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| “Light of the World” by William Holman Hunt, 1851 |
Reading 1: 2 Sm 7:18-19, 24-29
After Nathan had spoken to King David,
the king went in and sat before the LORD and said,
“Who am I, Lord GOD, and who are the members of my house,
that you have brought me to this point?
Yet even this you see as too little, Lord GOD;
you have also spoken of the house of your servant
for a long time to come:
this too you have shown to man, Lord GOD!
“You have established for yourself your people Israel
and you, LORD, have become their God.
And now, LORD God, confirm for all time the prophecy you have made
concerning your servant and his house,
and do as you have promised.
Your name will be forever great, when men say,
‘The LORD of hosts is God of Israel,’
and the house of your servant David stands firm before you.
It is you, LORD of hosts, God of Israel,
who said in a revelation to your servant,
‘I will build a house for you.’
Therefore your servant now finds the courage to make this prayer to you.
And now, Lord GOD, you are God and your words are truth;
you have made this generous promise to your servant.
Do, then, bless the house of your servant
that it may be before you forever;
for you, Lord GOD, have promised,
and by your blessing the house of your servant
shall be blessed forever.”
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Commentary on 2 Samuel 7:18-19, 24-29
Nathan’s oracle has been communicated to David, that the Lord has established the Davidic dynasty. In this passage from 2 Samuel, David now goes to the tent where the Ark of the Covenant is kept (“King David went in and sat before the Lord”), and prays that all God has promised will be fulfilled. The prayer is in the form of a response to a covenant proposed, if you do this, I will do that.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 132:1-2, 3-5, 11, 12, 13-14
R. (Lk 1:32b) The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
LORD, remember David
and all his anxious care;
How he swore an oath to the LORD,
vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob.
R. The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
“I will not enter the house where I live,
nor lie on the couch where I sleep;
I will give my eyes no sleep,
my eyelids no rest,
Till I find a home for the LORD,
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
R. The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
The LORD swore an oath to David
a firm promise from which he will not withdraw:
“Your own offspring
I will set upon your throne.”
R. The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
“If your sons keep my covenant,
and the decrees which I shall teach them,
Their sons, too, forever
shall sit upon your throne.”
R. The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
For the LORD has chosen Zion
he prefers her for his dwelling:
“Zion
in her I will dwell, for I prefer her.”
R. The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
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Commentary on Ps 132:1-2, 3-5, 11, 12, 13-14
Psalm 132 is a song of thanksgiving sung by the community as they remember the establishment of God’s salvation expressed in the Davidic dynasty. The promise of God is fulfilled in Jesus, the Messiah, who comes from the house of David to rule forever.
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Gospel: Mark 4:21-25
Jesus said to his disciples,
“Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket
or under a bed,
and not to be placed on a lampstand?
For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible;
nothing is secret except to come to light.
Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.”
He also told them, “Take care what you hear.
The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you,
and still more will be given to you.
To the one who has, more will be given;
from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
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Commentary on Mk 4:21-25
Jesus continues his private talk with his disciples, explaining the parables he had used when speaking to the crowds from the boat. The description of the lamp placed high so that all can benefit from the light continues the description of the seed that fell on fertile ground in the parable of the Sower. It therefore takes the character of a description of the duties of those who hear the word and have it take root in them.
The second part of the reading speaks of “the measure.” Again, this refers to his disciples who are given the gift of the word. In them the word will grow. The Lord understands that one of their number will fall: “from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away."
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Reflection:
We picture the scene once more. Jesus is sitting on the shore with his disciples after having spent much of the day teaching from a boat so the people could hear. His disciples are gathered around him, listening intently as the Lord explains the parts of his parables that were difficult for them to understand. He had used the parable of the “Sower,” and had just finished his explanation that the seed that fell on fertile ground represented those who heard his word and had it take root in them. We pray we are among that number, don’t we?
He continues his explanation now, telling his disciples that what they are receiving (and are to proclaim) is not private or secret knowledge. He has not given it to them so they alone can find peace and happiness in their own salvation. No, he asks them the rhetorical question: "Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket or under a bed, and not to be placed on a lampstand?” Their duty is to take their understanding into the world and to give it away. There is a resonance in this action. The more they give away their knowledge of the Kingdom of God, the love the Father has for us, the greater that knowledge and understanding grows in them. He tells them to listen closely. “Take care what you hear.” Each word from the Lord’s lips is precious; it carries life and hope.
Give it away, he tells them, like light from the lamp, let it illuminate all dark places. And the wonder of it: the light will be reflected back and grow and become brighter until it lights up the whole world. And even as he tells them how they will be filled up, perhaps his eyes rest ever so briefly on Judas Iscariot, the Zealot, and he is reminded that not all who hear will understand, and even the little wisdom that is imparted will be taken away.
For us, we who have heard the word of love poured out from the Father through his Son, the injunction of Jesus comes to us clearly. We, like his disciples, have been given the gift of faith. Our faith is not a private thing. It is not a secret to be kept or a gift to be hidden. It is for the world, this Word of God we are given. Today we are reminded once more that we must live that word and speak that word so that all who hear us are bathed in the light of it. This is our great mission, and we are also reminded that as we give away what we have, it will come back to us magnified and fill us up as well.
Pax
[1] The picture is “Light of the World” by William Holman Hunt, 1851.
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
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