Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him. He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles, that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons: He appointed the Twelve: Simon, whom he named Peter; James, son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus; Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Jesus has started building his team.
Yesterday, Mark told us the crowds were “pressing in” on him. Word of Christ’s power has spread so far that people are coming, seemingly from the ends of the earth, to encounter Jesus.
As any leader might tell you, growth is hard to manage; humanly speaking, Jesus cannot be everywhere at once, so he begins delegating his authority, allowing the Apostles to preach and to cast out demons in his name.
As the old adage goes, “Teamwork makes the dream work.”
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Thank God, literally, that his ministry of healing and salvation did not end with the Twelve Apostles.
Generation after generation, the Christian faith has been handed on, first in the Sacrament of Baptism, so that we – the successors of those first Christians – might continue expanding the kingdom of God.
As Teresa of Avila once wrote:
“Christ has no body now but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes with which he looks with compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world.”
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We’re all members of “team Jesus.”
So, how will you use your hands, feet, and eyes for the Lord today?
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Image credits: (1) Amazon.com (2) Christadelphians of Nova Scotia (3) Crosswalk.com
Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples. A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea. Hearing what he was doing, a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem, from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan, and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon. He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him. He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him. And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, “You are the Son of God.” He warned them sternly not to make him known.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Today’s Gospel gives the impression that the whole world is coming to Jesus.
Mark begins by listing people from Jesus’ immediate surroundings, Galilee and Judea.
Then he builds a concentric circle around the Lord: crowds come from Jerusalem, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, literally hundreds if not thousands of miles away are coming to see him.
When they near him, people “press” upon Jesus.
The word here literally means, “to fall upon.” Imagine Jesus passing through crowds like royalty with people lunging at his feet, stretching out their hands just to touch the tassel of his cloak.
They’re desperate to be healed. Some have been living with a debilitating disease or demonic possession for years. Now a possible cure has been found.
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At this point, Jesus’ popularity is skyrocketing.
But, in three short years, these crowds will whittle down to a handful of devotees. Even some of his closest disciples will desert him at the crucifixion.
Why such a dramatic decline in followers? And what might this phenomenon say to us today?
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While not universally true, many within the crowds were only interested in what they could get out of Jesus – healing, sight, mobility, some temporary form of freedom. It was a transactional type of relationship.
Surprisingly, Jesus didn’t stop them. His compassion for the sick was so profound that he allowed people to receive…and leave.
Only a percentage actually stayed, listening to his teachings, seeking to understand, making every effort to change their lives accordingly.
But these are the “blessed” ones, he says, because, “theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
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While we all want things from the Lord, our primary reason for following him is love.
Love leads us to worship Him – to adore Him – not only for what he does in the world, but above all for who he is – the Son of God, “who has loved us and given himself for us.”
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Image credits: (1) Follow Jesus, Neighbourhood Church Beckham (2) The Chosen (3) BibliaTodo.com
David spoke to Saul: “Let your majesty not lose courage. I am at your service to go and fight this Philistine.” But Saul answered David, “You cannot go up against this Philistine and fight with him, for you are only a youth, while he has been a warrior from his youth.”
David continued: “The LORD, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear, will also keep me safe from the clutches of this Philistine.” Saul answered David, “Go! the LORD will be with you.”
Then, staff in hand, David selected five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in the pocket of his shepherd’s bag. With his sling also ready to hand, he approached the Philistine.
With his shield bearer marching before him, the Philistine also advanced closer and closer to David. When he had sized David up, and seen that he was youthful, and ruddy, and handsome in appearance, the Philistine held David in contempt. The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog that you come against me with a staff?” Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods and said to him, “Come here to me, and I will leave your flesh for the birds of the air and the beasts of the field.” David answered him: “You come against me with sword and spear and scimitar, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel that you have insulted. Today the LORD shall deliver you into my hand; I will strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will leave your corpse and the corpses of the Philistine army for the birds of the air and the beasts of the field; thus the whole land shall learn that Israel has a God. All this multitude, too, shall learn that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves. For the battle is the LORD’s and he shall deliver you into our hands.”
The Philistine then moved to meet David at close quarters, while David ran quickly toward the battle line in the direction of the Philistine. David put his hand into the bag and took out a stone, hurled it with the sling, and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone embedded itself in his brow, and he fell prostrate on the ground. Thus David overcame the Philistine with sling and stone; he struck the Philistine mortally, and did it without a sword. Then David ran and stood over him; with the Philistine’s own sword which he drew from its sheath he dispatched him and cut off his head.
The Word of the Lord.
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One of the most famous museums in Italy is the Accademia in Florence, because it’s home to Michelangelo’s renowned statue, David.
The statue stands at a staggering 17 feet, weighing over 12,000 pounds! The polished white marble glistens in the light.
Every detail is noteworthy – David’s pose, his towering frame, his strikingly realistic features.
But what I find most interesting about this statue is the fact that Michelangelo depicts David before he slays Goliath. Most depictions show David after the battle has been won.
Why would Michelangelo do this?
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To remind us what it means to have faith.
David’s confident stare and his tall, relaxed posed reveal the faith he’s placed in God.
As we hear in our first reading, David is young and inexperienced.
Goliath, on the other hand, is a revered warrior who towers over him. But David trusts that God is on his side, therefore victory will be his. There is nothing – no one – to fear.
Before any bystander can blink, David fills his sling with a rock, aims, and shoots, dealing Goliath a lethal blow as he falls to the ground.
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Michelangelo must’ve made this statue for a variety of reasons. But one question I imagine him asking us is, “Do I have a Goliath in my life? Something – or someone – that seems threatening, taller, stronger than me?”
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Have the faith of David, who never backed down. Knowing that God is on our side, we can face anything or anyone – even death – head on, and win.
