SHHHHHHHHH! BUT WHY?

23RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2024 (R. 1: Isaiah 35:4-7a; Psalm 146: 7, 8-9, 9-10; R. 2: James 2:1-5; Gospel: Mark 7:31-37) FR EMMANUEL INEDU OCHIGBO

Last Sunday, we returned to the Gospel according to Mark at our Sunday Masses. Since we have eleven more Sundays in this liturgical year B, the year we focus on the Gospel according to Mark, I would like to remind you of one of the characteristics of this Gospel which shows in the command Jesus gives after performing a miracle. In today’s Gospel passage, for example, Jesus miraculously healed a deaf man with a speech impediment. Jesus then ordered those around not to tell anyone what had happened. In several other passages in this Gospel, we find Jesus ordering people to keep the secret of his miracles. On other occasions, when Jesus encountered people who were possessed, the evil spirits in them recognized Jesus, and Jesus ordered them to be quiet. Reflecting on how protective Jesus was about the news of his miracles and identify, I wonder, “But why?”

Jesus said to his followers, “You are the light of the world. A city set on the mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lamp stand where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:14-6). Christians are the light of the world and should not be hidden. Jesus leads by example. However, in today’s Gospel passage, he has done a great thing by making the deaf hear and the mute speak, and he does not want anyone to hear about it. But why?

In this age of social media, it is difficult to understand why Jesus would not allow people to share the story. When I post my homilies on social media, at the very end, I add, “Like, subscribe, share.”  I derive a much joy from the number of engagements I experience after posting my homilies, music videos, etc. When I notice someone shared any of such posts, my first thought is, “Thank you, God bless you.” However, in today’s gospel passage, Jesus comes across as someone who posted a great video on social media but does not want it shared; he does not want us to publicize the news about the healing he just performed; it must not go viral. But why?

This idea of Jesus commanding people to tell no one what he had done is called the Messianic Secret. Scripture scholars generally use the term Messianic Secret in reference to the times in the Gospels when Jesus commanded those he healed or his disciples to keep his identity as the Messiah secret. But why? There are two related reasons for the Messianic Secret. The first reason was to keep Jesus under the radar, to protect him from the attention of foreign powers. For example, the Romans, in the past had destroyed past messianic movements and any attempt to overthrow them. So, to prevent premature death, Jesus had to keep it quiet for a while.

The second reason for the Messianic Secret had to do with the misconception of the mission of the Messiah. Many Jews expected a Messiah who would come as a political or military leader to deliver them from the Roman oppressors. They never imagined that the Messiah would deliver them through his own suffering and death at the hands of the same enemies they wanted him to expel. So, he needed time to educate them on the identity and mission of the Messiah. He knew it was safer to redefine the Messiah before telling them he was the Messiah. If he had begun by introducing himself as the Messiah, they would pushed him into acting according to their expectations of the Messiah.

Jesus’ approach to his self-revelation as the Messiah makes it easier for me to understand one of the reasons the Catholic Church was slow in letting the lay faithful read and interpret the Bible on their own. The Church was concerned that people could misinterpret the Bible and misuse it without proper training and guidance. True to that fear, many people today read a line from the Bible and without proper guidance, they commit many atrocities, and then they use the Bible as justification.

My dearly beloved in Christ, today, Jesus has opened the ears of the deaf and the mouth of the speech impaired. Let us invite him to open our ears to hear who the Messiah is and our mouths to proclaim the Messiah to the world as he truly is. But should Jesus be worried about revealing his identity to you as the Messiah? Who is the Messiah to you? Is he a weapon that you use against your enemies? Is he an emergency number you call only when you are in trouble? Is he a spare tire you remember when you have exhausted all other options? Who is the Messiah to you? Would you let him introduce himself to you, or would you prefer to hold on to your self-made notion of him? The choice is yours.