Jesus, the only Son who is in the bosom of the Father, makes him known. For us to see him, then, is to see the Father, which gives us reason to destroy our idols. 

Jesus teaches in the synagogue of Capernaum. He amazes those who hear him, since he strikes them as one who teaches with authority. They see that he does not teach as the scribes. Yet he amazes them even more with his “new teaching with authority.” For he drives out of a man an unclean spirit that asks him, “Have you come to destroy us?”

So then, Jesus shows us once more a new and amazing thing. It is as new and amazing as his call to Simon, Andrew, James and John to go fishing with him. For they are to fish, but they leave their nets and their boats all the while. Yes, he does seem to question and seek to destroy our common and usual ideas about being, doing, dealing. 

It is now time to destroy our old idols.  

And Jesus, of course, wants us to question and destroy our idols before we become like them. That is to say, not able to speak, see, hear, smell, feel, move, act. And all we have to do is heed his new teaching by words and by works. He will, then, drive out from us and destroy, for sure, the common, old, yet fake, images we have of God.

Yes, the prophet God has raised up in these last days tells us the truth about him. He tells us that God is a good Father to all. That is to say, he loves us all very much.

No doubt, he is almighty, yet he is not at all like the usual mighty ones of the world. These lord it over others and would destroy those who are against them or seek to take their place. They are a threat to the freedom of the little and weak folks.

But Jesus’ God cares for us, his little and weak children. We worry to no end about our needs. But we really should not. For our Father in heaven knows what we need and gives it to us. After all, we are of more worth than the birds that he feeds and the lilies that he clothes.

So, not to worry, then, about our needs.  Rather, we should seek God’s kingdom first and his justice. That is to say, we are to abide by his words and truly love one another as brothers and sisters. For if we do so, then, none of us his children will be left behind. And we shall all be free of worries.

Lord Jesus, you teach us by words and by works that we have but one Father who is in heaven. Hence, we are all brothers and sisters. Grant us to be truly so, while we do as you: help those you call the least of your brothers and sisters, to the point of giving up your body and shedding your blood. Do not let us be locked up in our tiny selves, where the heat sucks up the air, so that we can hardly breathe. Help us to destroy our idols and mirror our Father who is good to all, to the bad and the good. And make us grasp that we cannot better assure our eternal bliss than by living and dying, like you, in the service of the poor (SV.EN III:384).  

28 January 2024
4th Sunday in O.T. (B)
Dt 18, 15-20; 1 Cor 7, 32-35; Mk 1, 21-28