The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today recognize the need for endurance and recall of the events that brought us closer to God as we ponder the mystery of life and growth.
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The reading from the Letter to the Hebrews exhorts us to endurance in Faith.
* [10:32] After you had been enlightened: “enlightenment” is an ancient metaphor for baptism (cf. Eph 5:14; Jn 9:11), but see Heb 6:4 and the note there.
* [10:37–38] In support of his argument, the author uses Hb 2:3–4 in a wording almost identical with the text of the Codex Alexandrinus of the Septuagint but with the first and second lines of Heb 10:4 inverted. He introduces it with a few words from Is 26:20: after just a brief moment. Note the Pauline usage of Hb 2:4 in Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11. (Hebrews, CHAPTER 10, n.d.)
Psalm 37 is an exhortation to Patience and Trust.
* [Psalm 37] The Psalm responds to the problem of evil, which the Old Testament often expresses as a question: why do the wicked prosper and the good suffer? The Psalm answers that the situation is only temporary. God will reverse things, rewarding the good and punishing the wicked here on earth. The perspective is concrete and earthbound: people’s very actions place them among the ranks of the good or wicked. Each group or “way” has its own inherent dynamism—eventual frustration for the wicked, eventual reward for the just. The Psalm is an acrostic, i.e., each section begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Each section has its own imagery and logic. (Psalms, PSALM 37, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus shares the Parable of the Growing Seed and the Parable of the Mustard Seed as He explains the use of Parables.
[4:11–12] These verses are to be viewed against their background in Mk 3:6, 22 concerning the unbelief and opposition Jesus encountered in his ministry. It is against this background that the distinction in Jesus’ method becomes clear of presenting the kingdom to the disbelieving crowd in one manner and to the disciples in another. To the former it is presented in parables and the truth remains hidden; for the latter the parable is interpreted and the mystery is partially revealed because of their faith; see notes on Mt 13:11 and Mt 13:13.
* [4:13–20] See note on Mt 13:18–23.
* [4:26–29] Only Mark records the parable of the seed’s growth. Sower and harvester are the same. The emphasis is on the power of the seed to grow of itself without human intervention (Mk 4:27). Mysteriously it produces blade and ear and full grain (Mk 4:28). Thus the kingdom of God initiated by Jesus in proclaiming the word develops quietly yet powerfully until it is fully established by him at the final judgment (Mk 4:29); cf. Rev 14:15. (Mark, CHAPTER 4, n.d.)
Cindy Murphy McMahon comments that the dry little seed contains a life force, and so does the Kingdom.
The Kingdom of God starts small in our hearts. Just an idea, a glimmer, an inkling. A kind word or blessing from someone else. But if it is allowed to grow, if it is nurtured with faith, hope and love, just like the seed that receives the sunlight and water it needs, it will grow in us – and through us to others. (Murphy, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “God gave us what was most precious,” by Isaac of Nineveh (a Syrian monk, teacher, and bishop), 613-700 A.D.
"The sum of all is God, the Lord of all, who from love of his creatures has delivered his Son to death on the cross. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son for it. Not that he was unable to save us in another way, but in this way it was possible to show us his abundant love abundantly, namely, by bringing us near to him by the death of his Son. If he had anything more dear to him, he would have given it to us, in order that by it our race might be his. And out of his great love he did not even choose to urge our freedom by compulsion, though he was able to do so. But his aim was that we should come near to him by the love of our mind. And our Lord obeyed his Father out of love for us." (excerpt from ASCETICAL HOMILY 74.28) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Hebrews 10:32-39 comments that when we look back on our difficulties, we realize that they weren’t the end of our story. God used them to strengthen us and build our confidence. And he still does today. As we keep our eyes on all that God has brought us through already, we deepen our ability to endure. We grow in trusting that even now, God is faithful and will be with us. We come to understand that he will give us the stamina we need to do his will. And so we become like the Hebrews: “those who have faith and will possess life” (10:39).
One practical way you can remember God’s work in your life is by keeping a journal. Is there any better way to remember God’s goodness than by writing it down and revisiting it from time to time? As you do something as ordinary as recording and reviewing your experiences and lessons from the Lord, you might be surprised at how much this can fill you with confidence in him.
Remembering made the Hebrews bold and helped them persevere. And it can do the same for you.
“Jesus, thank you for being faithful to me in good times and bad. I trust you to deepen your life and strength in me.” (Meditation on Hebrews 10:32-39, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler notes that the author of Hebrews intersperses narrative and exhortation as he comments on the suffering of those who follow Christ. Two wisdom sayings in Mark underline the mystery of the spread of Love in the Kingdom of God. Friar Jude reminds us that forgiveness, smiling, prayer, or kindness are contagious contributors to spreading Love.
Brian McLaren comments that we understand Jesus more clearly when we consider him through the lineage of his Jewish faith and the Hebrew prophets. Amy-Jill Levine, a Jewish scholar of the New Testament, names ways Jesus’ life and actions echoed those of prophets familiar to her from her religious upbringing. In spite of many similarities between Jesus and the Jewish prophets, Levine stresses that the Gospel writers view Jesus as more than a prophet.
Jesus fusses at priests, just like Amos. Jesus tells parables, just like the prophet Nathan and a number of rabbis whose stories appear in postbiblical Jewish sources. Jesus heals and raises the dead; so too Elijah and Elisha. Jesus survives when children around him are slaughtered, just like Moses. I didn’t have to read Matthew 2–7 to know that the rescued baby would take a trip to Egypt, cross water in a life-changing experience, face temptation in the wilderness, ascend a mountain, and deliver comments on the Law—the pattern was already established in Shemot, the book of Exodus. [2]...
Although Jesus himself may be perceived as heir to the legacy of Amos and Jeremiah, the Gospels present him as more than a prophet. He is, according to the Evangelists, the Son of God, who adds something new to the prophetic concern for justice. He goes well beyond the role of Isaiah and Micah, who seek what is called in Hebrew t’shuvah, return and repentance. Jesus of the Gospels seeks something new, specifically, following him. He is important not only because of what he says, but also because of who he is. [3] (McLaren, 2023)
We have access to the Holy Spirit to inform our life as we contemplate the teaching of Jesus in parable and action.
References
Hebrews, CHAPTER 10. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 27, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/hebrews/10?32
Mark, CHAPTER 4. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 27, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/4?26
McLaren, B. D. (2023, January 27). Jesus' Prophetic Lineage — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 27, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/jesus-prophetic-lineage-2023-01-27/
Meditation on Hebrews 10:32-39. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved January 27, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/01/27/595101/
Murphy, C. (n.d.). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved January 27, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/012723.html
Psalms, PSALM 37. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 27, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/37?3
Schwager, D. (n.d.). What the Kingdom of God Is Like. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 27, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=jan27
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