Hebrews 7:25 - 8:6 / Mark 3:7-12
Jesus reigns in heaven; He intercedes for us before God.
At one point during World War II, the city of London was bombed almost nightly by German planes. People lost their homes and their businesses at the drop of a bomb. People also suffered all kinds of injuries, many of which doctors were too busy to treat.
An elderly woman named Mrs. Berwick bought herself a first-aid kit. Then she printed a sign with her own hand and hung it on the door of her house. The sign read: “If you need help, knock here!” William Barclay, who tells the story, says that Jesus is also always ready to help us. All we have to do is “knock” and he will open up to us and help us.****
Christ Jesus is the mediator, perfect, unique, who
offered himself once for all. All who believe in him get access to God through
him. He intercedes for us. That is his ministry now.
What keeps us from asking for Jesus’ help, even though
we know he is waiting to help us? “To the one who knocks, the door will be
opened.” Luke
11:10
****
People
came to Jesus for various reasons. Some have heard about Him and so they have
come to check Him for themselves.
Others
may be curious for the spectacular; yet others may be desperate because of some
particular need, eg. for healing, for deliverance, for enlightenment, for
direction, etc. Whatever it was, the reasons were many. And the bottom line is
that they want something from Jesus. As it was then, so it is now and it will
always be as such. It is like some kind of consumerism mentality. Whatever
Jesus can give, people would want, and they will want more and more. And they
may even crush Him in order to get what they want from Him.
As we
heard in the gospel, He even had to get onto a boat to keep Himself from being
crushed. Yes, we all want something from Jesus, and we might not be that ready
to take "No" for an answer.
But as
we reflect on the 1st reading, it is clear that Jesus is the high priest
appointed by God to be the mediator between God and man, and hence His power to
save is utterly certain.
Yet as
high priest and Saviour, Jesus had to offer Himself as the sacrifice for sinners
in order to save them. Hence, if we truly believe in Jesus as our high priest
and Saviour, then we too would follow Him in doing what He had done - to offer
ourselves as a living sacrifice so that Jesus can continue His saving work in
us.
Hence, it would not be so much as what we want from
Jesus, but what we are willing to give up and offer to Him as a loving
****
In the gospel, Mark gives a summary of Jesus’ ministry in
Galilee. Yesterday we heard how the Pharisees are blind to him and attack him
on legal points; the crowds flock to him because of his healing power, not so
much to be converted. The demons know who Jesus is, but, of course, they do not
believe in him. Here we have different attitudes, but no faith yet. This is why
perhaps Mark imposes silence on the spirits. We offer this eucharist together
with Christ, our only Saviour and Mediator, who always intercedes for us.
Let us pray: God, our Father, through your
Son, Jesus Christ, you brought healing to your people and came to
bind us to you in a lasting covenant of love. May we not only admire
his saving power but accept him in faith as our brother, your Son,
our Lord and Saviour. Make him the ground and meaning of our
lives and fill us with his Holy Spirit, that we may build up among
us your kingdom and a community of faith, hope and love. We ask
you this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
