Monday, February 17, 2014
6th Week in Ordinary Time 1st Reading: Jas 1:1-11 Gospel: Mk 8:11–13
The Pharisees came and started to argue with Jesus. Hoping to embarrass him, they asked for some heavenly sign. Then his spirit was moved. He gave a deep sigh and said, “Why do the people of this present time ask for a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this people.” Then he left them, got into the boat again and went to the other side of the lake.
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
In the Musical “Fiddler on the Roof” based on the book of Joseph Steine, Tevye asked his wife Golde: “Do you love me?” Refusing to answer the question directly she said, “For twenty-five years I’ve lived with him, fought him, starved with him. Twenty-five years my bed is his; if that’s not love, what is?” It was tantamount to saying “How foolish of you to ask such a question”. In fact she told him, “You’re a fool!”
What we read from the Gospel today is not a totally different scenario. For love of his people Jesus became a wandering preacher. “Foxes have holes and birds have nests,” he told an ambitious follower, “But the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head” (Luke 9:58). He taught them with authority (Mk. 1:21-28), bore their illnesses (Is. 53:4), fought against their hypocrite religious leaders (Mt. 22:18), and fed them in a deserted place (John 6:11). He didn’t even have time to eat (Mark 6:31). In all these, they still asked him for some signs! Short of saying they were foolish for asking, Jesus exclaimed, “Why do the people of this present time ask for a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this people” (Mk.8:12).
Given the circumstances of Jesus’ all out ministry, to ask for a sign was itself a sign- an obvious sign of lack of faith. Jesus would have settled for even the slightest indication of faith as insignificant as the size of a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20). “He was amazed at their lack of faith (see Mk. 6:4-6). There was only one explanation. It was an “evil and perverse generation” (Luke 9:41). Must love be rewarded with betrayal? The same people he taught, healed, fought for and fed shouted “Nail him to the cross!” (Mt. 27:23). Supposedly, love merits love (Amor con amor se paga). But after a lifelong ministry Jesus returned to his Father with only one catch, and it was a small fish: the repentant thief. To him he said: “Today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43).
We too are addicted to signs. God gave us life, Jesus saved us from sin, and now we have become God’s adopted children. If that is not love, what is? -Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email: [email protected]. Website: www.frdan.org.
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