Fifth
Sunday of Ordinary Time (B) [Mk 1:29-39]
04.02.2024
Jesus’ Healing and Liberating
1. Theme in brief
Proclaiming the
2.
Focus Statement
Like Jesus we are
called to proclaim the
3. Explanation of
the text
Today’s gospel text narrates how
people of
The healing of Simon’s
mother-in-law from fever in the beginning of today’s passage (1:30-31) – the
first miracle of physical healing mentioned in Mark’s gospel – symbolizes
Jesus’ mission to liberate people from their spiritual
‘fevers.’ For Jesus physical healing (in this case healing of a fever) was only
an external sign of spiritual or inner healing. The text says when
Jesus was told about her illness, he went in and “took her by the hand and lifted her up” (1:31). The message is that Jesus has come to lift up or raise up
those who are lying low in various bondages such as illness, slavery of evil
powers and death by his acts of compassion; thus establish God’s Kingdom. Unlike
others instances, here he cures not by his word but by his touch. The healing power flowing from the touch of Jesus restores her not
only to health but to her call to serve and care of others. Due to fever
she is confined to bed (1:30); that is, she is not free to serve. She is unable
to fulfil her role as a service-provider to family and community
due to her illness. When the fever leaves her, she begins to “serve” them
(1:31).
Due to Jesus’ act of “lifting up” or raising her up she returns to
active service of others with vigour. Service is the essence of Jesus’ ministry, because
he came not to be served but to serve to the extent of sacrificing his life for the redemption of humanity (Mk10:45). Here Simon’s mother-in-law is presented as an
exemplary disciple who serves Jesus and his disciples. Jesus’ lifting her by
his hands shows that his healing touch has the power to cure people
from their illnesses. Her ability to serve proves the completeness of the cure or restoration of health to her..
The
repeated reference to Jesus’ mission of casting out demons (1:32, 34) shows
that he has come to battle against evil forces and liberate people from their slavery. Though
the demons know that he is the Messiah, he does not permit them to proclaim it (1:34).
Otherwise people would follow him for the wrong reason, considering him a political Messiah. He wants people to discover for themselves that he is not only
the Messiah but a suffering Messiah. In order to avoid this
misunderstanding he imposes the rule of silence on demoniacs.
The need of withdrawing into prayer in a deserted place
(1:35) might have arisen in Jesus at this point due to a number of factors: the
need (1) to receive new strength and peace of mind; (2) to seek
God’s guidance for further action; (3) to get a spiritual
backing for his battle against the evil powers; and (4) to
know if it was right time to move from Capernaum to
other places.
Everybody was searching for Jesus (1:37), because most probably
they hoped he would miraculously heal many more people. Instead of getting
attached only to one place, Jesus decides to move on to other places. Since the
purpose of his coming into them world is to proclaim the
message of God’s Kingdom and he gives priority to that mission (1:38).
4.
Application to life
What was Jesus’ attitude towards sickness? It was an attitude of compassion
that led him to heal the sick. As we have noted above, Jesus was concerned not
only about physical but also spiritual healing. For him physical
healing of Simon’s mother-in-law from a fever was only an external sign of his
intention to heal us from our spiritual ‘fevers.’ So today we need to ask
ourselves: “What are the ‘fevers’ (spiritual) that prevent us from involving
ourselves actively in service of others, or what makes
us incapable of becoming actively involved in loving and serving others?”
Commonly
we understand service in a narrow sense. Modern society needs our
service in new areas and much wider fields. Human life is precious but fragile. It is full of promises but constantly endangered and under threats from womb to tomb. Such life-threatening forces include not only illnesses but also terrorism, accidents, environmental
destruction, violence, wars, genocide, abortion, euthanasia, suicide (committed
even by farmers and students in some regions), ruthless exploitation of the
weak (especially of indigenous and downtrodden people, women and children),
religious fundamentalism, communalism, threat of nuclear wars…. Given this
scenario, today’s gospel motivates us to think what type of service is required
to address at least one of these issues, if not directly, at least indirectly?
In the midst of so many life-negating forces, any qualitative service rendered
by us in such life-threatening or life-negating situations can become
life-giving or life-promoting.
