Breaking the Word

3^rd Week in Ord. Time, Tuesday – 24^th January 2023 — Gospel: Mark 3,31-35

Sharing in God’s Will

In the Gospel, Jesus was not suggesting that believers ignore or abandon their families in order to serve God, but only that they put God’s will above everything else in life. Our love for God should be so great that our love for family would seem like hatred in comparison (Lk 14,26). Certainly, it is God’s will that we care for our families and provide for them (1 Tim 5,8), but we must not permit even our dearest loved ones to influence us away from the will of God. How does one enter into the family of God? By means of a new birth, a spiritual birth from above (Jn 3,1-7; 1 Pet 1,22-25). When the sinner trusts Jesus Christ as Saviour, he experiences this new birth and enters into God’s family. He shares God’s divine nature (2 Pet 1,3-4) and can call God “Father” (Rom 8,15-16; Gal 4,6). This spiritual birth is not something that we accomplish for ourselves, nor can others do it for us (Jn 1,11-13). It is God’s work of grace; all we can do is believe and receive (Eph 2,8-9).

3^rd Week in Ord. Time, Monday – 23^rd January 2023 — Gospel: Mark 3,22-30

Rejecting Divine Power and Authority

This scene is taking place in the house of Peter, which Jesus calls “home” during his ministry. The narrative emphasizes the great popularity of Jesus among the people. However, those who should certainly recognize Jesus as the one sent by God misunderstand and oppose him. His relatives’ believe he is out of mind, and the scribes claim that he is possessed by a demonic power. Nevertheless the claim by scribes does not deny Jesus’ divine power and his authority to perform miracles. Notice they are the first and last of the opponents (1,22; 15,31), and most referred (21 times) among all the other groups of opponents (Pharisees, elders, chief priests, Herodians, Sadducees). With their dominant character they attack Jesus more directly in the whole gospel. This opposition demonstrates that in rejecting Jesus they rejected God. It proves clearly that no one can understand Jesus by simply observing his work from the outside. Only by following him and sharing in his life, can people begin to understand and accept the true source of his authority.