Doctor Jesus
Jan 14: Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
Christianity is a salvation religion. “I’m OK, you’re OK” doesn’t mean anything to Catholics. We’re not OK, which is why we need Jesus, a man who is more than OK.1
Reading 1
Heb 4:12-16
The word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.
Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.
It took some digging to figure out the difference between “soul and spirit.” You may know that the ancient Hebrew word we usually translate as “spirit” is also “breath.”2 So what’s being said here is that God can discern your soul (mind, personality, thoughts, the parts that make you a unique individual) from the part of you that’s living, in process and in time.
What he’s saying is, God knows when you’re “in a mood” and when you’re actually, genuinely choosing to commit sin. Same goes for discerning “reflections and thoughts of the heart.” Letting your mind wander to dark places on occasion is not the same as plotting how to murder someone and get away with it.
Much of the time, we can’t even distinguish between a sinful habit like sloth and simply being tired from overwork. But God knows. God the father can see when we’re lying to ourselves to excuse our behavior.
And that’s why we need God the Son, who became a man. He “has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin.” Jesus can identify with us and our human experience, because he knows what it’s like to have both an immortal soul and a temporal body. When we ask for mercy, even though he never personally caved to temptation, he understands it, and can therefore forgive it.
Responsorial Psalm
19:8, 9, 10, 15
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart
find favor before you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
Speaking of sin, God laid out His law for us a long time ago. It’s usually pretty clear what God wants us to do, most of the time. Whether we do it or not is a totally different question.
Alleluia
Lk 4:18
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor
and to proclaim liberty to captives.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Is it weird that this quote from Luke is just Jesus quoting Isaiah? Kinda.
But the point is that Jesus is here for people who need His help, not people who are already OK.
Gospel
Mk 2:13-17
Jesus went out along the sea. All the crowd came to him and he taught them. As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the customs post. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed Jesus.
While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus heard this and said to them, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
I love it when a story about tax collectors comes up, and the priest feels the need to explain in his homily, “Now, in Jesus’ time, people didn’t like tax collectors.” Yeah, we know. That part doesn’t get lost in translation.
Thing is, though, tax collectors were actually worse than they are now. Back then, they were basically freelancers for the Roman Empire. They were given a specific amount to collect. Anything over and above that number, the taxman got to keep for himself. And since people back then weren’t typically overly educated in mathematics, it was pretty easy to trick them into paying more tax than they actually owed.3
So right about now, I’m starting to wonder why Jesus is eating with tax collectors.
But that’s the thing. We’re all doing something like that, something dishonest, cheating our fellow man, hurting others for our benefit, in big ways and in small. As the author of Hebrews points out, God sees allllllllllllllll of it.
And Jesus is here to help. You and I may not be tax collectors, but we are sinners. Jesus invites us to a meal every Sunday.4 Won't you join Him?
Fun fact: “OK” really is an acronym… for “all correct.”
This is why Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit onto his apostles in John 20:22.
Every day, if you can.