Today’s Readings – Sunday Week 23 of Ordinary Time (Year B)

Commentary on Isaiah 35:4-7; James 2:1-5; Mark 7:31-37

With today’s Gospel reading we enter into a central part of Mark’s Gospel. The section begins with the healing of a deaf man and ends with the healing of a blind man. These are not just miracle stories about Jesus’ power; rather, they have a teaching purpose.

Jesus has just been in the gentile area of Tyre and Sidon (on the Mediterranean coast in modern Lebanon) and has moved on to the area of the Decapolis (Ten Towns) on the east bank of the Jordan River. It was basically a gentile, non-Jewish area. There a man is brought for Jesus to heal. He was deaf and he had an impediment in his speech. It does not say he was like that from birth.

Hearing restored
The healing process Jesus uses is almost like a ri … Continue

Yesterday’s Readings – Saturday of Week 22 of Ordinary Time - First Reading

Commentary on 1 Corinthians 4:6-15

In the reading which continues from yesterday’s passage, Paul has been describing himself and Apollos as stewards or managers of God’s message. The focus should be totally on the message rather than on the messengers (also good advice for t … Continue