RE: 02.05.15 - Commentaries

Commentary – 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

February 8, 2015
First Reading – Job 7.1-4, 6-7
Job spoke, saying:
Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery?
Are not his days those of hirelings?
He is a slave who longs for the shade,
a hireling who waits for his wages.
So I have been assigned months of misery,
and troubled nights have been allotted to me.
If in bed I say, “When shall I arise?”
then the night drags on;
I am filled with restlessness until the dawn.
My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle;
they come to an end without hope.
Remember that my life is like the wind;
I shall not see happiness again.
Commentary
 JOB’S MISFORTUNES
The Book of Job has forty-two chapters and today’s verses are but a very short excerpt. Nevertheless, it is clear that Job is facing the most difficult human question, that of suffering. And many of us today can identify with Job’s complaints; because one of the great qualities of this book is its candid look at a timeless question.

Here is Job’s story: "In the land of Uz there was a blameless and upright man named Job, who feared God and avoided evil." He was happy, he was rich ... everything was going well for him, as we would say today. He had a wife and many children and his only concern was to see them stay on right track. In short, Job was irreproachable.

And then, suddenly, all of the world’s ills descend on him; in no time he loses all his wealth and cattle, and, much worse, all his children. He still has his health, but not for long: a second wave of misfortune befalls him; he develops a skin disease, a type of leprosy; the sight of him is repulsive and he is forced to leave the city and his beautiful home; in all of this, he is terribly alone: even his wife does not understand him.

Throughout the book, Job cries out his suffering - physical, psychological, moral; he cries out his anxiety over a premature death while he endures a horrendous life; he cries out his friends’ lack of support; but worst still, is God’s silence. Job spells out all this suffering in admirable terms, and constantly questions the injustice being done to him; because at the time that the Book of Job was written, everyone in Israel thought that God's justice scrupulously rewarded the good and punished the wicked – what is called the "logic of retribution." However Job had always led a righteous life and did not deserve to be punished.

WHERE IS GOD'S JUSTICE?
His friends do not see it that way: they think like everyone else and therefore keep reiterating the same arguments: first, since suffering is always a punishment, you Job are suffering because you have sinned; therefore examine your conscience. Let's face it: today, whenever we say, "What have I done to God to deserve this?” Or, “they deserved it,” we think like them. To his friends’ arguments, Job replies: “No, I assure you, I have not sinned”; but they insist that not only has he sinned (the proof is that he is suffering) but that he even has the audacity to deny it! Therefore he is doubly at fault.

Their second argument is that suffering is a school of virtue, a kind of tough love approach. For example, one of his friends dares to say, "Happy the one whom God reproves! The Almighty’s discipline, do not reject. For he wounds, but he binds up; he strikes, but his hands give healing" (Job 5.17-18). Throughout the book, Job refuses this facile reasoning; he would like to silence all this useless verbiage that only plunges him deeper in his solitude. Indeed, those of us who visit the sick and suffering can learn from what he says: "Oh, that you would be altogether silent; that for you would be wisdom! "(Job 13.5)  and, " At least listen to my words and let that be the consolation you offer"(Job 21.2); in other words: “It would be better for you to keep quiet and listen to me; it’s the only way to console me.”

Job does not have an answer to his suffering other than to cry out and rebel ... without ever ceasing to claim that, "God can only be just." He himself evolves in his thinking: at the beginning of the book, he constantly repeats that he has not sinned, therefore what is happening to him is unfair ... without realizing that in saying this, he is in the same logic as his friends: "If we suffer, it is because we have sinned." Then gradually, the voice of experience takes over: Job has observed that thieves often live happy, unpunished lives, and die without suffering, while honest, innocent people can have agonizing and terrible lives. No, there is no justice, as they say; and his friends are wrong to claim that the good are always rewarded and the wicked always punished. Therefore Job understands that his interpretation of God's justice misses the mark. In the end, he runs out of arguments and in an act of humility, he acknowledges that only God understands the mysteries of life.

