The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today present the authority of Jesus and challenge us to act as His agents and siblings in combating evil.
The reading from the Letter to the Hebrews declares Jesus exaltation through abasement.
* [2:5–18] The humanity and the suffering of Jesus do not constitute a valid reason for relinquishing the Christian faith. Ps 8:5–6 is also applied to Jesus in 1 Cor 15:27; Eph 1:22; and probably 1 Pt 3:22. This christological interpretation, therefore, probably reflects a common early Christian tradition, which may have originated in the expression the son of man (Heb 2:6). The psalm contrasts God’s greatness with man’s relative insignificance but also stresses the superiority of man to the rest of creation, of which he is lord. Hebrews applies this christologically: Jesus lived a truly human existence, lower than the angels, in the days of his earthly life, particularly in his suffering and death; now, crowned with glory and honor, he is raised above all creation. The author considers all things as already subject to him because of his exaltation (Heb 2:8–9), though we do not see this yet. The reference to Jesus as leader (Heb 2:10) sounds the first note of an important leitmotif in Hebrews: the journey of the people of God to the sabbath rest (Heb 4:9), the heavenly sanctuary, following Jesus, their “forerunner” (Heb 6:20). It was fitting that God should make him perfect through suffering, consecrated by obedient suffering. Because he is perfected as high priest, Jesus is then able to consecrate his people (Heb 2:11); access to God is made possible by each of these two consecrations. If Jesus is able to help human beings, it is because he has become one of us; we are his “brothers.” (Hebrews, CHAPTER 2, n.d.)
Psalm 8 praises Divine Majesty and 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). (Psalms, PSALM 8, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus exorcizes an Unclean Spirit.
* [1:21–45] The account of a single day’s ministry of Jesus on a sabbath in and outside the synagogue of Capernaum (Mk 1:21–31) combines teaching and miracles of exorcism and healing. Mention is not made of the content of the teaching but of the effect of astonishment and alarm on the people. Jesus’ teaching with authority, making an absolute claim on the hearer, was in the best tradition of the ancient prophets, not of the scribes. The narrative continues with events that evening (Mk 1:32–34; see notes on Mt 8:14–17) and the next day (Mk 1:35–39). The cleansing in Mk 1:40–45 stands as an isolated story.
* [1:23] An unclean spirit: so called because of the spirit’s resistance to the holiness of God. The spirit knows and fears the power of Jesus to destroy his influence; cf. Mk 1:32, 34; 3:11; 6:13.
* [1:24–25] The Holy One of God: not a confession but an attempt to ward off Jesus’ power, reflecting the notion that use of the precise name of an opposing spirit would guarantee mastery over him. Jesus silenced the cry of the unclean spirit and drove him out of the man.
* [1:24] What have you to do with us?: see note on Jn 2:4. (Mark, CHAPTER 1, n.d.)
Larry Gillick, S.J. comments that The “war within” is waged between the creative spirit of God and the uncreative spirit of the Evil One. It is noticeable within people of belief that the Good Spirit moves us away from the “Spiritual Parking Lot” of remaining paralyzed with the fears of not having enough gas, flat tires, darkened headlights and burned-out batteries.
The Good Spirit of Jesus frees this person to get back on the "Freeway of Creation.” It is not written, but the reader and listener to this event knows within her-him, the doing-something creatively is the man’s response and is our own.
Any good work, idea, desire is available for the Evil Spirit to quietly suggest that each of us does not have, is not, quite good enough for the creational movement. The gooder an inspiration, desire, activity is, the more we will be available to the uncreative, put-it-in park for a while until the good desire is not so desirable. The couch or Lazy Boy chair are very attractive places to un-consider our adventuring into His power, His authority, His Spirit. (Gillick, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “Knowing without loving,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Those words show clearly that the demons had much knowledge, but entirely lacked love. They dreaded receiving their punishment from him. They did not love the righteousness that was in him. He made himself known to them to the extent he willed; and he willed to be made known to the extent that was fitting. But he was not made known to them as he is known to the holy angels, who enjoy participation in his eternity, in that he is the Word of God. To the demons he is known as he had to be made known, by striking terror into them, for his purpose was to free from their tyrannical power all who were predestined for his kingdom and glory, which is eternally true and truly eternal. Therefore, he did not make himself known to the demons as the life eternal, and the unchangeable light which illuminates his true worshipers, whose hearts are purified by faith in him so that they see that light. He was known to the demons through certain temporal effects of his power, the signs of his hidden presence, which could be more evident to their senses, even those of malignant spirits, than to the weak perception of human beings. (excerpt from CITY OF GOD 9.21) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 1:21-28 comments that authority is a good thing. Although we humans can use it in harmful ways, God—who is all-good and all-loving—never does. He uses his authority to bless us and teach us and set us free. We need to decide, though, whether we want to come under his authority. And that means being open and willing to obey his teachings and commands. The blessing is that as we accept his authority in our lives, we open the door for him to show us his ways.
Jesus longs to exercise his loving authority in your life today. He longs to teach you his ways and bring forth a new life of love and holiness in you. It’s up to you to accept him. So decide today to say yes to walking in Jesus’ ways. And as you follow his lead, you’ll find that he is shaping you into a person who is more and more like him. That’s the path to living in freedom and love and joy!
“Jesus, I open my heart to your authority. Teach me to follow in your footsteps.” (Meditation on Mark 1:21-28, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler underlines the importance of Jesus' relationship to the angels to people who were aware of Greek philosophy concerning the superiority of the spiritual over the material. Being “made perfect” is connected to the verb applied to Hebrew priestly ordination. Friar Jude reminds us of the Scripture in which Jesus teaches with actions.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces the prophet Isaiah’s vision of God and his response to God’s call. Theologian and mystic Howard Thurman (1900–1981) recognizes the painful reality that often accompanies a prophet’s call.
How wonderful! To have a tremendous religious experience, a tremendous experience of illumination and then, while you are under the massive pressure of this fresh orientation, to get a job analysis. Wonderful!.… [So] you can implement the vision now in terms that will be increasingly significant and relevant to your own living. He was a prophet already. And the voice said—his voice said to God, “I’ll go. I’ll take the message.”
And then watch what happens. [Yahweh] said, “Tell the people to listen, but they aren’t going to listen. You will break your heart; you will turn your mind inside out; you will pour upon their indifference the priceless ingredients of your spirit: the only thing that I can offer you,” says Yahweh, “is a deep, profound, ever-circling frustration. That’s all. Tell them that they are going to be destroyed, every town burned up, all the people taken into captivity … ” and on and on and on [God] spells out this doom.
What would you have done? Here is your inspiration, here is your great moment and at last you see clearly the vocational significance of your life. And then as you begin to define that vocational significance it suddenly dawns upon you that you have been sent down a blind alley. Would you go anyway? Or would you say to yourself, “I got my signals mixed?” What would you do? [2] (Rohr, 2023)
We ponder the way in which Jesus exercises authority as we seek to be open to the Spirit to lead our action in His Name.
References
Gillick, L. (n.d.). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved January 10, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/011023.html
Hebrews, CHAPTER 2. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 10, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/hebrews/2?5
Mark, CHAPTER 1. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 10, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/1
Meditation on Mark 1:21-28. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved January 10, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/01/10/581273/
Psalms, PSALM 8. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved January 10, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/8?2
Rohr, R. (2023, January 6). Here I Am, I Will Go. Daily Meditations Archive: 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/here-i-am-i-will-go-2023-01-10/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture ... Retrieved January 10, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=jan10
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