Word to the Wise
Thursday, January 20, 2022 - Thursday in the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time
[1 Sam 18:6-9; 19:1-7 and Mark 3:7-12]Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples. A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea. Hearing what he was doing, a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem, from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan, and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon. He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him. He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him. [Mark]
I once read that Pope St. John Paul II had to stop wearing cufflinks on his shirt beneath the white cassock at the big Wednesday papal audiences in St. Peter's Square because people were tearing them off! I think of that image in the gospel scripture for today. Jesus' fame is spreading. (Is "viral" usable anymore?) The geographic distribution in the text has people coming from all directions. He has to resort to a floating pulpit! It's not just a matter of hearing him, but one of touching him that is the problem. Crowd control was getting to be a problem - the hazard of fame!
The evangelist Mark is creating the tension in his story that will lead to Jesus' ultimate violent death and victorious resurrection. The rock musical Jesus Christ Superstar has the scribes and Pharisees singing, "He's dangerous!"
When the pope comes to visit the USA or even hold the usual big Wednesday audience, there are thousands of people who come to see or even touch him! But they are not coming by the same numbers to church on Sunday! This should give us something to think about! How does one get past the celebrity to the message and have that message be attractive long after the celebrity has departed? What can we disciples do to keep things going? Jesus called disciples for a reason and continues to do so. There is a lot do do in getting his message out. But we have to do some "soul searching" if we want to search for souls. AMEN