Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Friday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time | USCCB
In our gospel for
today, our Lord performs another healing of a deaf man with a speech
impediment. Our Lord, with all the power of God, could have just spoken the
words of healing to restore this man to health. Instead, Jesus felt a need to
bring the man alone and to reach out to the parts of him that needed healing:
his mouth and his ears. It was a very intimate time between this man and the
Lord.
After the healing, Jesus
had ordered the man, and everyone present, not to tell of the healing. I often
wondered why the Lord didn’t want it to be known of this and other healings
that he performed. After all, how can people contain such joy these healings
brought. In today’s gospel, we hear, “But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it.” (Mark 7:36) This was such good news; how can they be expected not
to share it with others about the healing power of Jesus. The
reason could well have had to do with the political situation in Jesus' day.
The Messiah expected by the Jews was a political/military as well as religious
figure, so Jesus was probably unwilling to use such a title, at least without
some qualifications, to avoid provoking the Roman authorities.
In our relationship
with Jesus, we too can also approach Him in the same intimate way this man
received his Healing. We can approach Jesus in various ways. We can approach Jesus in the
Holy Eucharist, through confession, or in time alone in prayer with Jesus at
home. These can be times when we can approach him for the help and healing we
need in our lives.
Further, as followers
of Jesus, we are called to share the good news of Jesus’ love for us with
others in our lives. Telling others of the good news of Jesus, like those in
today’s gospel, is what we are called to do as Christians.
Let us ask God to
strengthen us, to give us the courage to keep acting in the hope that we may
give witness by how I live.
From Arlene B. Muller
ReplyDeleteIt would have made life & understanding our faith & probably acceptance by the Jewish people a lot easier if the Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament had been delineated & specifically labeled "when He comes the first time" and "when He comes the second/last time." This is probably another one in a series of questions why GOD does or allow things in a way that seems the harder way, such as why the Holy Innocents had to die, why the Cross & the worst possible suffering for His only Incarnate Son when GOD could save us any other way, why people who strive to be good still endure suffering, why bad people succeed in doing evil, & why He didn't close up the Red Sea before the Egyptian soldiers could even attempt to cross once the Israelites had all crossed the Red Sea safely instead of letting them in to drown.
But GOD is GOD & I am not & I need to trust that He has His reasons that eventually result in the best outcome.
The first time Our LORD came to take over our hearts & establish a Kingdom that is "not of this world". It is only at the end when Our LORD will return & establish His reign on earth as "King of kings" & "LORD of lords". Our LORD wanted personal & individual recognition that He is our Messiah & Savior, but He avoided public recognition & attempts to make Him a worldly king. So maybe that is why He wanted His works to remain secret until He judged it to be the right time.
Yes, the LORD seeks an intimate personal relationship with us individually as well as communally in the Church & He encouraged us to come to Him in every circumstance of our lives & look to Him for help & healing.