Authority of the Lord

     In this weeks gospel Jesus entered a synagogue and began to teach.  While teaching he was met with a man who was possessed by an “unclean spirit”.  Jesus did something that had never been done before in public. Jesus spoke directly to the spirit and more importantly  the spirit listened.  Jesus said “Be quiet” and “Come out of him!” Immediately after that,  the unclean spirit left the man. Jesus spoke with so much authority and nobody had ever witnessed anything like this before.  Jesus had shown the world that even  the unclean spirits listen when he speaks.  People began to see who Jesus  really was after this public display of power. 

         Throughout Jesus’s life on earth he spent most of his time teaching. Some say that Jesus is the greatest teacher that ever lived. I can agree. I say this not because of what he taught but how he taught.  No man  has ever spoke like Jesus.  Parable after Parable, Jesus gave us a in-depth look into the Kingdom of God.  Rarely did he get frustrated with human shortcomings or the disciples inability to fully grasp who he really was. He rarely lost his temper. He just patiently walked with us.  That’s the sign  of a true king, humble, kind  and willing to meet his followers where they are.  There’s never a need to belittle or suppress anyone else.  Not much like the “powerful” leaders  of today’s world. 

In so many ways Jesus is the opposite of what the “world” is.  He is a king but without the fine things that most people believe  a king should have. He leads without being controlling or bossy. He’s above all, yet he serves others. He’s  humble,  vulnerable and still  The King.  When you think of  a king you don’t really envision the torture that Jesus endured.  When you think of  a ruler you  don’t see the cross that Jesus died on. Most of us think about jewelry and material wealth when we think of a king. Jesus had none of that.  He had something else. Jesus had the power of God.  That is true power and it has nothing to do with things of this world.  It is beyond material, and earthly goods. That power is the reason why Jesus is the King of the Kings.  His authority isn’t simply on earth. Jesus’s authority is over all things. Remember, even the unclean spirit listens when Jesus speaks.  His authority is unmatched.  

     What authority does Jesus have in your life.  What position does he hold? Is he a King that you run to when your need something? Is Jesus just your supplier of material goods or is he more? Is he the answer to all your questions? Is he at the center of your life or his he on the outside looking in? Does Jesus have a role in who you are as person.  Does Jesus have an impact on how you show up to the world everyday?  I think he wants total authority over our lives.  He wants complete control but without taking it from you. I think we are called to give him control.  They say a great leader will never ask his followers to to do something that he wouldn’t do himself.  Maybe we are called to give him our lives because , Jesus  being the perfect role model gave up his life for us.  Jesus taught that we are to surrender.  We are taught surrender our lives  and selfish desires and pick up the cross.  Have you?  Have you been able to put down your ego and need to be right?  Have you cleared a space in your heart for Jesus.   I want to say I have, but the truth is I fall short.  Somedays, are tough and  it’s during those days when I tend to believe that I know best.  It’s those days that maybe my spirit is a bit unclean….  Still Jesus’s love brings me back. It brings me back  to prayer and fellowship with my  Christian brothers and sisters. How about you? What kind of  authority does Jesus have in your life? 

-Anonymous 

Throw Your Cloak Aside

 This week's Gospel teaches us that to gain, first we must lose.  This is one of many ways in which God's Kingdom can appear upside down.  

The Gospel reading for this coming Sunday is Mark 10:46-52.  Long story short, it is the story of Jesus restoring the gift of sight to a blind man, Bartimeaus.  

The part that jumped out at me was this: when Bartimeaus gets up to go to Jesus, Bartimeaus first "threw aside his cloak".  First thing he did.  He took off what he had been using for protection so that he could receive the greater gift that Jesus was about to give.

I like that.  I have so often thought that certain things in my life protected me, or made me whole, or satisfied me.  Only later did I realize that these "protections" were actually barriers to being open to God's gifts.

To gain, we must first lose.  

So, yes, God's Kingdom can appear upside down.  But that's just a matter of perspective.  Our world is upside down.  God's is right side up.  Let's pray that our internal gyroscopes let us know which is which.   

Peace be with you.

- The Older Brother 

  

Your Reservation.

 In this weeks gospel Mark 10:35-45 James and John reveal their selfish desires for glory and fame to Jesus They approached Jesus and asked for him for a favor. The requested that Jesus seat them at his side. Basically, asking Jesus to share his position with them.   Jesus asked them , "Do you know what you are really asking for?   Can you drink from the same cup as me?"   They replied "yes" Jesus went  on to say that  he doesn’t grant  seats. The seats close to him are those who have reserved them already.  He continues to teach and says if you wish to have those seats it starts with being a servant. It starts with service to others. Jesus states that even he has come to serve.  He has come to serve us. 

