle 5. Amon, Hathor, etc.(male and female cow-gods)
6. Boils 6. Sekhmet, goddess of healing
7. Hail (kills remainder of crops) 7. Nut, sky-goddess fails
8. Locusts 8. Serapia, protector from locusts
9. Darkness 9. Re the Sun god
The 10th plague was against all the first born sons
With the 10th plague, Israel does make a sacrifice inside of Egypt and that was a sacrifice of sheep, which the Egyptians did apparently worship.
The Israelites are instructed to slaughter the lamb and put the blood on the door. This had a two-fold effect, it would protect their homes from the angel of death, but it also stained the door and labeled which households sacrificed the gods of the Egyptians.
The 10th plague was so devastating that it was a bit of time before the Egyptians probably noticed that a ton of sheep were missing and that they had been sacrificed by the Israelites.
This would be probably one of the factors why, though desiring to go back to Egypt, Israel couldn’t and stuck with Moses instead.
Israel would constantly struggle with false god worship throughout their 40 years in the wilderness and beyond. Since we too have been freed from false gods through the blood of Christ, we too should persevere in faith lest we not make it to the promised land like a lot of them didn’t.
The 10 plagues that God used to bring Israel out of Egypt have always captured our imagination. Why did God send those plagues and what was their significance?
Here was the situation: Moses flees Egypt because he murdered an Egyptian who was beating an Israelite. Some people found out about this and he fled to Median. While there, he sees the burning bush where God speaks to him and tells him “the plan”.
Exodus 3:12 And He said, "Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain."
So the whole purpose of the Exodus is to bring the people out to Mt. Sinai to worship God. Yet there is a two-fold problem. Naturally, pharaoh doesn’t want to lose his 500,000 slaves and more surprisingly, the slaves don’t want to go either. Not only is Israel stuck in Egypt, but Egypt is stuck in Israel. Israel, as we will come to see, has adopted for themselves the false gods of Egypt.
The “gods” that the Egyptians were worshipping are none other than fallen angels.
Acts 7:41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifices to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. And God turned, and gave them up to serve the host of heaven,
Exodus 12:12 - against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments-- I am the LORD.
These demons were worshipped under many forms: cattle, sheep, frogs, water, etc.
God intends to bring them out into the desert and reveal Himself to them so they can finally break away from these false gods and serve the true God.
They can’t do this in Egypt because how they would intend to worship God would offend the Egyptians.
Exodus 8:25-26 And Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, "Go, sacrifice to your God within the land." But Moses said, "It is not right to do so, for we shall sacrifice to the LORD our God what is an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice what is an abomination to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not then stone us?
What they are sacrificing are the animals that represent the false gods of the Egyptians. It is like renouncing your addiction to television by throwing it in the trash and beating it with a baseball bat. It will be good medicine for you but your housemate will get upset. So they need to go outside of Egypt to perform this sacrifice.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t go as smoothly as we would all hope.
God gives Moses three amazing signs to convince Pharaoh that this message is from God and should be obeyed. Staff to snake. Leperous hand. Pour water on the ground and it becomes blood.
So Moses returns and tells the Pharaoh to let the people go to worship.
No one commands the Pharaoh, though. It is at this point that he says that the Israelites can make the same amount of bricks without straw. So this gets the Israelites mad at Moses. So at this point everyone is against Moses, both Pharaoh and Israelites.
When Moses does get a chance to prove that this command was from God, he throws his staff on the ground and it turns into a snake.
Exodus 7:11 Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers, and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts.
Huh, wonder who gave them that power?
Next, Moses turns the water into blood, but the Pharaoh’s magicians can do that as well.
Then God, through Moses, has frogs cover the land, and again Pharaoh’s magicians can repeat this miracle.
Finally, though, God has gnats come as a plague and cover the land.
Exodus 8:18-19 And the magicians tried with their secret arts to bring forth gnats, but they could not; so there were gnats on man and beast. Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God."
Even the Pharaoh’s magicians recognize a more powerful God, even though Pharaoh doesn’t.
Let’s see which of these plagues were against specific false gods:
The Plagues of Egypt The Gods of Egypt
1. Nile turned to Blood 1. Hapi, god of the Nile, fertility
2. Frogs 2. Heket, frog goddess of fruitfulness
3. Gnats 3. Kepher, beetle god; symbol of sun
4. Flies
5. Cattle 5. Amon, Hathor, etc.(male and female cow-gods)
6. Boils 6. Sekhmet, goddess of healing
7. Hail (kills remainder of crops) 7. Nut, sky-goddess fails
8. Locusts 8. Serapia, protector from locusts
9. Darkness 9. Re the Sun god
The 10th plague was against all the first born sons
With the 10th plague, Israel does make a sacrifice inside of Egypt and that was a sacrifice of sheep, which the Egyptians did apparently worship.
The Israelites are instructed to slaughter the lamb and put the blood on the door. This had a two-fold effect, it would protect their homes from the angel of death, but it also stained the door and labeled which households sacrificed the gods of the Egyptians.
The 10th plague was so devastating that it was a bit of time before the Egyptians probably noticed that a ton of sheep were missing and that they had been sacrificed by the Israelites.
