Love appears unreasonable to others

 

“LORD, THAT I MAY SEE.”

A SHORT COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF THE DAY

Gospel

Mark 3:20-21

Jesus' relatives were convinced he was out of his mind

1.      Jesus went home,

2.      and once more such a crowd collected

3.      that they could not even have a meal.

4.      When his relatives heard of this,

5.      they set out to take charge of him,

6.      convinced he was out of his mind.

 

Not only Jesus but anyone who really believes the Gospel message and truly commits him/her self to the teaching of Jesus will be so different from others that many will think the person out of his/her mind.

When Francis of Assisi decided to take the Word of Jesus deadly seriously and give away everything, even his fine clothes, people thought he was out of his mind. He walked away naked. However good we may want to be, how we cling to what is ours. We must be reasonable, we think, when in the face of others' needs. How can I give everything away?

But is God a reasonable God? And is the God Jesus reasonable? No one has seen God or can see him; St. John tells us. But we know ‘he lives in unapproachable light.’ Nothing is lacking in any way.

Yet he chose to empty himself of all his glory, power, wisdom, strength and be born as a slave with absolutely nothing in any way. He suffered deprivation from the moment he was born. Then he allowed himself to suffer the Passion – insults, beating, spittle, injustice, inhuman scourging, crowning with thorns, the carrying of the cross, and being nailed to it to die in unbelievable pain. How could he willingly undergo all this? It is not that he suffered this. Others have too. But he freely and willingly and even joyfully embraced all this suffering throughout his life. When we behold the Crucifix, we ask, why did you voluntarily undergo all this? He hangs naked on the Cross in abject ignominy and pain because he chose to. Love for others makes us unreasonable in the eyes of those who do not love.

Who dares to really follow such a God?

Maybe even his Mother had to learn that there was an inner driving force in her Son which no human could really understand. Translated into human language in flesh and blood, it looked crazy. It was the Love God has for us.