Commentary on the Gospel of
In today's Gospel episode Jesus has a theological debate on the identity of the Messiah opposing the opinion of the theologians of his time. These theologians of Judaism said that the Messiah expected by the Jews was to be the son of King David, this being the majority opinion among the Jews. However, Jesus questions this statement saying that David himself said in the Psalms that the Messiah was Lord, therefore he could not be his son. But why does Jesus question in these verses of the Gospel of Mark that the Messiah comes from the lineage of David if in the Gospel of Matthew (1: 6) it is spoken of the Davidic descent of Jesus?
The issue is decisive in order to understand Christianity and our existence as disciples of Jesus whom we confess as Christ, that is, as Messiah. In that response to the scholars Jesus is denying that the Messiah is like a king. Many would like our countries to be governed by good rulers, and even more so in times of crisis like today. Of course, this wish is good. Hopefully our rulers and politicians would be more evangelical and follow the model of service of Jesus who did not come to be served but to serve and give his life for us (Mk 10:45). But Jesus as Messiah does not have the aspiration of a king. Jesus has seen how kings, rulers and emperors have created conflicts, have killed people to extend their dominion and their territories, have oppressed the various peoples to conserve their power and have wanted to increase the wealth of their Empire while many people have suffered great misery.
The messianism of Jesus does not impose itself on others, as powerful men do with humble people, but his messianism is offered. Jesus is the promise of God that had been announced by the prophets. It is the announcement of a peaceful Messiah, not glorious but humiliated; not a warrior nor a hero, but a tortured victim (Is 50: 5-7) who, paradoxically, will manifest in the ugliness of self-suffering more beauty and victory than that of the richest and most beautiful king in the world (Is 52: 13-15).
That Jesus is the Messiah means that God reverses the logic of our world. God is not with those who sing victory but with those who mourn defeat. God is there where perhaps nobody would wait for him. Nobody expected the Messiah to surround himself especially with the most illiterate and simple people, with publicans, poor people, lepers, and prostitutes. However, in this way the promise of God came about. Those who, like Mary of Nazareth, knew about God's way of being were able to meet Him:
''The Lord has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty'' (Lk 1:51-53).
Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise of God but at the same time the promise of God for us has not been fully fulfilled. The Messiah is yet to come in complete fullness. We still hope for the definitive coming of Christ. Christ continues to come in the poor, in those who would have the hardest time accepting that God has already fulfilled his promise of blessing, because they continue to seem cursed from our perspective.
Lord, You come, always come. May I open my eyes for discovering your illogical coming.
