Word to the Wise
Saturday, January 26, 2008 - Sts. Timothy and Titus (Companions of St. Paul)
[2 Timothy 1:1-8or Titus 1:1-5 and Mark 3:20-21]Jesus came with his disciples into the house. Again the crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat. When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."
This very brief passage from the Gospel of Mark might sneak past us if we don't pay attention. In fact, I do a "double take" each time I encounter it. Do I read what I read? Jesus' family tries to perform an "intervention?" They want to "take him away?" It surely looks like it. My father was a district judge in Louisiana. One of his duties was to personally interview anyone whose family was seeking to "commit" him or her to a mental health facility (or, as we said in unenlightened days, "the insane asylum.") I wonder what he would have asked Jesus! "Why is your family trying to "put you away?" "Why are the Pharisees and Scribes trying to get you killed?" "Why are you constantly trying to provoke people by your teaching?" "Why do you think all these people keep coming to you?" What would the mental health professional ask? "Do you hear voices?" "Do you consider yourself a messiah?" "What is your mother and father's relationship like?" Oh my, the imagination could have a field day with this in our times! No doubt Jesus' family would have hauled him back to the carpenter shop! In our day there are people who think Jesus is "out of his mind" when he teaches us to love our enemies and to turn the other cheek and to give up all to follow him, and to pick up our cross! Somehow such people manage to convince a lot of folks that hatred is a good thing. That doesn't sound like good spiritual or mental health to me. I can understand how Jesus' relatives may have been "concerned" about him. I'm just glad he was able to avoid their well-meaning but misguided intentions! I can imagine them saying after the crucifixion, "If only he had listened to US!" Well, the resurrection put it all into perspective! AMEN
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