First Reading: Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Reflection:
Moses spoke the words of the Lord to the Israelite people. God was making the Israelites into a distinct people, calling them to follow Him and live according to His laws. During this time, Moses was the leader of the Israelites, having led them out of Egypt at the Exodus and now guiding them in their wilderness wanderings. Moses was a prophet in the sense that he spoke on behalf of God, sharing God’s will with the people. He was, in fact, one of the greatest prophets in the Bible. But, according to this passage, one greater than Moses would come. The Israelites were commanded to listen to this prophet when he came. They were to obey him or face the consequences, for this prophet would be the voice-piece of God. Who might this prophet be? If we read on in the story of Scripture we discover that the ultimate fulfillment of this promise came in Jesus Christ. Jesus, the Messiah, is the greatest prophet who speaks on behalf of God, for He is the Son of God.
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 7:32-35
Reflection:
At first glance, this passage may seem perplexing. Was the Apostle Paul speaking against marriage? Although he himself was not married and spoke very positively of virginity and celibacy for the kingdom of God in his writings, the Apostle Paul was certainly not anti-marriage. In fact, it is from him that we get some of the most beautiful passages on marriage (see e.g. Eph. 5). The point of this passage is not that married people cannot fully serve the Lord, or that married people should shun their spouse in order to get rid of anxiety. The main point is in the last line: we are called to “adherence to the Lord without distraction.” Paul wants us to be fully devoted to the Lord. In other words, he wants our relationship with God to be front and center in our lives. We are called to “be holy in both body and spirit.” Marriage is a great good, but it is also just a means to an end. Our spouse is to lead us closer to Christ, not distract us from Christ. For those who are called to the vocation of marriage, that becomes the path which God works through to help them become holy and get to heaven. Therefore, let us strive to put Christ above all else in our lives and view everything we have, including our family, as a way to draw closer to Him.
Gospel Reading: Mark 1:21-28
Reflection:
This passage comes at the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry in the Gospel of Mark. He has now moved to Capernaum, which is located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee and which would be His home base for most of His three-year ministry. The account occurred on the Sabbath (our Saturday), which the Jews observed as a day of rest and worship. As would be expected from a faithful Jew, Jesus went to the synagogue (the place of worship) that day. Jesus taught there with authority. The people listened to Him (alluding back to the first reading) and “were astonished at his teaching.” But Jesus astonished them even further with what happened next. A man with an “unclean spirit” came into the synagogue. The phrase “unclean spirit” means that this man was demon possessed. The demon identified Jesus as “the Holy One of God.” In other words, the demon knew (likely even better than the observers at the time) that Jesus is God in the flesh. Jesus then proved this identity by authoritatively rebuking the demon. Simply by His words of rebuke, the demon fled. The man was freed from the control of the demon by the power of God. Jesus came into the world for this purpose: to drive evil out. We see here that He is more than capable to do that. Jesus is God in the flesh, so He has authority over all things. He, therefore, can transform our lives and set us free from the sin that plagues us. Jesus wants to give us freedom in Him, but will we listen to Him and obey His divine authority?
Application:
- What distracts you from God? Are there things in your life that you have made a higher priority than your relationship with God? Prayerfully reflect on how you can become more detached from those things in order to focus more fully on God.
- In what area of your life do you need to listen better to the voice of God? Take time this week to listen to God in prayer and strive to obey His leading, allowing Him to set you free from the things that keep you from growing in holiness.