IN SUFFERING, REMAIN ALWAYS IN THE PALM OF GOD’S HAND
It is at this point that Job is ready for his great discovery, where God was waiting for him all along. It is now God who speaks; God does not reproach Job but rather his friends, telling them that their explanations are worthless, adding that only Job “has spoken of me what is right" (Job 42.7) - which means that Job was right to cry out, to rebel. Then God invites him to contemplate creation and to humbly acknowledge his ignorance; with the loving but firm guidance of a father, God helps Job understand that "God’s thoughts are not our thoughts" and that if God’s justice eludes us, it is not for us to challenge it. Job, a blameless and upright man, as we are told from the beginning, understands the lesson, admitting that he had “spoken but did not understand; things too marvelous for me, which I did not know  ... I am of little account; what can I answer you? " (Job 42.3; 40.4).

Ultimately, the Book of Job does not give an explanation to the problem of suffering; if we had expected one, we would be disappointed; but it does show us the way: in suffering, do not hold back your cries all the while remaining confident in God and placing yourself in God’s hand: for God is with us each day until the end of the world.
As Paul Claudel says, "Jesus did not come to explain suffering but to inhabit it through his presence."
Responsorial Psalm – 147.1-2, 3-4, 5-6
R/Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
Praise the LORD, for he is good;
sing praise to our God, for he is gracious;
it is fitting to praise him.
The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem;
the dispersed of Israel he gathers.
R/ Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
He tells the number of the stars;
he calls each by name.
R/ Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
to his wisdom there is no limit.
The LORD sustains the lowly;
the wicked he casts to the ground.
R/ Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.


Second Reading – 1 Corinthians 9.16-19, 22-23
Brothers and sisters:
If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast,
for an obligation has been imposed on me,
and woe to me if I do not preach it!
If I do so willingly, I have a recompense,
but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship.
What then is my recompense?
That, when I preach,
I offer the gospel free of charge
so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

Although I am free in regard to all,
I have made myself a slave to all
so as to win over as many as possible.
To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak.
I have become all things to all, to save at least some.
All this I do for the sake of the gospel,
so that I too may have a share in it.
Commentary
YOU RECEIVED FREELY; GIVE FREELY
From a number of Paul’s letters it seems that he makes a point of supporting himself through manual labor so as not to be a financial burden on the Christian community; and it seems that in the Church of Corinth, some of his opponents used this as an argument against him: according to them, if Paul does not use his right to be remunerated it must be because he wants to be free to do as he pleases; and therefore, is he really the apostle he claims to be?

In this passage Paul presents the underlying reasons for his decision to support himself. If he is unconcerned about being paid it is because he is not in it for himself: for him, announcing the Good News is not some job or profession that provides monetary or other benefits, but rather the fulfillment of the mission entrusted to him. He is “on assignment” so to speak, and that's what gives him the freedom to ask nothing from the community: "I preach the gospel… for an obligation has been imposed on me.” Paul, as we know, did not choose to announce the gospel; you might say that it was not part of the program: He was a devout Jew, educated, a fervent Pharisee, so fervent that he saw fit to persecute the new Christian sect. But then his sudden conversion changed everything; from now on, he places his passionate temperament at the service of the gospel. For him, proclaiming the Good News is something that is inseparable from the vocation he received - as if he could not be a Christian without being an apostle (one who is sent to proclaim the Good News). He is well aware that if God has called him it is for the benefit of others (of those he calls "the Gentiles", as he says in his letter to the Galatians: "[God], who from my mother’s womb had set me apart and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles… " (Gal 1.15).

This is so reminiscent of the vocation of some of the prophets: Amos, for example who says, "I am not a prophet, nor do I belong to a company of prophets. I am a herdsman and a dresser of sycamores; but the LORD took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel"(Am 7.14). Or Jeremiah: “The word of the LORD came to me: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you" (Jer 1.4-5). A prophet, by definition, is always someone called FOR the good of others. In Mark's Gospel for today’s liturgy, Jesus makes clear that he has come to preach the Good News for the good of others.

