Reflections for Proper 20, Sunday, September 22, 2024

Brothers & Sisters,

I share with you a commentary from the Gospel for today:    Mark 9:30-37

Jesus and the disciples are “on the road again,” headed for Jerusalem.  But Jesus didn’t want anyone to know.  He didn’t want any more disturbances or interruptions because he was teaching the disciples, preparing them for what lay ahead.  Now, for the second time, he tells them exactly what it is that lies ahead.

Strangely, whenever Jesus talks about his impending death in Mark, it’s with a certain obliqueness; it’s all in the third person.  It’s about what will happen to the “Son of Man,” who Jesus refers to as “he,” not “I.”  Terrible things will happen to the Son of Man.

Why does Jesus refer to his impending suffering in this way?  Scholars call this the “Messianic secret.”  I wonder if the reason is that Jesus himself was uncomfortable talking about it in such a direct way.  Yes, the Son of Man will undergo suffering, but that is still one short step removed from saying that he will be the victim.

I wonder if, in this strange locution, we are faced with the reality of Jesus’s human nature.  He is like us in every way, including the fear of suffering and death.  We too, find it easier to talk about death abstractly, but are much less comfortable talking about our own death.

On the one hand Jesus understands that he is the one that the Father has called to give himself for the life of the world.  On the other, he is still struggling with that call.  That comes to light especially in the Garden of Gethsemane when events are quickly moving toward the cross.  He still prays that he will not have to drink this bitter cup.

Contributed!