Counting and Counting On

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to trust in the Way of Christ that finds truth, goodness, and love in the people close to us who we may underestimate as agents of peace and joy.

Counting on Those Close

 

The reading from the Second Book of Samuel describes the Judgement on David’s Sin.

* [24:10] The narrative supposes that since the people belonged to the Lord rather than to the king, only the Lord should know their exact number. Further, since such an exact numbering of the people would make it possible for the king to exercise centralized power, imposing taxation, conscription, and expropriation upon Israel, the story shares the view of monarchy found in 1 Sm 8:4–18. See also Nm 3:44–51, where census taking requires an apotropaic offering. (2 Samuel, CHAPTER 24 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 32 praises the Joy of Forgiveness.

* [Psalm 32] An individual thanksgiving and the second of the seven Penitential Psalms (cf. Ps 6). The opening declaration—the forgiven are blessed (Ps 32:1–2)—arises from the psalmist’s own experience. At one time the psalmist was stubborn and closed, a victim of sin’s power (Ps 32:3–4), and then became open to the forgiving God (Ps 32:5–7). Sin here, as often in the Bible, is not only the personal act of rebellion against God but also the consequences of that act—frustration and waning of vitality. Having been rescued, the psalmist can teach others the joys of justice and the folly of sin (Ps 32:8–11). (Psalms, PSALM 32 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Mark describes the rejection of Jesus at Nazareth.

* [6:1] His native place: the Greek word patris here refers to Nazareth (cf. Mk 1:9; Lk 4:16, 23–24) though it can also mean native land.

* [6:2–6] See note on Mt 13:54–58.

* [6:3] Is he not the carpenter?: no other gospel calls Jesus a carpenter. Some witnesses have “the carpenter’s son,” as in Mt 13:55. Son of Mary: contrary to Jewish custom, which calls a man the son of his father, this expression may reflect Mark’s own faith that God is the Father of Jesus (Mk 1:1, 11; 8:38; 13:32; 14:36). The brother of James…Simon: in Semitic usage, the terms “brother,” “sister” are applied not only to children of the same parents, but to nephews, nieces, cousins, half-brothers, and half-sisters; cf. Gn 14:16; 29:15; Lv 10:4. While one cannot suppose that the meaning of a Greek word should be sought in the first place from Semitic usage, the Septuagint often translates the Hebrew ’āh by the Greek word adelphos, “brother,” as in the cited passages, a fact that may argue for a similar breadth of meaning in some New Testament passages. For instance, there is no doubt that in v. 17, “brother” is used of Philip, who was actually the half-brother of Herod Antipas. On the other hand, Mark may have understood the terms literally; see also 3:31–32; Mt 12:46; 13:55–56; Lk 8:19; Jn 7:3, 5. The question of meaning here would not have arisen but for the faith of the church in Mary’s perpetual virginity.

* [6:4] A prophet is not without honor except…in his own house: a saying that finds parallels in other literatures, especially Jewish and Greek, but without reference to a prophet. Comparing himself to previous Hebrew prophets whom the people rejected, Jesus intimates his own eventual rejection by the nation especially in view of the dishonor his own relatives had shown him (Mk 3:21) and now his townspeople as well.

* [6:5] He was not able to perform any mighty deed there: according to Mark, Jesus’ power could not take effect because of a person’s lack of faith. (Mark, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Eileen Wirth (2018) reflects on how often God selects unlikely messengers from unpromising places for important tasks. Change “prophet” to “saint” and consider the following.

• The wounded Basque soldier who went to elementary school in his 30’s after finding God then started the greatest Catholic religious order.

• The teen-age girl who had a vision that God sent her to save France.

• The peasant girl in the Pyrenees Mountains and the three peasant children in Portugal to whom the Blessed Virgin appeared with important messages for the world.

• The farmer’s son from the village of Sotto il Monte, Italy who became our greatest modern pope or, if you prefer, the Polish army officer’s son who might also claim that title.

This list could go on but it seems that God often entrusts great deeds to people from obscure origins like the Holy Family’s. He also sends humbler prophets and saints to communities everywhere. Know any of them? (Wirth, 2024)

Don Schwager quotes “Distinguishing God's power and our faith,” by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD).

