Reflection on Scripture Fourth Sunday Gospel Year B
Fourth Sunday of the Year B: Gospel Reflections
Then they came to Capernaum
·
The synagogue was
the local meeting place that the Jews would gather in to hear the Scriptures
read, to receive instruction, and to pray for various needs. It was mainly a
rectangular room. From excavations it seems that the people when seated faced Jerusalem
The people were astonished at his
teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.
·
“…he taught as
one having authority” means that he did not repeat what other rabbis said, but
taught on his own in the tradition of the prophets of old.
In their synagogue was a man with
an unclean spirit; he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth
·
The spirit knows
and fears the power of Jesus to destroy his influence. This is one of the
reasons the Word became flesh: to defeat and overcome the power of the Evil One
over God’s people. This was the work of the Messiah prophesied in the
Scriptures.
·
The spirit in
fear and reaction, not in love and faith, confesses who Jesus is and attempts
to block his mission. Notice how the spirit acknowledges Jesus publicly even
for the wrong reason, but the scribes were not able.
·
It is interesting
that the unclean spirit openly acknowledges who Jesus is and many of us are
afraid to share our faith in Jesus with others. Is there something wrong with
this picture?
·
When was the last
time you openly shared about Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior with someone
else?
Jesus rebuked him and said,
"Quiet! Come out of him!" The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a
loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another, "What is this?
A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they
obey him." His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee .
·
In Mark’s Gospel the true identity of Jesus is
not revealed until after his death and resurrection. Jesus was not ready for
the crowds to know that he was the Messiah. Thus he silences the evil spirit
from speaking any further.
·
This public
amazement will be one of the initial reasons for the latter hostility toward
him by the leaders. They are disturbed at the growing popularity of Jesus and
want to silence him.
·
Jesus not only
teaches with authority but acts with authority.
·
Where have I
experienced the power of Jesus over evil in my own life? Where are the
strongholds of the Evil One in my life? Am I ready to submit them to the saving
and healing power of Jesus?
·
Take some time
this week to identify those areas and to bring them to the Lord with total
trust.
·
Mark doesn’t tell us what Jesus taught but shows
us the effect of his teaching. How attentive am I to the teachings of Jesus and
to what effects have the teachings of Jesus had in my life.
·
What is Jesus asking of us this week as a result
of our reflections?
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