The Day Jesus Left.

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Gospel: Mark 8:11-13

The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus,
seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.
He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said,
“Why does this generation seek a sign?
Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”
Then he left them, got into the boat again,
and went off to the other shore.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Have you ever asked yourself the question, “What if?”

What if I waited? What if I said, “Yes”? What if I went to a different college? What if I had deeper faith? 

In today’s Gospel, we’re left asking a different version of the same question, “What if?” 

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In three short verses, Jesus arrives on the shores of Galilee… then, immediately, he departs.

Mark gives the impression that the Lord has barely gotten out of his boat before being confronted by the Pharisees, who are seeking another sign from him.

Jesus has already raised a girl from the dead, cast out an unclean spirit, and fed thousands after multiplying a few loaves of bread.

Dismayed by their unbelief, Jesus sighs from the “depths of his spirit,” gets back into his boat, and heads to a different shore.

It leaves me wondering, “What if?”

What if the Lord never turned around? What were his plans that day? Would he have taught in their synagogues? Performed another miracle? Raised someone from the dead?

We’ll never know. The Pharisees’ unbelief sapped the Lord’s desire to enter their towns and do any good, leaving a pile of, “What ifs?”

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What would my own life look like if I welcomed the Lord daily – not only in the easy moments, but also when life is difficult?

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I imagine the Lord arrives each morning along the shores of ours hearts, our parish, and our world, waiting to see how we’ll respond.

What if we say, “Yes” this Lent? How might it deepen our faith?

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Image credits: (1) DeviantArt (2) Free AI Art Image (3) NightCafe Creator