JUNE 10TH, 2018: TENTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR Genesis 3:9-15
II Corinthians 4:13-5:1
Mark 3:20-35 Can’t emphasize enough the importance of today’s Genesis reading. One of the earliest writings of the Hebrew Scriptures, it not only sets the theme for many of the writings which follow, but more important for Christians, Jesus of Nazareth seems to have grounded his reform of Judaism in its theology. Though frequently referred to as God’s punishments for original sin, these verses are simply the Yahwistic author’s reflections on the “human condition” we’re all forced to experience. We have to endure certain things simply because we’re alive. We have no choice. In this specific pericope, the author reflects on our quest to eradicate evil – personified by the serpent. Employing the metaphor of someone stomping a snake to death with one’s bare feet, she reminds her readers that only those willing to endure the pain that comes from being bit by the snake will eventually crush the snake. Our heel is never quicker than a snake’s fangs. We’ll kill the snake, but we’ll limp for a long time. Our Genesis author certainly wants her readers to eradicate evil, but she’s realistic about the process. No one just snaps his or her finger and evil disappears. Before we tackle evil, we’d best check the height of our pain threshold. That’s the main reason evil persists in our lives. There are not a lot of people willing to suffer through its eradication. For Christians, here’s where Jesus of Nazareth comes in. This first century CE Palestinian preacher was convinced the Yahwistic author had hit the nail on the head. There’s no other way to make this world better. Unless someone is willing to suffer, evil remains. But he takes this snake-killing thing one step further. If our evil-destroying stomping includes giving ourselves to others, we’ll not only help rid the world of this scourge, we’ll also gain life for ourselves. Our earliest Christian author, Paul, must constantly remind the people he’s brought into the faith to simply “hang in there.” We have no exact idea what motivates him to write today’s II Corinthians passage, but we logically presume it has something to do with the struggle all Christians endure, simply keeping up the fight to get rid of the evil around us. The first miracle Jesus worked in Mark’s gospel was exorcising a demoniac. I mentioned when I commented on it several months ago that the first miracle in each gospel is very significant; it sets the theme for the whole gospel. It basically tells us what Jesus expects of his disciples. If, before anything else, he exorcises a demon, he’s telling his followers they, like he, are to get rid of evil, no matter what it costs, no matter how painfully we limp. That seems to be one of the reasons Mark composed today’s gospel pericope. How can we expect to avoid suffering if Jesus couldn’t avoid suffering? In this case, the suffering that comes from being misunderstood by those closest to us. We can understand why some of Jesus’ enemies – the Jerusalem scribes – interpret his snake-killing actions as coming from the devil himself. But what’s worse, even his relatives – later identified as his “mother(!) and brothers” – are also convinced he’s “out of his mind.” The preaching that brings life to so many tears his own family apart. How many of us, for family peace and tranquility, frequently keep our mouths shut instead of speaking up when we discover evil? Why would we create more evil by pointing out the evil that’s already there? If we eventually leave this world in the same condition in which we found it, we, and those around us might experience a peaceful, painless existence, but we’ll never do what God put us on earth to do.
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