"And perhaps, as in the case of metallic substances there exists in some a natural attraction toward some other thing, as in the magnet for iron, and in naphtha for fire, so there is an attraction in such faith toward the divine power according to what Jesus said: 'If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, 'Move to another place,' and it shall be moved' (Matthew 17:20). Matthew and Mark wished to present the all-surpassing value of that divine power as a power that works even in those who do not believe. But they did not deny that grace works even more powerfully among those who have faith. So it seems to me that they accurately said not that the Lord did not do any mighty works because of their unbelief, but that he did not do many there (Mark 6:5). Mark does not flatly say that he could do no mighty work there at all, and stop at that point, but added, 'except that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk and healed them' (Mark 6:5). Thus the power in him overcame even their unbelief." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 10.19) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on 2 Samuel 24:2, 9-17 comments that David’s problem was lack of faith. Regretting his decision, he realized that he had forgotten that Israel’s true strength was in the Lord (2 Samuel 24:10). Time and time again, God had given them victory even when they had been vastly outnumbered. So David’s assessment of his people’s strength revealed a lack of trust in God, their protector.

Perhaps financial responsibilities or a busy calendar makes you feel as if you constantly have to monitor how much time and money you have available. You might be acting very responsibly, but even so, how much are you able to trust in the One who provides for all your needs? Or to what extent do you still believe that peace comes from your power to measure and control your resources?

Your heavenly Father cares as deeply about you as he did for the people of Israel. You can count on him.

“Lord, give me more faith to believe that you are in control. Help me to trust you in all things.” (Meditation on 2 Samuel 24:2, 9-17, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler discusses the reasoning behind rejecting trust in God by taking a census of the possible military resources in the population. This is a sin of arrogance, to which David seems to be particularly susceptible. Friar Jude notes the different understanding of “brothers and sisters” of Jesus by Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christians.

Brian McLaren introduces Gareth Higgins who grew up in Northern Ireland, a place haunted by cycles of violence and revenge.

These past few years, many of us have felt more concerned than ever about elected politics. It’s felt like we’ve been living in revolutionary times, but really revenge times, times where we pit ourselves against each other and where we believe that the only way to have peace and security in the world is to totally defeat our political opponents. But whether your team or my team was in charge or not, whether they occupy the positions of power in society, there’s only so much that elected politics can do.

If you want a better world, tell a better story, even about the possibility of embodying justice without vengeance. If you think that sounds naive, I hear you. But I’m coming from a society where we have enacted significant generational, structural change. We have radically reduced the use of violence and taken some tentative steps toward cooperating with each other rather than just flipping the tables so that the people who used to be oppressed are now the people doing the oppressing. The reason [justice without vengeance] doesn’t sound naive to me is because I’ve seen it work. (McLaren, 2024)

We ponder the actions and convictions that we count upon to navigate our journey and seek the guidance of the Spirit to conform our plans to Jesus' Way.

References

Mark, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 31, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/6?1 

McLaren, B. D. (2024, January 31). The Story of Revolution — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 31, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-story-of-revolution/ 

Meditation on 2 Samuel 24:2, 9-17. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved January 31, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/01/31/885954/ 

Psalms, PSALM 32 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 31, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/32?1 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Jesus Marveled because of Their Unbelief. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 31, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=jan31 

2 Samuel, CHAPTER 24 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 31, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2samuel/24?2 

Wirth, E. (2024, January 31). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved January 31, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/013124.html 

Trust and Healing

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today alert us to the need for patient acceptance of events that seem to be in conflict with our faithful relationship with God as we trust in a loving healing of our distress.

Healing and Trust

In the reading from the Second Book of Samuel, David Mourns for Absalom.

Psalm 86 is supplication for help against Enemies.

* [Psalm 86] An individual lament. The psalmist, “poor and oppressed” (Ps 86:1), “devoted” (Ps 86:2), “your servant” (Ps 86:2, 4, 16), “rescued…from the depths of Sheol” (Ps 86:13), attacked by the ruthless (Ps 86:14), desires only God’s protection (Ps 86:1–7, 11–17). (Psalms, PSALM 86 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Mark, a girl is restored to Life and a woman healed.

* [5:21–43] The story of the raising to life of Jairus’s daughter is divided into two parts: Mk 5:21–24; 5:35–43. Between these two separated parts the account of the cure of the hemorrhage victim (Mk 5:25–34) is interposed. This technique of intercalating or sandwiching one story within another occurs several times in Mk 3:19b–21; Mk 3:22–30; 3:31–35; 6:6b–13; 6:14–29; 6:30; 11:12–14; 11:15–19; 11:20–25; 14:53; 14:54; 14:55–65; 14:66–73.

* [5:23] Lay your hands on her: this act for the purpose of healing is frequent in Mk 6:5; 7:32–35; 8:23–25; 16:18 and is also found in Mt 9:18; Lk 4:40; 13:13; Acts 9:17; 28:8.

* [5:28] Both in the case of Jairus and his daughter (Mk 5:23) and in the case of the hemorrhage victim, the inner conviction that physical contact (Mk 5:30) accompanied by faith in Jesus’ saving power could effect a cure was rewarded.

