Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
When I read the story from Mark today, I am overcome with gratitude.
Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is among the three of the Trinity. Jesus is divine. Yet, he was also human. He suffered and died. And so, he is this wonderfully troubling analogy for us. That is, though we are merely human, we are called to rise to Jesus as our model.
In the reading before us today, Jesus is at the point in his ministry wherein people have taken notice of the work that he is doing in the world. Especially his healing work. Imagine that—all sorts of people with this or that illness and no modern medicine. They are just suffering. And worse, they are feared. People don’t want to get near them because they are (quite reasonably) afraid that they will contract whatever disease the sick are suffering from. But Jesus gets near them again, and again, and again. Even more, he heals them.
And so, the crowds grow and grow. They are huge. They are potentially crushing. I think of someone in, say, Mile High Stadium in Denver (Bill and I are Broncos fans) standing on the field and everyone in the stands knows that this person can heal any illness, any disease. Let’s just imagine that the word is out in the US that this guy can heal cancer. Imagine the tens of thousands (more?) of people who would be there and who would be determined to have him touch them. To heal them.
Jesus did this. He was so incredibly generous and giving. Now and again (especially when a paper I’ve assigned is coming due) I get a little overwhelmed by the assistance my students are seeking from me. My office hours are packed full of student appointments. And that is absolutely nothing compared with the demands that people had of Jesus. And he just kept on giving—all the way to the cross.
I know that I cannot match Jesus’s love and generosity. That said, he is my measure. He is my challenge and my call. May I find in the example that is Jesus inspiration to serve others beyond what I think I can do. Amen.
- Sue Trollinger