Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

 

January 31, 2021

Readings:

First Reading: Deuteronomy 18: 15-20

Psalm 95 “If today you hear his voice, harder not your hearts.”

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 7: 32-35

Gospel reading according to Mark 1: 21-28

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Homily:

Now, Jesus is spreading the good news of God with his chosen disciples to the place where his words will be listened to and accepted – in Capernaum, Galilee.  “Jesus came to Capernaum with his followers” (Mark 1: 21) and settled there.  We learn from the Gospels that Jesus left Nazareth and settled in Capharnaum (Mt 4:12) which in some way became “his own town” (Mt 9:1; see also Stanislao Loffreda OFM (2001), Capernaum the Town of Jesus, Studium Biblicum Franciscanum).  He brought with him his first disciples – Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John to introduce them in his mission and ministry.    

Actually Capernaum much more than Nazareth offered Jesus a twofold advantage as far as his messianic activity was concerned. Firstly, Capernaum was a crossroad of primary importance, being along the Beth-shan -- Damascus highway; whereas Nazareth was a mountainous and isolated hamlet.  Secondly, Capernaum was sufficiently apart from the big centers and especially from Tiberias where Herod Antipas had set his capital. In that way Jesus was able to spread his messianic message to many persons without running too soon into trouble with the political and religious leaders. In contrast to Nazareth, the population of Capernaum was highly stratified: fishermen, farmers, artisans, merchants, publicans etc. They lived in the same village but apparently without any strident economic inequality. Even the relations between the inhabitants of Capernaum and the Romans were surprisingly cordial. It was a Roman centurion who built the synagogue for the Jewish community.  From the same community Jesus chose many of his apostles either among fishermen (Peter, Andrew, James, John - Mt 4:12-22) or publicans (Matthew - Mk 2:13). 

To begin with his ministry, as a faithful Jew, the one Moses prophesied to the Jewish people  “A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you from among your own kin, to him you shall listen” (Dt. 18: 15) “. . . on a Sabbath he entered the synagogue” (Mark 1; 21) and because he was a new member of the community, he was invited to teach them something about the scripture being read, “. . . and taught” (Mark 1: 21).  It was noticeable and remarkable how Jesus taught them.  “The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes” (Mark 1: 22).  Jesus does not quote anybody, unlike any rabbi, scholar, and any teacher who quotes other specialists, sages of old, and former rabbis in their teachings.  Jesus uses his own knowledge, wisdom, and intellect in teaching people.  He is the author of what he is teaching. 

And it shows that his teaching has authority; and in reality and truth, that it has power every word he utters.  “In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?  Have you come to destroy us?  I know who you are – the Holy One of God!  Jesus rebuked him and said, ‘Quiet! Come out of him!  The unclean spirit convulsed him and with loud cry came out of him” (Mark 1: 23-26).  What was this man doing in the synagogue since he was possessed by the unclean spirits (devils,/demons)?  This man was mingling with the worshipers of Yahweh.  Nevertheless, even the unclean (evil) spirits recognized Jesus’s word; His word has authority and power, and the unclean spirits obeyed him.  It also knew who Jesus was, where Jesus came from, and it knew also the purpose for his coming. 

The people in the synagogue at Capernaum evidently confirmed that Jesus’s words had authority and power.  They were not a mere lip service only, but in truth and in fact it can heal and change of heart, mind and body like what had happened to a man in the synagogue possessed by an unclean spirit.  He was cured by the words of Jesus Christ.  We too can be cleansed by the word of Jesus if we will listen to him and act upon it.  “All were amazed and asked one another, “What is this?  A new teaching with authority.  He commands even the unclean spirits and they obeyed him” (Mark 1: 27).  “This was well said. I will put my words into his mouth; he shall tell them all that I command him,” (Dt. 18: 17-18) said by the Lord God to Moses.  We have to listen to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ every day of our life.  

What Jesus taught and healing in Capernaum made him famous and popular.  “His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee” (Mark 1:28). The Jews present in the synagogue were the ones who spread the good news, and those who heard them became excited and eager to see Jesus and to listen to his words.  Are we ready too to listen to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ? and to spread them to other people we knew and met in the street?