Day 155: Jesus Is Lord

Today's readings: Mark 3-4 and Psalm 20.

I. Mark 3 recounts how Jesus healed a man with a withered hand, which angered the Pharisees since it was the Sabbath. They began to plot with the Herodians to have Him killed. Jesus later attracted great crowds, and wherever He encountered evil spirits, they fell before Him, and He commanded them not to reveal Who He Is. Jesus then appoints the Twelve Apostles. Some of His relatives are convinced that "He is beside Himself." The scribes claimed that Jesus was possessed by the Devil, which He dismissed, but warned them that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit wouldn't be forgiven. When His mother and brethren come to visit Him, and He is told, Jesus says that, "Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother."

In the next chapter, He tells the Parable of the Sower before a huge crowd by the Sea of Galilee. When asked by the Apostles, Jesus explains why He chooses to speak in parables, citing Isaiah 6:9–10. Next, He told the Parable of the Seed Growing Secretly. Finally, when Jesus falls asleep in a boat with the Apostles while crossing the Sea of Galilee, a storm frightens them, and they cry out to Him. Jesus calms the storm, amazing the Apostles that He had authority over nature like this.

The BIY Companion, Vol II, notes:

Jesus shows that he is Lord over the Sabbath by fulfilling its intended purpose - bringing God's people into communion with him. Jesus speaks of the unforgivable sin - blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Ultimately, this means being willfully unrepentant and refusing to accept God's mercy and forgiveness. We need to bring everything to the foot of the Cross and allow God to forgive us... After Jesus calms the storm, the apostles ask who he can possibly be. Jesus shows them that he is the Lord, the eternal Son of the Father. (p. 74)

II. Psalm 20 is, as the Ignatius Bible notes (verse numbers removed):

A royal psalm. It is a prayer for the king's victory in battle and may have formed part of a liturgy conducted before marching off to war. The psalm joins community intercession with a word of assurance, perhaps spoken by a priest or Levite at the sanctuary. Divine protection is invoked through God's "name". (p. 846)

That's all for today!