Gospel Reading: Mk 2:13-17
JESUS came with his disciples into the house. Again the crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat.
When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
HE IS OUT OF HIS MIND
When one thinks only of others, one necessarily forgets oneself in the process. And many people, including one’s own family and relatives, may eventually be alarmed by this.
Mark says that Jesus’ relatives come to seize or take hold of (Greek kratēsai) him because they have heard that people are saying Jesus is getting crazy. On the other hand, the scribes also accuse Jesus of being possessed by Beelzebul and that he is casting out demons by Satan’s power.
Indeed, people are stirred or disturbed by Jesus and the way he lives. They fail to understand his mission and what fuels him to live in that fashion.
We tend to forget ourselves when we are absorbed in doing things for others. Some may consider this crazy. But only the persons in the situation can explain what drives them to be so absorbed.
Love can seize and overpower us, in a positive sense. It can give us strength beyond we can imagine. It can make us, in a sense, superhuman.
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Are we perceived or (mis)judged to be “crazy” in our Christian commitment? Do we welcome being called “fools for Christ”?
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SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord,” ST PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.
