When Jesus returned to his home place of Nazareth and preached in the synagogue the people, all of whom knew him, were offended by his words and actions. Instead of believing him they mocked and rejected him. ‘Who does he think he is’ they thought, scoffing at him. But Jesus is not surprised at their lack of faith. A prophet is not without honour except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house. Their lack of faith closes their hearts to what he can do and the gift of new life he brings. Even his greatest deeds bring rejection and the cross. So, after curing a few sick people, he leaves and goes elsewhere. Many seem to be taking offense at Jesus today. Many are turning away from him because of the actions of some leaders in the Church or criticism from others and shapers of popular opinion. Where do we stand? Are we ready to follow Jesus through thick and thin? If he was rejected why should we be surprised that those who seek to follow him today also face rejection?

The longer form of the gospel recounts two miracle stories, one concerning a little girl who is terminally ill and the other a woman suffering from a long illness. The short form focuses on the healing of the little girl, the daughter of a synagogue official named Jairus. Notice the importance of faith in both stories. Jairus opens the way for God to act in his daughter’s life and the woman opens the way for power to go out of Jesus and liberate her from a debilitating condition. Notice how Jesus praises her courage in reaching out to touch what she needed. How do we care for those who are ill? How open are we to the gift of life? How generous are we? In both of these stories Jesus gives witness to a God of life. He also shows us the true generosity of compassion and mercy: Jesus allows himself to be touched and interrupted. Do we?

The Jesus who has risen from the sleep of death is the faithful hope of every disciple. Often storms sweep down on us as suddenly as the wind and waves on the Sea of Galilee, and we find ourselves unprepared for sickness, a terminal diagnosis for ourselves or a loved on, difficult personal relations, job loss.  We may find ourselves saying: “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”  Yet Jesus is present in the storms and will bring us to the shore of new beginnings and new initiatives.

Mark teaches us about the kingdom by telling us two parables about seed. Parables are not easily understood, especially by those who have no particular attachment to Jesus. Parables are measures of our relationship with him. What, then is the seed growing secretly? The kingdom of God grows because of God, not because of us or our understanding. How alert are we to the living presence of the Spirit hidden in the depths of our being? The mustard seed holds before us the reality of small beginnings and God’s mysterious presence even in something resembling a weed, in something that grows like wildfire. The mustard seed encourages us to trust God who is there at the beginning and there at the end. Are we ready to take heart and trust God, to let the Spirit grow at the core of our being, to trust God’s glorious Oneness?

Jesus’s words over the bread and wine, then sharing it with his disciples, signifies his giving them a share in the atoning power of his death.  And that atoning power has as its goal eternal life with Jesus.  But it was not just those who sat at the table with Jesus who are able to share in the atoning power of Jesus’s sacrifice; Jesus opened the way for all to share in the “eternal inheritance”.  So walk with joy to share a forestate of the unending banquet.