Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
(I Samuel
1:9-20; Mark 1:21-28)
Jesus’
teaching threatens evil spirits. He
speaks “with authority.” What can this
mean but that he does not waver on right and wrong? He goes to the heart of the matter calling
lust a sin as well as adultery and vengeance a sin as well as murder. As he pinpoints the sections of the human heart
that require attention, people give assent while devils recoil.
Jesus
speaks with such authority at a cost.
The evil spirits will regroup to eliminate Jesus. In the end they will be only marginally
successful. They will bring about Jesus’
death in the most horrible of ways. But
God, the just judge, will raise him from the dead. In the process He will send evil spirits packing,
at least from those who trust in Jesus.
Let us take
heed of what is happening. It is not
enough to be amazed like the people at the Capernaum synagogue. We have to entrust ourselves to Jesus’
care. This means to do as he tells us
and not to flirt with his enemies.
