Readings for Feb. 4, 2018: God Heals & How to Respond (Lectionary 74)

Key:

What these passages tell us about God

What these passages tell us to do

Commentary/observations

Reading 1 JB 7:1-4, 6-7

Job spoke, saying: Is not man's life on earth a drudgery? Are not his days those of hirelings? He is a slave who longs for the shade, a hireling who waits for his wages.

So I have been assigned months of misery, and troubled nights have been allotted to me. If in bed I say, "When shall I arise?" then the night drags on;
I am filled with restlessness until the dawn.

My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle; they come to an end without hope. Remember that my life is like the wind; I shall not see happiness again.

Responsorial Psalm PS 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. (cf. 3a) Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Praise the LORD, for he is good; sing praise to our God, for he is gracious;
it is fitting to praise him.
The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem; the dispersed of Israel he gathers.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
He tells the number of the stars; he calls each by name.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power; to his wisdom there is no limit.
The LORD sustains the lowly; the wicked he casts to the ground.
R. Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2 1 COR 9:16-19, 22-23

Brothers and sisters:  If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it! If I do so willingly, I have a recompense, but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship. What then is my recompense? That, when I preach, I offer the gospel free of charge so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

Although I am free in regard to all, I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible. To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at least some. All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it.

Alleluia MT 8:17

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ took away our infirmities and bore our diseases.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 1:29-39

On leaving the synagogue Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them.

When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons,
not permitting them to speak because they knew him.

Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, "Everyone is looking for you." He told them, "Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come." So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.

God Heals us. He comes to us to deliver us from the consequences of sin, our own sins and the sins of others.

God’s power to heal is limitless. Today’s readings give examples of His healing the consequences of societal dysfunction (the destruction of Jerusalem & disbursal of the people in the psalm), emotional distress (the “brokenhearted,” from the psalm), poverty/lack of status (“the lowly,” also from the psalm), various kinds of physical illnesses (gospel), and mental/spiritual illnesses (the “demons” in the gospel).

He does so even though there are very real costs to Him (alleluia verse).

That healing often takes the form of teaching. In today’s gospel Jesus delivers folks from their distress not only by curing their illnesses, but also by teaching them.

God affirmatively comes to us, goes out of His way to heal/help us. We see that in today’s gospel reading; He welcomes a large number of folks at the end of a long day and then actively goes out to find more folks to help the next and following days. He motivates others to reach out to us, as exemplified in the second reading.

So how do we respond to that? As usual, the readings give us direction: 

-       Praise & thank God for his graciousness and purely good nature/actions. That runs throughout today’s psalm.

-       Recognize that we have a part to play in delivering God’s healing. He has work for each of us to do, so we need to be diligent about it. We see that in Job’s statement about being a “hireling,” and that obligation is at the heart of what St. Paul is talking about the second reading. Most of us don’t have tasks as prominent as Job and St. Paul, but we all have some part in God’s gracious plan, so we must be sure to get it done.

-       Go to God for guidance, refreshment. Jesus gives us a wonderful example of that in today’s gospel.

-       Seek Jesus out and then do what He tells you. Peter gives us a good example of that in today’s gospel.