Paul expresses this keen sense of his responsibility in strong words that may surprise us: "Woe to me if I do not preach it (the gospel)!" This does not mean that he fears any punishment or some external threat should he fail to fulfill his mission; what he is saying is something like this: "If I did not preach the gospel, I would be the most miserable of men." For Paul, his new passion for the gospel has become second nature; he fervently wants to share the discovery he has made. His joy and his reward is this: to know that he has accomplished the mission entrusted to him. Paul is not some itinerant preacher paid for his oratorical talents by giving conferences here and there; he is on duty: "for an obligation has been imposed on me … I have been entrusted with a stewardship.” This was the kind of vocabulary used in speaking of slaves; we could summarize verses 17-18 in this way: “if I had personally chosen this profession I would expect to be paid; but in reality, I have become God’s slave, and a slave is not paid, as everyone knows! Yet my reward is great, because it is a great honor and a great pleasure to announce the gospel: that is my salary." This apparent paradox is the wonderful daily experience of all the servants of the gospel, because to give freely is the only course of action that is consistent with any discourse on God’s free gift of love. Of course, one must live and make a living; but as Paul emphasizes, proclaiming the gospel does not qualify as a profession - it is a mission, a vocation. In wholeheartedly accomplishing this task, the apostle receives the joy of giving: in this he/she is like the One being proclaimed.

THE REQUIREMENTS OF FRATERNAL LIFE
The proclamation of the Good News is both word and action says Paul: "To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak"; what kind of weakness is he talking about? This sentence reflects the context in which Paul writes: the members of the Corinthian community have not all followed the same journey of faith, as we say. Some, like Paul, are former Jews who have become Christians; but others are non-Jews who formerly had their own religion, gods and rituals ... Their baptism and entry into the Christian community has sometimes imposed radical changes on their customs. For example, in their old religion, they offered sacrifices to their idols and then ate the meat of the sacrificed animals in the context of a sacred meal. When they professed the Christian faith, they obviously abandoned these practices. But this did not mean that relatives or pagan friends stopped inviting them to such meals. For example, archeologists have found invitations to a reception in a temple in Corinth, which read: "Anthony, son of Ptolemy, invites you to dine with him at the table of the Lord Serapis (one of the many deities of Corinth), in the premises of ... " followed by the date and time. Christians who are sure in their faith are not troubled in conscience when accepting such invitations: since idols do not exist, their friends and relatives can offer all the sacrifices in the world but these sacrifices mean nothing and the meat eaten is not a blasphemy against God. Mature Christians, strong in faith are quite free to partake in such meals. They may decide it best not to hurt family members or friends by refusing such an invitation.

But there are Christians whose faith is more fragile, whom Paul calls ‘the weak’: they also know that idols mean nothing, but their conscience is still troubled by these kinds of meals*; and so they should not be shocked, nor should they be given the opportunity to be tempted to fall back into their old practices. Those whose faith is strong must always assure that the faith of the weak is respected. This is the ABC of true communal life.
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Note
On the one hand, they may be shocked to see their fellow Christians participating in these banquets. On the other hand, by personally attending these meals they may feel terribly guilty. Paul therefore advises caution to those who are beyond such qualms: "But make sure that this liberty of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block to the weak "(1 Cor 8.9). He concludes, "if food causes my brother to sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I may not cause my brother to sin" (1 Cor 8.13). In today’s passage he says the same thing, using different words: "To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak.”

Addendum
In chapters 14 and 15 of the letter to the Romans, Paul addresses the same topic: "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Spirit… Let us then pursue what leads to peace and to building up one another… Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to become a stumbling block by eating… We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves" (Rom 14.17-20; 15.1).
Gospel – Mark 1.29-39
On leaving the synagogue
Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.
Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever.
They immediately told him about her.
He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up.
Then the fever left her and she waited on them.

When it was evening, after sunset,
they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.
The whole town was gathered at the door.
He cured many who were sick with various diseases,
and he drove out many demons,
not permitting them to speak because they knew him.

Rising very early before dawn, he left
and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.
Simon and those who were with him pursued him
and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.”
He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages
that I may preach there also.
For this purpose have I come.”
So he went into their synagogues,
preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.
Commentary
GOD’S REIGN HAS BEGUN
This passage almost reads like a news report: Mark carefully relates the places, times and events; but the evangelist’s objectives are never journalistic, so we must believe that these details have a theological sense; it is for us to read between the lines.

