Daily Gospel Reflection for January 11, 2017

Today's Gospel: Mark 1:29-39

In the dead of winter, it does us good to be faced with the breathless pace of Jesus’ ministry. We are scarcely at the beginning of Mark’s Gospel, but Jesus has already been baptized by John, been tempted in the desert, chosen his Twelve followers and cured a man possessed by demons.

Today, he leaves preaching in the synagogue and comes to the home of Simon, whose mother is ill. He cures her and immediately she gets up to wait upon them. Then, everyone else who is ill in the area comes to the home and Jesus ministers to them while admonishing the cast out demons to remain silent. Although he rests for the evening, he gets up early the next morning to pray. When his disciples find him, he tells them that he means to move on and do the same in the other villages.

This Jesus is so full of energy despite the overwhelming odds. He is the strong man who shows up to overcome the spiritual and physical forces that bind others. Yet he also accepts the hospitality of Simon’s mother and seeks physical renewal in sleep and spiritual solace in Morning Prayer. As we bundle up for the cold outside, as we go about our day, or shrug off these layers when we enter the warmth inside, we too have opportunities to go into the world as a force for good, as one driven by the Holy Spirit. We minister, are ministered to, rest in God, and return again restful and restless for God’s reign.

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Ponder:

If we do not seem to have the time or energy to help others, can we at least take a moment to see if God is offering us someone to wait upon us or an opportunity for us to rest or pray?