February 6, 2009
Sunday Scripture
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
BY FATHER DONALD DILGER
Jesus and his new disciples were in the city of Capernaum on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. It is still the Sabbath on which Jesus visited the local synagogue in last Sunday’s gospel. There he healed a man who was possessed by a demon. After synagogue services ended, Mark notes that immediately after leaving the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon and Andrew. Archaeology has shown that the house of Simon and Andrew were adjacent to the synagogue in Capernaum. It is worth pointing out that these were not poor people. They prospered in the fishing business on the Sea of Galilee. Their home was large and substantial with a tile roof. The fact that the house is called not only the house of Simon but also his brother Andrew indicates that an extended family lived their. This included Simon’s mother-in-law.
As soon as Jesus enters the home, someone tells him that Simon’s mother-in-law is sick with a fever. Jesus approaches her, takes her by the hand, and raises her up. She was instantly cured and prepared food for them. Although mark does not mention a demon in this case, fevers and other illnesses were thought to be caused by evil spirits. As previously in the synagogue, so here also Jesus broke the Sabbath by the practice of healing. The interpretations of Sabbath law by the scribes of the time considered the practice of healing as work and therefore did not permit healing on the Sabbath except to save a life. Jesus apparently considered the restoration of human wholeness even more important than the ancient prohibition against working on the Sabbath. Later he will say, “The Son of man (Jesus himself) is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
The Sabbath lasted from sunset on Friday evening to sunset on Saturday evening. During that time there was little movemet. Most travel was forbidden as work. Only when the Sabbath was over, “at sunset,” writes Mark, the local people brought their sick to Jesus for his healing word and healing touch. Jesus cured many diseases. He drove out many demons. As previously in the synagogue, so here again he did not permit the demons to speak “because they knew who he was.” Why not accept such publicity? Politicians would be delighted to have this kind of promotion.
The answer is probably in Mark’s theological presentation of Jesus. Throughout the gospel no human being is allowed to know that Jesus is Son of God. Only the demons know but Jesus silences them. Why? Mark proclaims that the Son of God came to us not only in power but also in weakness. Only in the weakest moment of his existence, at his death, is he finally recognized by a human being as Son of God. Mark puts he profession of divine sonship into the mouth of a foreigner, a Roman soldier guarding the crucified prisoners, “Indeed this man was son of God!” Only now could Christians understand that only because he himself suffered as a human being could he relate to and help his fellow human beings in their suffering. “God’s ways are not our ways,” Isaiah 55:8-9.
Jesus leaves Capernaum at dawn on Sunday morning. He retires to the wilderness and prays. Simon Peter commits his first misunderstanding of Jesus. Simon and some companions pursue Jesus until they find him, and say, “Everyone is looking for you.”
Simon was a businessman. To leave Capernaum just when Jesus’ fame had grown through his healing activities was a missed opportunity for a businessman now publicly associated with the healer. Jesus wants nothing of the spectacular nor of financial interests taking advantage of his activities. He cautions without losing patience, “Let’s go to nearby towns that I may preach there. That is what I have come to do.” The preaching and healing continued.
The patience of Job is proverbial, but his patience lasts only for the first two chapters of the Book of Job. In chapter three he begins lamenting with a long string of curses. So much for the patience of Job! By chapter 7, today’s reading, his mood is enough to send readers into depression. Some of his thoughts: life is drudgery. In his work a human being is a slave who longs for the shade (death). Misery! Troubled nights! The night is too long. Days end without hope. I will never see happiness again. It is difficult to establish any connection between this reading and today’s healing gospel. Job will eventually heal, but only after about thirty-five more chapters of of interesting debate about why evil happens to good people. The Book of Job does not solve this problem.
There are some interesting thoughts in this reading. Paul calls a curse upon himself if he does not preach the gospel. Homilists, beware! He preaches the gospel free of charge. Thank our deacons. Many of them do the same. He has become a slave to all to win as many to Christ as possible. Paul preached not only by word, (a bit too long at times), but also by example. St. Francis of Assisi said, “Preach always. If you must, use words.”