Scripture Reflection...

Scripture for Friday, May 16th. (6th week in Ordinary Time). James
2:14-24,26. Psalm 112:1-6. Mark 8:34-9:1. Lectionary # 339:

Jesus addresses the crowd gathered together with his disciples who
have heard about the Messianic Secret. Now the crowd (all of us) will hear
the same mystery that he shares with us. It is not easy to hear, but it is
Mark's theology taken from what he has heard from Peter and then mulling it
over has put it down in the first Gospel ever written somewhere near 70
A.D. Again, Jesus asks questions as is his wont as a Wisdom person. "What
can you offer in exchange for your life? What profit is it if we gain the
whole world but destroy ourselves in the process?" Again, Mark is framing
this through his theology of the Cross. He confronts us with Jesus' words
to shock us out of our comfort zones and push us toward keeping our
priorities straight through our relationship to God through the Gospel. We
are called as Christians to follow the Master in the paradox of losing
one's life in order to gain new life--eternal life. It is not escapism or
"pie-in-the sky" theology on the part of Mark, but the hard road of
suffering and rejection, death, and eventually the experience of being
resurrected to eternal life.
In addressing the crowds, we see that Jesus' message is universal.
He is not asking of us something which he himself has not experienced. As
the Son of God and Son of Man he gives us the model for being a follower,
and for being a disciple. The opening sentence speaks of his summons to us
to follow him. Perhaps, this is why the chosen three disciples, Peter,
James, and John experience the Transfiguration of Jesus right after this
summons. It is a grace helping us to transform ourselves into the Christ
life. Transfiguration means transformation or as St. Paul puts it, "For me
to live is Christ!"
It is good to recall the opening sentence of St.Mark each time we
take up this Gospel:"The beginning of the Gospel (Euaggelion can mean Good
News) of Jesus Christ, the Son of God." (Mark 1:1). Mark is emphasizing
the preaching of the Gospel through his own written Good News. Henry
Wansbrouh comments, "(Mark) teaches that what is done for the sake of the
Gospel is done for Christ's sake, because Christ is present in the
preaching of the Gospel." (A New Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture).
Amen.