March 4 and 5th, Lectionary 351, 352
149:1-2.3-4.5.6.9. Mark 11:11-26:
Our passage for today from Mark, the first Evangelist, is so jam-packed.
This requires a second or third reading to see how to pray and apply the
lessons given within the pericope. Several themes are pushed together
within it and we see the "sandwich technique" of Mark within the narrative.
Mark starts us off with one story then on the way or the unravelling of it
he puts another incident or story within it. Here we have the action
parable or miracle of Jesus cursing the fig tree. Or did he really do this
as a curse? Some scholars think it is more of a lesson for those rejecting
the Good News Jesus brings to us both in his time and in the time of Mark's
designated audiences or churches.
There is also a strong theme close to the Our Father or the Lord's Prayer.
Remember only Matthew and Luke have the Lord's Prayer as such; Mark and
John have its contents spread throughout their Gospels. Today the ending in
Mark is evidently close to the petition of forgiveness in the Our Father.
Most of us are disturbed about the "cursing" of the fig tree. Jesus does
something that he forbids us to do. So how do we handle this in Mark's
account. One way is to read what Luke apparently says as a parallel to it
where no miracle occurs nor is it a curse. Luke 13:6-9 is a good way of
following this incident as Jesus is about to cleanse the temple in
Jerusalem which will hasten his crucifixion. Something more devastating
than the fig tree's plight. We need always to see the bigger picture when
reading the Gospels. Scholars are baffled by this and say it is only a
parable; others say it is a miracle. T. Manson notes that the final clause
in verse 13 of Mark chapter 11 fixes the event in such a way that it seems
not to make sense. Bishop another English scholar believes the fig tree
will bear fruit on Good Friday.
As we ponder over the literal sense of the text, we realize we need for our
own way of adjusting to the striking incident to do some pondering over on
a spiritual level to help the text bear fruit. Many like the fig tree will
not be willing to bear the fruit of Jesus crucifixion nor of his preaching
the Good News. We as believers need to be shocked into a deeper faith at
times. This pericope certainly does that. Amen.
Scripture: Saturday, March 5, 2011. Lectionary # 352.
Sirach is coming to the end of our readings on his magnificent long essay
and study of wisdom from his own personal experience and learning. He has
walked us through the paths of wisdom and has helped us in our own ongoing
formation in the wise way of the Spirit and Sophia (Wisdom, God's
handmaid). All of us want to be as fully human as possible. One
University even makes this the meaning behind its Humanities
Building,namely, what does it mean to be fully human? It helps those who
visit the building both outside and inside by studying the panels of those
who searched the meaning of being human--scientists, poets, novel writers,
saints etc. are among the sculpted frames on the side of the building.
These men and women show us what it means to be human. Our friend Sirach
concentrated on that in his whole work,one of the longest in the Bible and
certainly the longest among the Wisdom Books.
The passage may easily be linked to the fifth chapter of Lumen Gentium, the
Constitution on the Church that was promulgated by the Ecumenical Council
of Vatican II: "The Call of the Whole Church to Holiness". This passage
and the one from Sirach above may help us in understanding the call of the
mother of Jesus to help us realize that we are all destined to be holy.
That every woman and man is created in the likeness and image of God
(Gen.1:27). Mary, in view of her Son Jesus' redemptive death on the Cross,
was redeemed by him from the first moment of her conception. We are not to
be envious of her in the light of what Epesians 1:3-10 says about us and
the salvific plan of God! All peoples before, during, and after Jesus are
in God's plan of redemptive history and it is through the Word made flesh
that this comes about. No matter who we are, nor what our religion is, we
should all buy into that better and loftier plan and become creative agents
of God's redemptive love.
Mark gives us continually the road to the Cross in his Gospel and it is
rough and difficult to accept it. Yet, he has made Jesus so human that we
are able to take up the daily crosses we face, and follow him like the
cured Bartimaeus. We too arrive at the new Jerusalem, the heavenly one at
the end of our historical journey. Amen.
posted by Fr. Bert SM at 11:10 AM
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