The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast. People came to Jesus and objected, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day. No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, its fullness pulls away, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
***
***
Fermentation is the process that turns grape juice into wine. During fermentation, gas is released, causing the wineskins to expand, which is why new, stretchy wineskins must be used.
Old skins rip and tear, as Jesus describes in today’s Gospel.
***
What is this “new wine” that the Lord is speaking of? And who are the “wine skins”?
***
Most directly, the Lord is speaking to his Apostles. He longs to pour the “new wine” of his love into their hearts. However, divine love releases grace, causing the human heart to expand, which at times, can be uncomfortable.
If the Apostles are going to become who Jesus desires them to be – the foundation of the Church and his witnesses to the ends of the earth – then they must be willing to be stretched like new wineskins.
This stretching begins during their earthly journey with Jesus, as they digest his teachings and witness his miracles, but their transformation is complete at Pentecost.
There, they are no longer the same fishermen who dropped their nets on the shores of Galilee, nor are they the same men who fled fearfully from Calvary. They become emboldened; determined; convinced; ready to do the Lord’s will.
***
At times, we all need a little stretching – a change in belief, a renewal of spirit.
But God will not force himself upon us; we must be willing to change. As Saint Thomas Aquinas once said, “grace builds upon nature.”
So, where am I in need of renewal, an infusion of divine grace?
***
In the words of Saint Paul, “May God who has begun this good work within us bring it to fulfillment.”
***
***
Image credits: (1) Lay Cistercians of South Florida (2) Daily Dose with Dr.Shermaine (3) Medium
John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.” John testified further, saying, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
***
***
Raising a child is a challenge. Looking back, I’m sure every parent can share heroic stories of all-nighters, unexpected bills, endless chauffeuring, childhood illnesses, unwarranted fears, and the awful heartbreak that comes when your child’s heart breaks.
When your child erupts into tears, you’d do anything to exchange places, bearing all of their pain in your own body. That’s the nature of love – love bears another person’s burdens and desires their good, even if it comes at great personal cost to you.
But when parents see their child smile back at them, when they watch their child flourish, or walk down the aisle on their wedding day, all of the sacrifice is validated. Most, if not all, would say, “I’d do it again.”
***
Jesus feels the same way about us.
He willingly bears our sins, shares our pain, offers us his peace, and rejoices when we flourish.
***
Last Sunday, we heard the account of Christ’s baptism according to Saint Matthew. Today we hear about the same event according to Saint John.
Interestingly, John’s focus is not on the actual baptism of the Lord – he barely alludes to it. Rather, Saint John focuses on the profession of faith made by John the Baptist when Jesus’ true identity is revealed.
“Behold, the lamb of God,” he says, “who takes away the sin of the world.”
This title – “lamb of God” – speaks to the very heart of who Jesus is. Yet it’s not found in any other Gospel. John himself only uses it twice.
So, why is Jesus “the lamb of God?” And how might this title shape our understanding of him?
***
It is difficult for our modern, Western minds to appreciate the depth of John the Baptist’s words, but his profession of faith would’ve ignited an avalanche of meaning for all of the Jews standing on the banks of the Jordan River that day.
Because John the Baptist saw the Spirit descend upon Jesus, he understood the logic and prophecies of the Old Testament. John realized that the sacrifice of Abraham and Isaac in the Book of Genesis prefigures the sacrifice of Christ.
Just as Abraham was willing to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, so God the Father is willing to offer his only Son for our salvation. And just as Isaac carried the wood for his own sacrifice, so Jesus will carry the wood of the cross.
And when Isaac saw the altar, the fire, and the knife but no lamb to offer, Abraham assured his son, “God himself will provide the lamb.”
Jesus is that lamb.
***
Similarly, John would’ve connected the hundreds of thousands of lambs sacrificed in the Temple on the Feast of Passover with the ultimate sacrifice of Christ.
Just as lambs were offered in atonement for the sins of Israel, Jesus is the lamb of God, whose death will atone for the sin of the world once and for all.
Most poetically, John identifies Jesus as the Suffering Servant foretold by the prophet Isaiah.
“We had all gone astray like sheep, all following our own way,” Isaiah proclaimed, “but the LORD laid upon him the guilt of us all. Like a lamb led to the slaughter, he did not open his mouth… My servant, the just one, shall justify many, their guilt he shall bear.”
Christ, the gentle and pure lamb of God, takes away the sin of the world by loving us and giving himself for us.
***
How do I experience God’s parental, sacrificial love for me?
And how does that love spill over into my relationships with others?
As Christ’s disciples, we are called to not only love Jesus, but also to live like him, to embody the lamb by making sacrifices for the good of others – for those within our faith community, for the sick, the suffering, the poor, the stranger, and the sinner.
As Saint Teresa of Avila once wrote:
“Christ has no body now but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes which he looks compassionately on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands with which he blesses the world. Christ has no body now but yours.”
How are we “lambs” of God, Christ for others?
***
Just as parents willingly expend themselves for the good of their children, Jesus offers himself for the life of the world.
As his disciples, we are called to do the same – to embody the lamb. To be his voice, his hands, and his feet in this world.
What might that look like for us this week?
***
***
Image credits: (1) The Abbot’s Circle (2) Francisco de Zubarán, Museo del Prado (3) AZ Quotes
When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it became known that he was at home. Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door, and he preached the word to them. They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves, “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?” Jesus immediately knew in his mind what they were thinking to themselves, so he said, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth” –he said to the paralytic, “I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.” He rose, picked up his mat at once, and went away in the sight of everyone. They were all astounded and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
***
***
There is no Christmas story in Mark’s Gospel. He begins with the baptism of our Lord, then moves Jesus immediately into the desert where he is tempted by Satan. After successfully resisting the devil, the Lord begins his public ministry, “in the power of the Spirit.”
For nearly a full chapter, it’s smooth sailing. Jesus successfully invites his disciples to follow him, he casts out a demon from a man in the synagogue, he heals Peter’s mother-in-law, and seemingly every sick person who manages to reach him.
But today the tide begins to turn.
This is the first of five conflict stories in Mark’s Gospel whereby the religious authorities begin turning on, questioning, and interrogating Jesus, which eventually evolves into a plot to kill him.
They cannot stand this itinerant preacher and miracle worker who, “teaches with authority.” Thus, from the beginning of his Gospel, Mark shapes the ear of his listener; only those with humble hearts open to faith can, “hear the Word of God and observe it.”
***
Today’s Gospel scene begins with Jesus teaching inside someone’s home. Some scholars suggest it was Peter’s.
Suddenly, bits of clay and dust begin falling from the ceiling as four men ply their way inside. Unable to reach Jesus on the ground because of the crowds, these men resort to something resembling a special operation, taking a surprise route from the roof.
Rather, than reproaching them for the physical damage caused, Jesus affirms them. As Mark tells us, “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him, ‘Child, your sins are forgiven.’”
***
Here we discover two important lessons for Christians.
There are often obstacles placed in the path of people coming to faith. In the case of today’s Gospel, there was the limp body of the paralytic, combined with the blockage of the crowds – either of which could’ve prevented these men from encountering Christ.
Secondly, faith has tremendous power; it can even affect the lives of those whom we love. Mark says nothing about the faith of the paralytic; it was the faith of his friends that caused the healing.
So, what are the obstacles in my path to faith? Do I have friends who intercede for me? Am I such a friend?
May the Lord grant us all the grace to never give up. An encounter with the Divine is worth every effort.
***
***
Image credits: (1) (2) Gospelimages (3) Brentwood Catholic Youth Service
