Friday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
“He took him off by himself away from the crowd…” and having healed the man, “He ordered them not to tell anyone.” Jesus, in this gospel passage from Mark (7:31-37), is performing a miracle and gaining “followers,” but clearly not through self-promotion like we see on social media. True, those who witnessed this healing were “exceedingly astonished” and said, “He has done all things well”, but he wasn’t looking to gain popularity or trying to impress. Jesus was not a performer, was not a self-promoter, was not a social media influencer, at least not of his own making. “But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it.”
This brings to mind Paul’s “plea for unity and humility” in his letter to the Phillipians: Jesus, “though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave…he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:6-8) A couple of verses earlier Paul exhorts, “Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vain glory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but [also] everyone for those of others.” (vs 3-4)
What a challenge and a call for us still today, perhaps even more-so. As Jesus “opened” the ears of the deaf man, may we pray along with today’s gospel acclamation for our hearts to be opened: “Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son.”
How might we be called to not only listen but imitate Jesus’ humility in our everyday lives this weekend, this next week, this coming Lent? Let us pray for one another to “Be opened!” to Jesus’ humility. Amen.
~Eileen Miller