The Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (1st July 2018)
Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24; Ps 30; 2 Cor. 8:7,9, 13-15; Mk. 5:21-43
Theme: Present Presence
The readings for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary time remind us that our life is to be lived in awareness that we are fashioned in the image and likeness of God. This understanding leads us to see how in our relationships with all there is, we make manifest God’s nature and presence fully alive, one and whole with all of creation.
In Wisdom, we hear of how God’s delight is not on destruction of the living but on the goodness of all created creatures. Paul writes, in the second reading, reminding all to strive for equality in our relationships making true in our time the scripture saying: To the one who has much nothing was in excess and the one who had less, nothing was lacking; returning our view to the wholeness and oneness of God, present in all.
In today’s gospel, a Marcan “sandwich,” (Dwyer, 116) we are presented with a couple of miracle stories relating the lives of ordinary people, which apparently is more present in this Gospel than any other. (Levine, 88). We witness how Jesus models a life of present presence, amidst and in spite of what is going on around, attentive to the details of life happening before him.
Jairus, a named synagogue official, throws himself at the feet of Jesus and pleads for him to come home with him and lay his hand on his dying daughter. As they set on their way, an unnamed woman suffering from bleeding for 12 years decides to touch the cloak of Jesus so she could get healed. Jesus turns around and asks who touched his clothing, he waited until the woman came forward and knelt before him, trembling in fear. She receives kindness and blessings of peace and was sent on her way. Amidst the pressing crowd it would have been difficult to perceive such a discrete movement. Yet Jesus did and the woman who did not remain unseen, was invited back into the circle of life and relationships, after being addressed as a daughter.
As they arrived at Jairus’ house, Jesus took the hand of the child and said, “Talitha koum” , and immediately the girl arose. Jesus then tells them to give her something to eat. At a time when all would be in shock or in awe and wonder. Jesus shifts the attention back to child who has been admitted back into the circle of relationship with life and addresses her basic need for nourishment by reminding those present to attend to her.
The raising of Jairus’s daughter is the climax of a series of miracles recounted in Mark prior to the missioning of the disciples (Healy, 110). It would seem that Jesus in more ways than one allowed them to partake in the understanding that it is not so much about what they do but how they do it. It is in the full expression of life present in and around them that the ordinary becomes extra-ordinary. It could be, too, that Jesus was inviting all to see that mission itself is an expression of one’s being that is fully living out God’s presence.
For Reflection and Discussion: [1] Life in our world today has become quick and fast-paced with all the advances in technology, how are we able to keep alive the relevance of personally being present to touch another’s life? [2] How important is it to be fully present to ordinary life-events happening around us?
Bibliography: Levine and Brettler (eds.), The Jewish Annotated New Testament: NRSV translation (New York, 2011); Dwyer, The Motif of Wonder in the Gospel of Mark (England,1996); Healy, The Gospel of Mark (Michigan, 2008)
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This week’s teaching commentary was prepared by
Weeyaa Villanueva, RNDM, Davao, Philippines, Bat Kol alum 2010
weeyaavillanueva@gmail.com
[Copyright © 2018]
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PLEASE NOTE: The weekly Gospel commentaries represent the research and creative thought of their authors, and are meant to stimulate deeper thinking about the meaning of the Sunday Scriptures. While they draw upon the study methods and sources employed by the Bat Kol Institute, the views and conclusions expressed in these commentaries are solely those of their authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of Bat Kol. Questions, comments and feedback are always welcome.
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Bat Kol Institute for Jewish Studies, Jerusalem
1983-2018
“Christians Studying the Bible within its Jewish milieu, using Jewish Sources.”
Mail to: gill@batkol.info; Website: www.batkol.info
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Every time I write a Sunday or a Torah commentary, the sweet memories of Bat Kol flood my mind; the wisdom of the classroom learning and the havrutah, the weekend trips to sacred sanctuaries, the sacredness of the dry desert experience, Shabbat Meals and praying in the synagogues, the Rabbis and the Professors who assisted us in the excavation of the Word. The late Brother Jack Driscoll in his very humble and humorous style of teaching, always encouraging us. Jack always reminded us, please try to read the whole Torah portion for the week. If you can’t, read at least a few chapters, if not, try and read one chapter and if you are really struggling, just read the first verse of the Parashat Hashavuah (Torah portion for the week), where the title of the Torah portion is taken from. You are great Bro. Jack Driscoll, and to all of you, who are called to a live a life of service at Bat Kol Institute.
Our readings today speak of the growth of God’s kingdom – and our dependence on God for that growth. The gospel reading from Mark is taken from his central teaching section, concerning the parables of the kingdom of God. Many of them involve miraculous appearance and inexplicable growth as a metaphor for the kingdom: “the seed is sprouting and growing; how, he does not know.” Great trees, typically cedars, were symbols of powerful empires – as we see in our reading from Ezekiel 17 – but mustard plants are invasive shrubs that grow to be a few feet high. Like many other parables, this one is satirical and humorous: the kingdom is like a scrubby, invasive bush! It suggests that “the kingdom of God” starts from a very small beginning, but grows miraculously.
The Levite rebels proclaim to Moses and Aaron: “ You have gone too far! For all the community is holy, all of them, and Adonai is in their midst. Why then do you raise yourselves above the Lord’s congregation?”(Numbers 16:3)
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We see Jesus today so busy ministering to people that he and his disciples could not even eat. The previous verses and chapters of Mark (see Mk 1 and 2) give us a good view of his whereabouts. He had just appointed the twelve (Mk 3:13-19) and he is going around healing people of various sicknesses, driving out demons and preaching. In the episode we are reading, Jesus went home and two groups of people catch our attention. These are groups we would rather not identify with because of their negative reaction to Jesus – his “family” who “went out to restrain him” and the scribes from Jerusalem who say “he has Beelzebul.” Let us take a good look at these two groups, Jesus’ family and the scribes from Jerusalem. Who are they? What were they thinking? What were they feeling?
The ‘fight-or-flight” response, also known as the acute stress response, is a physiological reaction of human (and animal) that occurs in response to a perceived harmful attack, event or life threatening situations. The process begins in the brain and as a command center, communicates with the rest of the body to produce the energy to fight or flee. Instead of confidently and triumphantly entering the Promised Land two years after their escape to freedom and wandering in the wilderness, the chosen people of God were suddenly thrown into a panic and gave in to fear and wanted to flee, back to Egypt.