Word to the Wise
Thursday, January 22, 2009 - Thursday in the Second Week in Ordinary Time
[Hebrews 7:25 - 8:6 and Mark 3:7-12]And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, "You are the Son of God." He warned them sternly not to make him known.
Anyone who is in "public life" knows that the public has its own view of a public servant, and that view can change overnight from hero to goat! No matter how many "spin doctors" one may hire to shape one's public image, one little rumor can put everything to naught! The gospels make it clear that not even Jesus could control his public image! Recall the response from the disciples when he asked them, "Who do people say that I am?" They responded, "Some say Elijah; some say John the Baptist......" It is interesting that demons recognize him right away and he immediately silences them! Is it inappropriate for them to proclaim who he is? Or is there a concern that "it takes one to know one?" Scripture scholars will argue about all this! The consensus seems to be that the real Jesus (in the Gospel of Mark, that is) will not be known until he is crucified and risen. Till then, people are going to have all kinds of notions. (And they still do!) We who wish to be disciples may want to ask ourselves what image of Jesus do we wish to convey to others? How close is our notion to what we see in the gospels? Do we "spin doctor" that image to meet our own needs and then proclaim it as gospel? How would we answer Jesus' question: Who do you SAY that I am?" AMEN