First Reading - Genesis 6:5-8,7:1-5,10
Gospel - Mark 8:14-21
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The first reading recounts an account of the flood in the time of Noah. The flood story reminds us of two important aspects: the unfaithfulness of people and the faithfulness of Noah. The decision of God to save Noah with his family paves the way to see a ray of hope even in the midst of the gruesome sin of the people. Why did Noah find favor with God? It is certainly obvious that he lived a righteous life; he was watchful lest he offend God. Whereas the other people became a reason for grief for God because they were not watchful. They gave themselves to their temptations and allurements. Conversely, they displeased God.
In the Gospel, the Apostles in the boat misunderstand Jesus’ warning as a scolding for their having forgotten to bring enough bread for all of them. Hence, Jesus reminded them of his miraculous provision of bread in the feedings of the five thousand and of the four thousand people as evidence that they did not have to worry about the food they had forgotten to bring for their supper. (The twelve baskets full of leftovers after the miraculous feeding of the five thousand people represent the twelve tribes of Israel, whom God first established as His chosen people to preserve the belief in the one true God. The seven baskets full of leftovers after the miraculous feeding of the four thousand people represent the seven nations of the Gentiles to whom salvation is extended.) Jesus clarifies by these miracles that while salvation is universal, the way to salvation is through him, the Messiah. He warns his disciples to beware of the false ways of salvation offered by the two extreme philosophies of the Pharisees and King Herod and the Herodians. The Jews considered fermentation by yeast as equivalent to putrefaction and, hence, something evil. That is why Jesus equated evil influence with leaven. Jesus considered the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and the immoral life of King Herod as leaven corrupting the dough of Israel. Hence, he gave the warning against their evil influence to his disciples while they were crossing the lake in a boat.
Dear friends, we cannot deny the fact of temptations (in the form of challenges, trials, difficulties, etc.) that we encounter in our lives. The temptations—whether they come through trials in our lives, through success stories, through confused situations, or through despairing moments—seek to distance us from God. Many such temptations can lead us astray from God if we are not watchful, as Jesus speaks about in the Gospel. We need to recognize the bad effects of such temptations, as they can corrode our spiritual life and our faith in God. It is by being watchful that we can recognize the bad influence of such temptations.
The first reading also warns us about our attitude toward the temptations in our lives. We should not be carried away by such temptations but learn to school our passions so that we can overcome them. Noah stands as a righteous man before God, whereas other people are described as perverted. Noah becomes righteous before God because he did not forget God in his life and never gave himself to any corruption that could distance him from God. On the other hand, the people forgot God, gave themselves to the temptations of their lives, and distanced themselves from God. Hence, God sent the flood to destroy them. What went wrong with the people? They were not watchful of their spiritual life; they were not watchful of their relationship with God.
We need to pay close attention to our spiritual journey. Let us be watchful of the choices we make—do they distance us from God? Let us be watchful of our words and actions—do they make us pleasing in the sight of God? Let us be watchful of our thoughts—do they influence us to think and do evil or good?
Let us pray that God may help us overcome our daily crosses that we encounter in the form of our temptations.
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