Wednesday
February 26, 2014
7th Week in Ordinary Time
1st Reading: Jas 4:13-17
Gospel: Mk 9:38–40
John said to him, “Master, we saw someone who drove out demons by calling upon your name, and we tried to forbid him because he does not belong to our group.” Jesus answered, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in my name can soon after speak evil of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE (Daily Gospel in
the Assimilated Life
Experience)
The New Jerome Biblical Commentary finds a parallel to today’s Gospel story in an Old Testament account about two “prophets” named Eldad and Medad. When Joshua asked Moses to stop them from prophesying Moses replied: “Are you jealous on my account? If only the whole people of Yahweh were prophets…” (Num. 11:24-30).
We cannot take this against Joshua. There were so many false prophets then and even until the time of the Apostles. In the Acts of the Apostles we read about some itinerant Jewish exorcists who tried to cast out demons. In one attempt when they said, “I command you by the Jesus whose spokesman is Paul” the evil spirit replied: “Jesus I recognize, and I know who Paul is, but who are you?” (Acts 19:15). Then the man with the evil spirit attacked them and handled them so violently that these exorcists ran away naked and badly mauled (see Acts 19:11-20).
Unlike these itinerant preachers, Eldad and Medad were legitimate prophets as they were among the seventy elders. Unfortunately they stayed back in the camp when Yahweh came down in the Cloud and took some of the spirit that was in Moses to apportion them to the elders. This notwithstanding, the ‘spirit’ (Note: the Holy Spirit was not yet revealed in the Old Testament) also came down on them (see Numbers 11:25). This explains why Moses defended them.
In today’s Gospel Jesus perfected Moses’ permissive attitude towards legitimate preachers. This should serve as chastisement to pastors who are territorial in their approach. I know of a parish which charges One Thousand Pesos for a permit to celebrate Mass with a priest of the applicant’s choice. The exorbitant fee is allegedly meant to penalize applicant for getting another priest for their celebration. But the preference for another priest is not unreasonable at all times. In certain moments of rejoicing such as anniversaries corporations invite a priest known to most employees to celebrate Mass for them.
Should pastors make it difficult for vineyard laborers in good standing to minister in their parishes? Doing so without compelling reasons is heaping undeserved burdens upon God’s people. If Moses could rise from his grave he’d be telling them: “Are you jealous on (their) account?” – Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email: [email protected]. Website: www.frdan.org.
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