James and John were no different than any of us with their request for seats next to the lord. I think most of us have a selfish spot in our heart.   We tend to look out for ourselves before we take care of someone else.  How often do you ask “ What’s in it for me?" before we lend a helping hand. Maybe  Its just part of who we are as people. As a whole I think most people act with their  best interests in mind. Always putting their needs before the needs of someone else.  It’s almost the norm to expect that nobody will do something for you unless you do something for them first.  Being selfish is almost built into our transactions. In fact, it appears the world tends to reward the really selfish people. You may even be able to argue that being selfish is becoming a desired character trait.  While being a servant to others is considered weak. The beauty of this weeks  reading is that we get to see Jesus really teach the disciples what it really means to be follower of Christ and selfishness is the exact opposite. 

Jesus taught that the "seats" or the glory that people want isn’t something that you earn. He said those seats closest to him  are  for the people that they are reserved for.   I believe those seats are for true followers of Christ. They are for the people that Jesus goes on to die and rises again for.  Those seats are for those who choose to step away from their selfishness and serve others. So many of us want more stuff. We want more things to brag about. We want more material goods to show our friends. I think that’s  the flawed human condition and of course Jesus understands all of our flaws.   What Jesus teaches is that we must step above our human condition. Even when James and John revealed their selfish desires  for those seats to Jesus he did not punish them. Instead he was patient. He taught and  explained to the disciples that what you are asking for is something that you can have, and there is no need to ask. He will take care of that.  That’s just another example of how much Jesus loves us. Even when we are being self centered and full of sin he loves us. He is patient with us. He takes his time and  shows us the right way.  He steps down from the Kingdom of God on to our level to help us on our journey.  Not exactly how you expect the Son of God to be, a servant.  

While speaking to the disciples Jesus's message was straight forward. He made it clear that service to others is the only way to the “reserved seats” You get to sit with the lord when you serve others. Imagine a world where we were all of service. Imagine a world where business as usual doesn’t mean self centered. Imagine a world where we made someone else’s needs more important than our own.  A world like that is a world we need. Where our lives are measured by how much we do to help others not by how much stuff we can accumulate before we die.  It may seem far fetched but most of us can begin  to live a little differently. We may not be able to change the world but we can start by changing our world. We can all look around and find someone in need  and help. We can help them with no repayment expected.  Jesus, our servant died for us. No repayment necessary or (possible) He wiped  our sin debt away. He wiped it clean and forgets about it. Instead of repayment  to Jesus,  we are asked to do  serve each other.  We are simply asked to love one another.  There will be a moment, soon enough, when you will have to decide between being self centered or working towards that reserved seat. What will you do ?

-Anonymous 

 

The Golden Calf

Sunday Gospel Reflection 10/10/21

Mark 10: 17-30

This week’s Gospel is a tough one to digest.  We find Jesus being approached by a righteous man asking Him, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”  Jesus responds that he must conform to the commandments and the man replies that he has done so since he was a youth.  Jesus affirms the man’s past conduct and then offers one more task to be conducted that sounds very much like a “doorknob statement.”  A doorknob statement occurs when a patient waits until the last moment before exiting the physician’s room and utters something of a critical nature that was absent during the clinical discussion.  Jesus’ doorknob statement to the man is recorded as such, “One last, thing, go and sell everything to have, give it to the poor and follow me.”  Stunned and dejected, the man walks away and cannot follow through with this because he has accumulated so much wealth.

So here lies the question.  Does God expect us to sell everything we have of value and to abandon our families to ensure a place in heaven?  Is there no other way to follow Him?   If that were the case, I fear most would be lost.  As I pondered this reading, my mind centered around the famous story of the golden calf and the ten commandments. Moses leaves his people to climb the mountain and encounter God.  He returns with the ten commandments to find his fellow Israelites have committed apostacy by abandoning their faith in God by fashioning and worshipping a golden calf. 

Could it be that the message here is that God is asking us to examine what real wealth means to us?  How much do I need to survive and find satisfaction?  Is my goal to continue accumulating things throughout my life?  Do I share my excess with the marginalized in society or do I selfishly hoard my prized possessions and wealth?  What are the golden calves in my life that have pushed the Lord aside?  Sometimes, Jesus speaks and challenges me in strange ways, as He did with the man in this reading.  For me, finding the meaning in His messages it is like trying to break a code of sorts.  This passage is one of those examples.  After praying over this, I find myself confronted with more questions than answers.  I hope to see you all on the path to understanding and wisdom.  The Pilgrim.  Paxvobiscum.