The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary invite us to contemplate how our response to the Word of God may be shaped by our own selfish interests.
Dominion misunderstood?
The reading from the Book of Genesis concludes the Priestly Account of Creation referring to our being in the image of God with a role in care of Creation.
* [1:28] Fill the earth and subdue it: the object of the verb “subdue” may be not the earth as such but earth as the territory each nation must take for itself (chaps. 10–11), just as Israel will later do (see Nm 32:22, 29; Jos 18:1). The two divine commands define the basic tasks of the human race—to continue in existence through generation and to take possession of one’s God-given territory. The dual command would have had special meaning when Israel was in exile and deeply anxious about whether they would continue as a nation and return to their ancient territory. Have dominion: the whole human race is made in the “image” and “likeness” of God and has “dominion.” Comparable literature of the time used these words of kings rather than of human beings in general; human beings were invariably thought of as slaves of the gods created to provide menial service for the divine world. The royal language here does not, however, give human beings unlimited power, for kings in the Bible had limited dominion and were subject to prophetic critique.1
Psalm 8 praises Divine Majesty and compares it to human dignity.
* [Psalm 8] While marvelling at the limitless grandeur of God (Ps 8:2–3), the psalmist is struck first by the smallness of human beings in creation (Ps 8:4–5), and then by the royal dignity and power that God has graciously bestowed upon them (Ps 8:6–9).2
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus exposes hypocrisy in attending to the tradition of the Elders.
* [7:11] Qorban: a formula for a gift to God, dedicating the offering to the temple, so that the giver might continue to use it for himself but not give it to others, even needy parents.3
Suzanne Braddock reflects on the beauty of the first readings, the way God created humankind in his image – his divine image – and entrusted the abundance of his creation to humankind – seemed to elevate humankind. We are trusted by God!
Our awesome responsibility toward all creation may seem a heavy burden. Yet we are trusted by God. My response to this trust seemed to be “who, me?” and yet, yes, me. The gospel reading where Pharisees called out some of Jesus’ disciples for not following the tradition of hand washing before meals gave Jesus an opportunity to shine a light on the deeper, wider issue: Do we follow laws, human tradition, and discard the heart of the matter? Do we listen to God with the ears of the heart? Do we respond with love and trust to his word, his creation, his trust in us?4
Don Schwager quotes “Mammon refuses to provide for parents in old age,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).
"Christ says, 'Care for the poor' (Matthew 19:21; Mark 10:21; Luke 14:13); Mammon says, 'Take away even those things the poor possess.' Christ says, 'Empty yourself of what you have' (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23); Mammon says, 'Take also what they possess.' Do you see the opposition, the strife between them? See how it is that one cannot obey both, but must reject one?... Christ says, 'None of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions' (Luke 14:33); Mammon says, 'Take the bread from the hungry.' Christ says, 'Cover the naked' (Matthew 25:34-40; Isaiah 58:7); the other says, 'Strip the naked.' Christ says, 'You shall not turn away from your own family (Isaiah 58:7), and those of your own house' (1 Timothy 5:8; Galatians 6:10); Mammon says, 'You shall not show mercy to those of your own family. Though you see your mother or your father in want, despise them' (Mark 7:11)." (excerpt from HOMILIES ON PHILIPPIANS 6.25)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Genesis 1:20–2:4 comments on the role that friends, parents, and grandparents can play in the world. As the image of God, they stand against the devil’s subtle attempts to influence their friends, their children, and their grandchildren. This doesn’t necessarily depend on any specific actions we take. What’s most important is that we keep pressing in to know Jesus more so that he can shape us more into his likeness—like the way a statue is made from a mold.
Today, think about how God has intentionally made you in his image and placed you in your corner of the world to represent him and to protect his kingdom. He knows you can make a difference, just by being who you were called to be—his son or daughter. And just as he delights in all of his creation, he delights in you and the role you play in defending his people. “Father, help me learn to look and act more like you every day in order to better protect and care for your children.”6
Friar Jude Winkler uses an explanation of the Hebrew way of expressing the superlative to underline the position of humans in Creation. Our confusion over dominion as God’s viceroy has caused deviation from the sense of Psalm 8 where we are as children in awe of Creation. Friar Jude suggests that the Pharisees extended the command to wash before prayer to include washing before meals.
Barbara Holmes names and claims moments that lie beyond the traditional monastic framework of solitude, silence, and stillness as authentic experiences of contemplation. She reflects on how worship in the Black church can create a communal contemplative experience.
The soloist moves toward the center of the podium. The congregation of about 1,500 breathes with her as she moans “Oh . . . oh . . . oh, Jesus.” Those are the only words to the song. Unless you are sitting within the sound of her voice, it is difficult to imagine how a song of two words can be a cry of anguish, balm, and celebration. In each soaring note, we participate in the unutterable spectrum of human striving. In this world, you will have trouble, but “oh, oh, oh, Jesus.” The shouts of exaltation give no indication of what is happening. Although it appears to be the usual charismatic congregational fare, in fact we are riding the stanzas through time to the hush arbors and swamp meetings, over the dangerous waters to safety. In this ordinary Sunday service, something has happened and we are changed. The worldly resistance to transcendence that we wore into the sanctuary has cracked open, and the contemplative moment carries us toward the very source of our being.7
The challenge of our misinterpretation of Word of God requires us to seek the guidance of the Spirit in ways that involve the spiritual understanding in our communities of faith and worship.
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