The events take place in Galilee, in Capernaum - on the Sabbath, then in the evening after sunset and then on the following day. As you know, the Jews do not count the day from midnight to midnight, but from sunset to sunset; the Sabbath begins Friday night at sundown and ends Saturday night with the appearance of the first stars; we also know that the Sabbath is a day reserved for prayer and the study of the Torah in the synagogue and at home; this is why the people of Capernaum bring their sick to Jesus only in the evening, after the Sabbath has ended. Mark says: "When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons." In stating that it is after sunset, Mark may also want to draw our attention to the fact that it is now Sunday, the first day of the week. For the early Christians, Sunday symbolized the beginning of the new creation.

On the Sabbath, Jesus goes to the synagogue and returns home immediately after; if Mark points this out, it is probably to remind his readers that Jesus is a Jew, faithful to the Law. That morning in the synagogue he had delivered a "man with an unclean spirit", in Mark’s words (v. 23). The news that Jesus commands the unclean spirits spread like wildfire and in the evening after the Sabbath, the people “brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.” Mark is implicitly saying: Here is the Messiah, the one who announces and brings about the Reign of God.

Curiously, the demons know who Jesus is, and Jesus forbids them to reveal his identity: "he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him.” They know what was revealed at Jesus’ baptism when a voice from the heavens said, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased;” and that morning in the synagogue of Capernaum the unclean spirit had proclaimed: "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

Why is Jesus imposing this silence? After all he did not come to hide. It is probably because the people of Capernaum are not yet ready for this revelation: they still have a way to go before discovering the true face of Christ; for it is not enough to say, as the demons did, “I know who you are—the Holy One of God” in order to know Christ. The sick in Capernaum are attracted to Jesus, but are they open to faith? This is the ambiguity of miracles: the risk of being healed without encountering God. So when Simon and the others wanted Jesus to stay and continue to heal the sick, saying "Everyone is looking for you," Jesus brings them back to basics - the preaching of the Reign of God: "Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.” If we reread the beginning of the Mark’s gospel, we see that for Jesus, to proclaim the Good News consists in saying: “This is the time of fulfillment; the kingdom of God is at hand." Miracles are a sign that the kingdom of God is already here; but there is a risk that only the miraculous will be seen.

THE URGENCY OF THE GOOD NEWS
"Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed." Jesus goes to the desert to meet God; and as soon as he is back with his disciples, he tells them, "Let us go…" Is it prayer that drives him to go elsewhere? Indeed it seems that this time of silent retreat strengthens his missionary zeal. As Monsignor Coffy says, "Jesus would not have gone as far in his work of evangelization had he not retreated as far in prayer." Basically, there is no dichotomy between prayer and action – they go hand in hand. “An evangelist who no longer prays will soon no longer evangelize” (words spoken by a bishop at the 1981 Eucharistic Congress in Lourdes).

"For this purpose have I come." These words bring us back to Paul's the letter to the Corinthians and the passage we just read for this Sunday: Jesus and Paul share the same passion for the proclamation of the Good News; they both have a sense of urgency.

One last note: Jesus' healings ought to shed some light on our discourse about suffering; if Jesus heals the sick it is because disease is an evil; if he heals at the same time that he announces the kingdom it is because evil thwarts God's benevolent plan and therefore we need to get rid of. In the first reading we heard Job crying out against his suffering, and at the end of the book, God validates Job’s rebellion. Suffering in itself is always an evil - this needs to be said; and we would be foolish to say to a sick person, "it is good that you are ill" ... Even if some, with the grace of God, find in their suffering a path for growth in holiness, the fact remains that suffering is an evil. Therefore all our efforts to alleviate human suffering are in line with God's plan. For God saves human beings, not disembodied souls; the Good News does not only speak to our intelligence or consciousness; the Good News simultaneously and inseparably strikes against everything that causes suffering.                                     

Translated with permission by Simone Baryliuk, from: Commentaires de Marie Noëlle Thabut, 8 février, 2015
http://www.eglise.catholique.fr/foi-et-vie-chretienne/commentaires-de-marie-noelle-thabut.html