What is missing?



A recurring theme in Mark’s Gospel is captured in the statement: “But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him” (Mark 9:32). The lack of understanding of the disciples is understandable. Whilst the disciples may well have entered unknown territory with Jesus on their journeys around the regions of Tyre and Sidon, Caesarea Philippi and the Decapolis, it is nothing to compare with the unknown territory of mind and heart he is leading them to now. Like the people of the first Exodus, the disciples have to traverse a wilderness which will take them into a relationship with God that they could not have imagined in their wildest dreams. 

So, we really should not be surprised by the statement from John, at the beginning of today’s Gospel – Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48 – that follows immediately on an embarrassing argument about who is the greatest: “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” Nor should we miss the irony of the disciples themselves not being able to cast out a demon – see Mark 9:18-29.

We are prompted to ask the question: What’s missing? What is it that the disciples just do not get? The questioning seeks, not a theological or factual answer or a psychological explanation. Rather, it seeks a deeply personal response from you and me as hearers of the Word. Listen! Is there anything missing in mylife as a disciple? What is it that I do not get about Jesus and the kingdom? Pay attention to what happens in your guts, not just your head, when you listen to that questioning. 

Why has Jesus come among us? Why is he here with us? Is his mission to give us a how-to-behave program for life, another political ideology, a new social agenda? Mark tells us right at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry that he “came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news’” (Mark 1:14-15). Jesus proclaims the good news of God’s reign! His mission is to invite us – indeed to enable us to become part of a new order of being. That new order in which God reigns, is a gift, utterly unmerited. Jesus calls it “the kingdom of God”. This is good news!

Probably, the major obstacle to the coming of “the kingdom of God”, is our felt need to be in control. We will do anything, it seems, to maintain control. And so, we seek a kingdom of this world where we are in charge or someone we favour is in charge. One manifestation of this is found in the way we seek to build barriers against others rather than connections with them. Consider the question: What is it of the gift of Jesus that I am missing, that might have me building – or allowing – barriers rather than connections in my own daily life? Blessed are those who are able to surrender to God and God’s reign.



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Date
26 September 2021

Tag 1
Gospel

Tag 2
Story

Tag 3
Teaching

Source Name
Michael Whelan sm

Source URL
https://stpatschurchhill.org/...

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