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26th Sunday B
Num 11:25-29
The reading contains an incident from the time of the Israelites’ desert sojourn. The story of Eldad and Medad is concerned with the sharing of Moses’ charismatic spirit among the people at the time. Earlier in the chapter, Moses had complained to Yahweh about his inability to provide for the needs of the people by himself.
The Lord decided in favor of shared responsibility, taking a portion of Moses’ charismatic spirit and distributing it among seventy trustworthy and proven elders of the community (vv24f). The account then centers on two men who were inexplicably absent when the outpouring of the spirit took place at the tent of the meeting. Since they had been designated to be a part of the group, the spirit of Moses comes to rest on them within the camp itself (v26).
The stand-off between Joshua, the trusted aide, and Moses is unusual (vv28f). Moses’ response is clear. Exception should not be taken to the two men being gifted outside the ordinary procedure. Moses wishes that the distribution of the spirit was even more widespread (v29). There was some attempt then to bring this prophetic spirit into rein through institutional control. As desirable as boundaries may have been, there were inherent obstacles to the limitation of a free gift of God. The narrative in Numbers does not favor placing limits on the action of the spirit; Moses encourages an attitude of tolerance. The narrative, then, can be said to have a distinctly polemic tone opposing efforts to limit charisms or exercise the type of control that institutionalization would inevitably entail.
Jas 5:1-6
The reading is another example of this letter’s straightforward and practical teaching, here related to social justice.
The last chapter of James’ letter registers a sharp contrast between the rich and the poor, with the injustice inflicted by the former on the latter brought to the fore.
The injunction to the rich reminds them of impending miseries (v1) referring to the expected end time. Wealth is depicted as disintegrating, even corroding the person (vv2-4). Ironically treasures stored up for the “last days” point only to final tribulation (cf. Lk 12:16-21). Wages as a tool of exploitation were long condemned in Israel (Lev 19:13; Deut 24:14f). Here such injustice is once again explicitly condemned (v4). Amassed wealth at the expense of the poor is but a preparation for the final judgment (v5). The condemnation and murder of the innocent in their powerlessness is poetic for economic injustice (Sir 34:22).
Mk 9:38-43,45,47-48
In the gospel, there is a linking of separate sayings of Jesus, with no single consistent theme. Some linkage is based on a similar thought, some on a word or a phrase.
The first statement (vv38-40) is linked with the reading from Numbers thematically. The note of tolerance is again present. In Mark, it is connected contextually with the story of receiving a child in Jesus’ name; the sole connecting link is “in my name (vv37, 38, 39).
Jesus argues that anyone engaged in exorcism, in his name, even though not part of his company, is involved in good work. He should not be impeded. At the very least, it is unlikely that an authentic adversary of the evil one would at the same time be opposed to Jesus. In the clear “black and white” lines of Semitic thought, the one who is not my adversary is my ally (v40).
The subsequent saying (v41) has “the name” of Christ in common with the preceding, thus in Greek: “because you have the name of Christ.” Charity extended to one who is a disciple of Christ is rewarded, just as it was conversely stated earlier (v37) that the Christian who assists another person responds to God himself.
The following sayings of Jesus (vv42-48) treat temptation to sin, linked together by the common word: “scandalize, cause to sin.” To scandalize means to put an obstacle in a person’s path; in the moral order, it is to block deliberately one’s journey on the path of virtue. The seriousness of such obstruction is underscored by the gravity of the sanction: the desired loss of the tempter’s life (v42).
The gravity of sin weighs in heavily in the final sayings (vv43-47). It is not self-mutilation that Jesus calls for. Rather, in a strong Semitic fashion, he exaggerates the measures to be taken to avoid sin only to heighten the notion of the seriousness of sin, which is in itself invisible and its effects not immediately evident.
Today’s scripture tells us that no restriction can be placed on God’s action. Human restraints cannot be placed on the ways of the Lord. Basically, we are invited to a broadening of vision and an opening of heart. Furthermore, we are reminded of the seriousness of sin and its consequences and must be avoided at all costs. May we all share the gifts of the Spirit and be responsible in eradicating all that leads anyone to sin! Amen.
