GOSPEL REFLECTION, FRIDAY, 9TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME, 5 JUNE 2026, ST BON IFACE

Mark 12:35-37.  Jesus is preaching in the Temple; the words we have for today’s reading are somewhat difficult for us at first hearing.  They would have made clear sense, however, to the Jewish crowds who had gathered to hear him.  They are steeped in the words of the Old Testament concerning ‘The Son of David,’ one of the most frequent titles for the long-expected Messiah.  The family trees for Jesus in the gospels of Matthew and Luke clearly indicate that, in his physical being, he was of the lineage of King David, the Shepherd King.  The trouble with the general understanding of this title had become entangled with the idea of a conquering, nationalistic, political, earthly messiah, completely contrary to Jesus’ preaching of the Kingdom of God.  In addition, Jesus was preaching that the title ‘Son of David’ was incorrect for himself for he was ‘LORD.’  Jesus was challenging his listeners yet again, because here is an immense difference between the two understandings of the messiah.  The belief in an earthly messiah was one that Jesus had to address repeatedly because it was so embedded in people’s religious faith and practice.  For Jesus, the Messiah would be a servant of God commissioned by the Father to bring Jesus’ followers to God.  Mark tells us ‘the large crowd was listening to him with delight!)(v. 37).

This gospel reading challenges us too, asking us what our understanding of Jesus the Messiah is.  That is what we profess ever time that we acknowledge him as ‘the Christ, the Anointed One,’ which is the Greek equivalent for the title ‘Messiah.’  Who is the Messiah for us; do we truly hear what Jesus says to the crowds in this gospel reading?  Or do we believe that Jesus was simply ‘a good man’ who would ultimately reign as a renewed earthly ruler?