It is necessary to examine the causes of our indifference and non-involvement in addressing these issues and
rendering some community services. Though we are called to build up our
community with our loving service, some ‘fevers’ prevent or block us such as individualism, selfishness, indifference, laziness,
lack of concern, don’t-care attitude and fear of criticism. Just as Simon’s mother-in-law was confined to
bed due to fever and was unable to fulfil her role of hospitality or service to
her family and community, these blocks keep us confined to our own individualistic and selfish world. They keep us tied
down to our own narrow world and cut us off from the community. We
need to understand that our communion with God through worship and prayer and
our responsibility or mission to build up communion within our community are two sides of the same
coin.
There is a tendency in many people to make excuses in order to escape from
involvement in community services. One of the most common excuses is to say
that we have no time. The real issue is not lack of
time but lack of a strong motivation and a deeper
understanding of our Christian call to service. If there is
a will there is a way. We need to make conscious efforts to ‘create’ time by sacrificing a little of our available time by
cutting down some of our unimportant engagements. We
have to check how much time we spend in front of TV and how much of it we give
to others. Actually, it is not lack of time but the evil power of sin that rules over us, namely selfishness and lack of
concern for others. Sin is the spiritual sickness that prevents us from
really loving and serving others wholeheartedly.
Quite often we expect that those who are in charge (including the clergy
in the Church) should request us or authorize us if they need our help. Actually
speaking, since service is the hallmark of Christian discipleship, we should
consider it our duty and responsibility to render a service, or
even offer our help. Today, Jesus comes to us again to lift us up from our inaction and lethargy. Let us beg Jesus to
catch our hands and lift us up from this lethargy and awake us from our sleepiness as he did to Simon’s mother-in-law.
Let Jesus heal us from selfishness, aloofness and unwillingness or incapacity
to serve. Our hearts are sick when we do not spend ourselves in service of our brothers
and sisters. Once we allow Jesus to heal us from the sickness of our hearts, we shall be able to heal others from
the same sickness.
Jesus’ mission
of healing the sick was one of the ways of establishing
God’s Kingdom. By his ministry of healing people from physical as well as
spiritual illnesses, he rendered a holistic health care to people who painfully suffer and grieve. We too are called to
proclaim the
This mission of healing and combating evil forces (mentioned in today’s
gospel) require the power of prayer and discernment as we know from Jesus’ example. Prayer and reflection make us
realize that we cannot give glory to God when we do nothing to address the
suffering of people caused due to illness and other evil forces. The power of
prayer gives us the courage and strength to combat evil forces. Without the
backing of prayer, we will be interested in establishing our own kingdom rather
than God’s. At times when we suffer due to illness, or are in trouble and difficulty
like Simon’s mother-in-law, we expect others (like Jesus) to comfort and help us, but when others are in distress and trouble, we do not bother to visit, comfort or
help them. Let us not forget the fears and anxieties our near and dear ones
went through and the trouble they encountered for our sake when we were
seriously ill in the past. Our experience of being helped, comforted and served
by others in such moments should lead us to do the same for others, just as
Peter’s mother-in-law who immediately waited on Jesus and his disciples after
experiencing Jesus’ healing touch.
5.
Response to God's Word
Are we indifferent towards sufferings and pain of people around us? If
so, what could be the causes of our indifference, lethargy and non-involvement
to alleviate pain and misery from people? Which is the life-threatening force
that we would like to address in our own little way? If we are cut-off from the
community, is it because of selfishness, laziness, lack of concern, don’t-care
attitude, individualism and fear of criticism? What are the excuses we make to
escape from involvement in some service to society and the Church? Do we
willingly sacrifice our time to be with our children to guide them or to be
involved in a community or Church service? Do we always wait for order from
Church and community leaders to render our service, or do it as our duty and
responsibility?
6.
A prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, we believe in
your power to heal us physically and spiritually. Set us free from the bondages
of selfishness and individualism so that awe may serve others joyfully and generously.
Grant that nothing may hinder us from reaching out to the needy with a helping
hand when it is possible for us to do it. Wake us up from other lethargy and
inaction so that we may become partners in your mission to establish God’s
Kingdom which involves restoration of all-round health, peace and well-being.
Amen.
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