Patient and wise servant and dissonance

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today lead us from a gentle concession of wisdom in the concept that “no good deed goes unpunished” to a challenge to serve those who are considered outside and are not able to repay our efforts.

Learning from the child

The author of Wisdom draws on Isaiah and other texts to share the treatment of the good people by the unjust.

* [2:12–5:23] From 2:12 to 5:23 the author draws heavily on Is 52–62, setting forth his teaching in a series of characters or types taken from Isaiah and embellished with additional details from other texts. The description of the “righteous one” in 2:12–20 seems to undergird the New Testament passion narrative.

True wisdom and causes of division are explained in the Letter of James.

* [3:13–18] This discussion of true wisdom is related to the previous reflection on the role of the teacher as one who is in control of his speech. The qualities of the wise man endowed from above are detailed (Jas 3:17–18; cf. Gal 5:22–23), in contrast to the qualities of earthbound wisdom (Jas 3:14–16; cf. 2 Cor 12:20).
* [4:1–3] Passions: the Greek word here (literally, “pleasures”) does not indicate that pleasure is evil. Rather, as the text points out (Jas 4:2–3), it is the manner in which one deals with needs and desires that determines good or bad. The motivation for any action can be wrong, especially if one does not pray properly but seeks only selfish enjoyment (Jas 4:3).

The Gospel from Mark shows that the disciples fail to understand the prediction of the Passion and how serving the anawim is the role of the greatest in the Kingdom.

* [9:33–37] Mark probably intends this incident and the sayings that follow as commentary on the disciples’ lack of understanding (Mk 9:32). Their role in Jesus’ work is one of service, especially to the poor and lowly. Children were the symbol Jesus used for the anawim, the poor in spirit, the lowly in the Christian community.

Wes McAdams is concerned about our judging attitude that is contrary to the wisdom of peace that James extolls.

If a person is in Christ (Galatians 3:26-28), he is my brother. We may disagree on some things. We may have to privately reason through some issues. But unless he does something for which Scripture says I must withdraw from him (Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 5; Titus 3:10), I will not condemn him or write him off. I will continue to bear with him in love and hope he will do the same for me. God is long-suffering and gracious with us, we must be that way with one another.

The Archdiocese of Miami offers Catholic Conversations on the Scriptures for the Ministry of Christian Formation that include some reflection questions on today’s passage from the Gospel from Mark.

1. Do I tend to look for status and control over others in my family, parish community,workplace, etc.?2. Do I look at Jesus as a source of material prosperity, good health and long life? How do Ilook at suffering for the sake of the gospel? Explain.

Diane Jorgensen shares that self-care and service to others are not in opposition to each other but rather service is the good fruit of healthy self-care.

What he tells them next must have been quite a shock. “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” Taking a child, he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it, he said to them, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.” If this had been the 21st century, we might interpret this action as welcoming innocence and trust, vulnerability and dependence. But in this time and place, children had no status, they were not even considered to be a person. And what was the child doing in the room with the teacher and his disciples? The child’s place was with the mother and other siblings. How does this change your understanding of Jesus’ words?

Don Schwager quotes “Downward roots enable upward growth”, by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Observe a tree, how it first tends downwards, that it may then shoot forth upwards. It fastens its root low in the ground, that it may send forth its top towards heaven. Is it not from humility that it endeavors to rise? But without humility it will not attain to higher things (Proverbs 18:12). You are wanting to grow up into the air without a root. Such is not growth, but a collapse." (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, SERMON 38.2)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 9:30-37 comments that Jesus was at the center of attention—healing people, contending with opponents, calming storms, and multiplying bread. He always took the lead. He always spoke with authority. He was the one shaping the story. But at the cross, where it matters the most? Jesus remained quiet, humble, and vulnerable.

The truth is, this is what Jesus intended all along. He came as God’s gift to us. A gift doesn’t tell the recipient how to use it. He left it up to us to decide how we were going to receive him. We didn’t have to reject him as many of his people did. We didn’t have to deny him as Peter did. We didn’t have to kill him as the Romans did. We could have embraced him and accepted his message of salvation. But we didn’t.

Friar Jude Winkler observes in the text from Wisdom that good will nevertheless suffer for defending the truth. The godless want to make the believer suffer to determine if will God intervene. Friar Jude concludes we serve the anawim who cannot pay us back and strangers. These are those the Son is willing to die for. We die to ourselves in service doing it for the Love of Christ.

Strangers in Islam?

Often one of the “strangers” to Christians are Muslims. Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares some background, drawing from Karen Armstrong’s work on Islam. He hopes this brief introduction will help you recognize God’s image and likeness in your Muslim brothers and sisters and learn more about their faith.

The Qur’an has no interest in “belief.” . . . Theological speculation that results in the formulation of abstruse doctrines is dismissed as zannah, self-indulgent guesswork about matters that nobody can prove one way or the other but that makes people quarrelsome and stupidly sectarian. Like any religion or philosophia, Islam [is] a way of life (din). The fundamental message of the Qur’an [is] . . . an ethical summons to practically expressed compassion: it is wrong to build a private fortune and good to share your wealth fairly and create a just society where poor and vulnerable people are treated with respect. [2]

In the Gospel from Mark, Jesus draws a child into His conversation with the disciples to refocus our attention on those outside our daily experience who need and cannot repay. Wisdom is a Greek text, outside the canon of Jews and Protestants. Islam is often placed outside our idea of faith observed by people who also are in the image of God. Patience for enlightenment by the Spirit of God is our strategy to resolve these apparent dissonances.

References


(n.d.). Wisdom chapter 2 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved September 23, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/wisdom/2
(n.d.). James chapter 3 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved September 23, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/james/3
(n.d.). James chapter 4 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved September 23, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/james/4
(n.d.). Mark chapter 9 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved September 23, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/mark/9
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(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archives - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 23, 2018, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/