We read in Mark about Jesus being a shepherd to his people. (“He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.”) But not quite an enthusiastic one, it seems! He was hounded by demanding crowds, with barely time to recover, regain his strength, regain that power that left him when he healed.
… So I can’t help noticing that Jesus was sometimes a reluctant healer. Why do I say that?
Category Archives: Reflections
God’s grace is sufficient
“Hear O Mortal” — if I heard God’s voice like Ezekiel did way back then I would certainly know there were going to be some directions to follow.
… we have Paul and Ezekiel, Apostle and Prophet, both hearing God’s voice and being sent out to proclaim a message to people who don’t particularly want to hear what they have to say.
Two Kinds of Faith
Mark’s gospel reading today gives us two stories in one. The first is the story of Jairus’s daughter, who is dying, the second is the story of the woman afflicted with non-stop bleeding. Each is a story about faith.
As I pondered them, and what they could mean in my life, I ended up with more questions than answers.
“Who are my mother and my brothers?”
Have you ever accused someone of being out of their mind? We are not unaccustomed to making such a statement about people we know today. A friend takes a bungee jump, and you ask, ‘Has he gone out of his mind?’ Another takes a sky diving lesson and jumps out of a perfectly good airplane, and you ask, ‘Has she gone out of her mind?’ A person of modest income decides to purchase a house obviously beyond his means, and you ask, ‘Has he gone out of his mind?’ There are lots of situations in which we might ask that question of someone we know, but we are shocked when someone asks that question of Jesus …!
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