This would be probably one of the factors why, though desiring to go back to Egypt, Israel couldn’t and stuck with Moses instead.
Israel would constantly struggle with false god worship throughout their 40 years in the wilderness and beyond. Since we too have been freed from false gods through the blood of Christ, we too should persevere in faith lest we not make it to the promised land like a lot of them didn’t.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Jesus as the New Adam in the Gospel of Mark
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It is clear that 3 of the 4 Gospel writers link Jesus to Genesis. The most famous is John who begins his Gospel in the same words as Genesis “In the beginning” and continues on with a 7-day creation story. You have to hunt a little, but the creation week is there. Luke has the genealogy of Jesus and traces His line all the way back to Adam, who he calls “the son of God.” Matthew opens his Gospel with a genealogy that traces Jesus as far back as Abraham, who lives from Genesis 11- 25.
Mark surprised me though. It seemed clear to me that there is no direct reference between the Gospel of Mark and Genesis. I wasn’t looking for one. I had read Genesis and Mark several times especially the beginning chapters of each book and nothing jumped from the page as being obvious, until this past week.
Mark is portraying Jesus as a New Adam, come to conquer where Adam failed and restore this weary world so lost and damaged by sin.
Starting into verse one Mark says, “The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”
Two things here began raising my suspicions about a Genesis connection. First the opening words “The beginning”, Genesis opens, “In the beginning”. Is a guy allowed to say the words ‘the beginning’ and not refer to Genesis? Sure. Now the second thing is how Mark calls Jesus the “Son of God.” While on the surface, we might all be thinking, yes, what’s the big connection to Genesis? Genesis and St. Luke tell us that Adam was a son of God. Not in the same way of course.
Genesis 1:26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” We see this same phrase again in Genesis 5:3 When Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth.
So reading Genesis 5 can help us interpret Genesis 1, when it says that Adam and Eve were made in God’s image and likeness. It means that God is fathering children, and that Adam is God’s son. Besides that, St. Luke tells us in his Genealogy of Jesus that Jesus came from Luke 3:38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
Mark continues this Genesis theme at Jesus’ baptism. In Mark 1:10-11 And immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; and a voice came out of the heavens: "Thou art My beloved Son, in Thee I am well-pleased."
Again Jesus’ Sonship is being proclaimed and a vision of the Holy Spirit like a dove descends upon Him. Adam receives God’s Spirit as well.
Genesis 2:7 Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
Jesus already had the Holy Spirit, yet this was done to show us what would happen at our own baptism. Also at our baptism, like with Jesus, the heavens were opened. So at our own baptism the heavens are opened to us, which were at one time closed beginning with Adam.
Look what happens next to Jesus in Mark. Just like after Adam’s creation with the wild animals, He was then tempted by the devil, and then God drove him out of the garden. So now Jesus. Mark 1:12, 13 And immediately the Spirit drove him out into the desert. And he was in the desert forty days and forty nights, and was tempted by Satan; and he was with beasts, and the angels ministered to him.
After Jesus successfully defeats the devil’s temptations, Jesus begins proclaiming the Good News that finally the Kingdom of God is once again at hand.
Jesus then goes into a synagogue on the Sabbath, that 7th day of the week, when our first parents fell to the temptation of the devil. Jesus casts out a demon out of a man, and then continues on that same day to Simon Peters’ house where his mother-in-law is in bed sick. He then heals this woman on the Sabbath. I think that the man with the demon and the sick woman represent a kind of healing for the old Adam and Eve.
Mark continues to tell us strange but important details. He says Mark 1:32 And when it was evening, after sunset,
Why even mention when this is taking place? What is significant about sunset? To the Jews, it means the beginnings of a new day. This day is Sunday, the first day of the week. The day Jesus would rise from the dead and begin a new creation beginning with Himself and then extending to the rest of humanity.
Mark says this Mark 1:32 And when it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all that were ill and that were possessed with devils.
This is the story of the whole world, ill and possessed with devils. Jesus comes as a new beginning, one filled with hope.
Mark concludes chapter 1 of his Gospel with the story of a leper. Now a leper was not allowed to enter into the towns and had to cry out to near-by people that he had leprosy. The leper had to stay out of the towns. Jesus, on the other hand, had been going from town to town to proclaim the Gospel.
They meet, the leper asks to be healed, and Jesus heals him on the spot.
The leper in his joy proclaims Jesus in all of the towns. Jesus is then too popular to openly enter a town least He be crushed. He must stay in the country.
Jesus and the leper switch roles. The leper had to stay away from the towns, but now healed, goes from town to town to proclaim Jesus. Jesus, on the other hand, was going town to town to proclaim the Gospel, had to now stay in the country. When Jesus healed the leper, Jesus did not get leprosy, but He got the effects of it in that He had to stay out of the towns.
This is what happens to Jesus on the Cross, that new tree of life, where the New Adam lays down His life for His Bride, the Church. He does not sin, but receives the effects of sin, namely suffering and death.
Mark proclaims a New Adam and a new creation in the beginning of his Gospel.
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