Word to the Wise
Wednesday, January 9, 2008 - Christmas Weekday
[1 John 4:11-18 and Mark 6:45-52]But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out. They had all seen him and were terrified. But at once he spoke with them, "Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid." He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were completely astounded. They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.
Each of the four gospels has its own "agenda." Even though three of them share a lot of the same material, they don't arrange it exactly the same way or place it in the same time sequence in their story of Jesus. (Although the multiplication of the loaves appears in all four gospels, the story of Jesus walking on water appears in only three: Matthew, Mark and John.) Furthermore, they don't have the same vision of Jesus or of the apostles! It is abundantly clear in the Gospel of Mark that the apostles/disciples just don't "get it" about Jesus till after he has been crucified and is risen! A good example of this "agenda" is presented in today's gospel incident - Jesus walks on water! In the Gospel of Mark, this inability of the disciples to understand Jesus is amplified by the statement: "They were completely astounded. They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were hardened." Indeed, one wonders what it would take to convince them. One finds out in the Gospel of Mark once Jesus is crucified. Are they being stupid or willfully obtuse like the scribes and Pharisees? No, in the Gospel of Mark, the message is simple: Everything Jesus said and did is to be interpreted in the light of his death and resurrection. Therefore any understanding of who he was prior to those events was incomplete. The disciples' inability is part of God's plan. (I recall the sarcastic words of Herod in JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR: "Prove to me that you're no fool. Walk across my swimming pool!") We are in a different position. We have the benefit of the whole New Testament and the centuries of tradition of the church to assist us in understanding the deeds and meaning of Jesus' life. Mark, like Paul, places Jesus' death and resurrection at the center of any understanding. To separate out Jesus' life of healing, teaching and preaching, and even his signs or miracles to believe while ignoring his death and especially his resurrection from the dead, is to rob his life of its true meaning. Multiplying loaves and fishes and walking on water are indeed marvelous signs, but they are not the saving signs! AMEN
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