OT 5th Sunday Homily February
8, 2015
Job
7:1-4, 6-7 Ps 147 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23 Mark 1:29-39
Have you ever read the book of Job? Our first reading was a short excerpt from
the Book of Job. That reading showed us
the heart of a man who was depressed and weary with suffering. Job complained that "life is a drudgery." "People are like slaves who long for the
shade." He lamented that he had been "living months of misery and many troubled nights." That his "life was passing quickly and coming
to an end without hope." His closing
words were “I shall not see happiness
again.”
Have you ever felt like that? I know that many people here have felt that
way at some point in time. Some of you
here are feeling that way right now. People
suffer physically because of relationships, or seemingly hopeless situations,
or physical illness, all kinds of things. Around the world there are whole groups of people who have
been suffering horribly for generations and who see no end in sight for their
suffering. The horrific violence by the
Islamic State in Nigeria, Syria, Jordan, and Iraq is causing so much suffering
and death, and leaving countless numbers of people in desperate and extreme
situations.
The suffering that so many people endure in various ways is
truly heart-breaking. And what is the
most tragic truth about it all is that the majority of human suffering is
caused by our own sinful choices. Natural
disasters and other accidents don’t break our hearts nearly as much as the
violence and death that comes from evil choices people make. As much as it breaks our hearts, it breaks
God’s heart even more. And God is always
moved with compassion for us.
This is why Jesus was born for us. Just a month ago we were finishing the
Christmas season – remembering the story of the birth of our Savior. The incredible mystery of the incarnation is
that God chose to become one of us. He
was conceived, entering into the womb of the virgin. Almighty God became so small and helpless in
the womb. What an example of the perfect
humility of God. He was born for us and
in his birth he manifested his glory in the most amazingly humble of ways. Jesus is truly the compassion of God for us.
And in these first weeks of Ordinary Time Jesus once again shows
us the compassion of God!
Consider the gospel story today. Simon’s mother in law was sick with a
fever. She was too weak, She
probably felt a bit like Job from the first reading. Those of us here who have
been desperately sick before know for sure what she felt like, lying there in
her bed, helpless.
unable to move,
and in a desperate situation.
What made all the difference was when Jesus went into her
house. And isn’t that the truth? When Jesus comes into the house things start
to change. So when Jesus came into the
house he took her by the hand and helped her up. It is interesting to note that this little
scene is yet another fulfillment of messianic promises. In Isaiah 42:6 God promised to take his
chosen people by the hand. The word used
for help in the gospel is actually the Greek word for “raising up.” It is the same verb used when Jesus commanded
a dead girl to arise – an amazing story later on in Mark chapter 5. The word is used again in Mark chapter 14 to
describe Jesus’ own resurrection from the dead.
This “raising up” is the promise of Jesus to us as
well. Sometimes we might feel like Job
did during his time of suffering – that life is nothing but suffering and there
will never be happiness again. Sometimes
we might feel like Simon’s mother-in-law during her time of sickness and
helplessness – that we can’t make ourselves well again.
But something changed when Jesus was in the house! With Jesus there is a totality and
completeness of his love and mercy.
Notice the words that the gospel of Mark used to describe it. The whole town gathers; all
the sick are brought to him. He drives
out demons in the whole of Galilee. Everyone
is looking for him. His love and mercy
are superabundant for us. He never tires
of raising us up.
Jesus is in the house!
He is come to us in power. By our
own baptism he healed and raised us to live in his presence. By his body and blood, soul and divinity in
the Holy Eucharist he promises us the totality of healing and wholeness in
heaven. And we get a foretaste of that
even here on earth. Jesus is in the
house and he sees us with tender compassion.
He fulfills the promise of Psalm 147 that says that “he heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Oh, how great is the Lord our God who comes to
us and who saves us in every way.
So what is our response to this amazing grace that has been
given to us? Simon’s mother-in-law shows
us the way. As Jesus’s hands reached out
to her and raised her up, so her hands were strengthened to serve Jesus.
Therefore we gather here to be strengthened to serve Jesus
who raises us up. Jesus comes to us in
so many ways. He is present to us in all
those who gather in his Holy Name. Will
we serve him by serving all those who are gathered here today? Will we love the church that gathers through
our own humble and loving service? Jesus
is present to us in those who come to us for help. Will we love that man or woman who comes to
us in need by helping and serving them?
There are times when the hand of Jesus that raises somebody up is our
own hand. And when Jesus works with us
to bring his compassion and love to others, then our lives become a true act of
thanksgiving and praise, like St. Paul described in today’s Epistle.
We have good news to share brothers and sisters. Jesus is in the house. Jesus comes to raise us up. He loves us.
His mercy for us is endless And
through us, his church, he brings hope into the world once again.
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