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. 

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