Mark 3:7-12

Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples.

A large number of people followed from Galilee and from Judea.

Hearing what he was doing,

a large number of people came to him also from Jerusalem,

from Idumea, from beyond the Jordan,

and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon.

He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd,

so that they would not crush him.

He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases

were pressing upon him to touch him.

And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him

and shout, “You are the Son of God.”

He warned them sternly not to make him known.

Opening Prayer: Lord, I trust in you. You are my Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. How can I not place my total trust in you? I owe you everything, all that I am and all that I will be. 

Encountering the Word of God

1. Saul Sought to Kill David: Saul knows that he has been disobedient and that the kingdom is slipping away from him. He sees the writing on the wall and hears the songs the people are singing. When the women praise David more than him, Saul becomes jealous and discusses his intention of killing David with his son Jonathan.The deepest desires of Saul’s wicked heart become clear in today’s reading. Not only was Saul disobedient and unrepentant, but he was also envious of anyone who was praised more than him. Saul, then, is very much like King Herod, who did anything – including killing the members of his own family – to protect his kingship.The words of today’s psalm are placed on the lips of David, who trusts in God without fear. He asks: What can the flesh – Saul in this case – do against me? Even Jesus will say: “Do not fear those who can kill the body but are unable to kill the soul” (Matthew 10:28).

2. The Pharisees Sought to Kill Jesus: Just as David was persecuted by Saul, so Jesus, the New David, is persecuted by the Pharisees and religious authorities in Galilee and Jerusalem. In the Gospel, Jesus responds to the actions of the Pharisees, who were actively plotting his death – by withdrawing to the sea and countryside. After the series of conflicts with the religious authorities, Jesus seems to avoid direct confrontation with them in the synagogues and travels back and forth across the lake often at night. The people, though, are flocking to Jesus not only from Israel but from the lands among the Gentiles. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus displays mighty power and can even silence demons. And yet the frailty of his human nature is also on display. He has to get into a boat to avoid being crushed by the crowds. And he has to withdraw to avoid those plotting his death.

3. Seek out Jesus: The Gospel tells us that people traveled from many places to encounter Jesus. The people heard what Jesus was doing and taught and wanted to see it and experience it for themselves. We are blessed to have Jesus so close to us. We are blessed to have the Sacraments of the Church so readily available to us.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I believe that you can cure me, that you can deliver me from death, that you can keep my feet from stumbling. Set me on the right path, enlightened by your love, that leads to the Father. 

Resolution: The people sought out Jesus to be cured of their diseases and to be freed from the reign of Satan. We too should turn from our former way of life and seek Jesus. We have all sinned against God in different ways. We should not imitate Saul, who chose to remain in his sin; let us rather imitate David who, despite his sin, trusts in God and in his mercy. What sin do I need to let go of? How can I receive God’s merciful love today?