* [5:35] The faith of Jairus was put to a twofold test: (1) that his daughter might be cured and, now that she had died, (2) that she might be restored to life. His faith contrasts with the lack of faith of the crowd.

* [5:39] Not dead but asleep: the New Testament often refers to death as sleep (Mt 27:52; Jn 11:11; 1 Cor 15:6; 1 Thes 4:13–15); see note on Mt 9:24. 

* [5:41] Arise: the Greek verb egeirein is the verb generally used to express resurrection from death (Mk 6:14, 16; Mt 11:5; Lk 7:14) and Jesus’ own resurrection (Mk 16:6; Mt 28:6; Lk 24:6). (Mark, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB, n.d.)

George Butterfield (2014) comments that in the Gospel today both fathers reach out to men who they believe can help, men they trust. The first man’s hopes are dashed. The second man celebrates.

David trusted Joab and he failed David in one of the most important episodes of his life. Jairus trusted Jesus and saw Death flee from the presence of He who is Life. The heading for Psalm 86 is “A prayer of David.” We do not know when in his life he prayed this prayer. We only know that, by now, he knows what Jairus knew. He knew that it makes a difference where you place your trust. He declares: You are my God. I trust in you. (Butterfield, 2024)

Don Schwager quotes “The long-suffering of parents,” by Peter Chrysologus (400-450 AD).

"Let us, if it is pleasing to you, speak for a moment of the pains and anxieties which parents take upon themselves and endure in patience out of love and affection for their children. Here, surrounded by her family and by the sympathy and affection of her relations, a daughter lies upon her bed of suffering. She is fading in body. Her father's mind and spirit are worn with grief. She is suffering the inward pangs of her sickness. He, unwashed, unkempt, is absorbed wholly in sorrow. He suffers and endures before the eyes of the world. She is sinking into the quiet of death... Alas! why are children indifferent to these things! Why are they not mindful of them? Why are they not eager to make a return to their parents for them? But the love of parents goes on nevertheless; and whatever parents bestow upon their children, God, the parent of us all, will duly repay." (excerpt from SERMON 33.2)

[Peter Chrysologus, 400-450 AD, was a renowned preacher and bishop of Ravena in the 5th century] (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 5:21-43 comments that we may experience seasons when life is challenging, and we feel discouraged, much like the suffering woman. Maybe we have exhausted all other options and are losing hope that God cares about our pain. At these moments, we can remember the woman’s perseverance and tenacity as she pushed her way through the crowds to reach out to Jesus. We can trust that God does hear our cries. He will give us the strength we need.

Jairus and the hemorrhaging woman sought out Jesus because of the circumstances in their lives. They needed him that day by the Sea of Galilee, and they would always need him. And so will we. This is why Jesus came.

Whatever your current circumstances, go to the Lord today and confess your need for him. In that honest place, he will always meet you.

“Father, I need you. I know that if I reach out my hand to you, you will lift me up.” (Meditation on Mark 5:21-43, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the story of the death of Absalom and the deep remorse of David and the wish of the parent to change places with the son. The two healings of the Gospel are presented within a Marken sandwich. The presentation of these events in Luke omits the reference to failed doctors and the message in Mark that Jesus did not know all things. The reanimation of Jarius' daughter is not a resurrection because she will eventually die.

Brian McLaren points to the difference between domination and dominion in the Bible.

The book of Genesis is often blamed for the domination story because, in the Garden of Eden story, human beings are given dominion over the rest of creation (Genesis 1:28). People assume dominion means domination, but I don’t think you have to read the story that way. The nature of God in the first creation story isn’t God dominating and forcing the world into a certain mold. It is “Let there be light.” It’s a permission-giving power.

It’s such a fascinating phrase: “Let there be light.” And also “Let there be land, let there be sea, let there be crawling creatures, let there be fish, let there be humans.” It’s a permission-giving rather than a domination. Then when human beings are made in the image of God, and God says, “You can have dominion,” we would expect it should be the same kind of gentle presence rather than a dominating, controlling, exploiting presence. It’s not “Let there be exploitation.” It’s very, very different. [3] (McLaren, n.d.)

We are reminded to hold to our trust in God even as it might be questioned during the times in which we experience great suffering or anxiety for our loved ones.

References

Butterfield, G. (2024, January 30). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved January 30, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/013024.html 

Mark, CHAPTER 5 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 30, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/5?21 

McLaren, B. (n.d.). The Story of Domination. Wikipedia. Retrieved January 30, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-story-of-domination/ 

Meditation on Mark 5:21-43. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved January 30, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/01/30/885407/ 

Psalms, PSALM 86 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 30, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/86?1 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). The Woman Who Took Heart in Jesus. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 30, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=jan30 

2 Samuel, CHAPTER 18 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 30, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2samuel/18?9