Scripture Study for
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Deuteronomy 18:15–20 / Psalm 95:8 / 1 Corinthians 7:32–35 / Mark 1:21–28
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Understanding the Word
By Dianne Bergant, C.S.A.
Moses is not normally thought of as a prophet, but today’s reading clearly states that he is. In fact, he is considered the prophet par excellence. He received the word of the Lord in the form of the Law, and he acted as God’s voice, prom ulgating this Law to the community. He promised that God would not leave the people without a mediator. Rather, just as God chose him to be a prophet, so another will be raised up. This promise of a future prophet led people down through the centuries to wonder whether or not particular individuals might in fact be this promised prophet.
Some today maintain that Paul is opposed to marriage. Though here he seems to prefer the unmarried state, it is because he believes that the endtime is fast approaching, and he wants the Corinthians to be free from the kind of anxieties that accompany marriage. The real contrast that he draws is between commitment to the Lord and over-involvement in the things of this world. Paul knew that those involved in the things of the world can be very committed to the Lord, and those committed to the Lord can possess a very shallow spirituality. He is more concerned with the quality of commitment than with the particular state of life.
The man in the synagogue had an unclean spirit that caused him severe physical suffering. The people of the time believed that evil spirits roamed the world and caused havoc whenever and wherever they could. Such an afflicted person should have been removed from a holy place like a synagogue. However, Jesus does not dismiss the man; instead, he casts out the evil spirit. Just as the people were astonished by the teaching of Jesus, so they are amazed at his power over the evil spirit. Jesus may have been able to silence the spirit, but his fame as a teacher and an exorcist spread throughout Galilee.