On the one hand, Jesus truly reveals to us a God who accepts us as we are, with all our illnesses, needs, psychological difficulties, and childhood complexes, regardless of our merits or our unworthiness. All this is true, as is the fact that...
On the one hand, Jesus truly reveals to us a God who accepts us as we are, with all our illnesses, needs, psychological difficulties, and childhood complexes, regardless of our merits or our unworthiness. All this is true, as is the fact that, through faith and striving toward God, many problems are sometimes resolved, illnesses are healed, or we, which is no less valuable, become able to look at all these hardships of life differently - as people say, through God's own eyes - to understand their meaning and draw benefit from them. And without doubt this last thing too can be included in what today's Gospel passage calls "healings," if by them we mean divine actions through which our mind, our whole life, though far from ideal, begins to acquire a certain wholeness, and we gain the ability to rise above oppressive problems and grasp something new and unexpected about life and about God.
On the other hand, one gets the impression that, despite the huge number of healing scenes and other miracles in the Gospel, Mark, following the Spirit and Jesus' intentions, wanted to say something more. Recovery or changes for the better may happen or may not happen, although in any case hope for the better remains. Yet in the depths of all these hopes or disappointments there lies a call addressed to every person: to look to the root and try to receive with one's whole being that suffering and distress are synonyms of human life. And overcoming them is possible only by shifting our attention from our own "sores" to the suffering and pain of other people, as Jesus did. For sharing in the suffering of others can act as an anesthetic for our own, and at the same time helps make life more bearable and, most important, not deprived of consolations and of joy shared with others.
4
4:28 Now we - Who believe, whether Jews or Gentiles.Are children of the promise - Not born in a natural way, but by the supernatural power of God. And as such we are heirs of the promise made to believing Abraham.
4:29 But as then, he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, so it is now also - And so it will be in all ages and nations to the end of the world.
4:30 But what saith the scripture - Showing the consequence of this. Cast out the bondwoman and her son - Who mocked Isaac.In like manner will God cast out all who seek to be justified by the law; especially if they persecute them who are his children by faith. Gen 21:10.
4:31 So then - To sum up all. We - Who believe. Are not children of the bondwoman - Have nothing to do with the servile Mosaic dispensation. But of the free - Being free from the curse and the bond of that law, and from the power of sin and Satan.
5
5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty - From the ceremonial law.Wherewith Christ hath made us - And all believers, free; and be not entangled again with the yoke of legal bondage.
5:2 If ye be circumcised - And seek to be justified thereby.Christ - The Christian institution. Will profit you nothing - For you hereby disclaim Christ, and all the blessings which are through faith in him.
5:3 I testify to every man - Every gentile. That is circumcised - He thereby makes himself a debtor - Obliges.
5:4 Therefore Christ is become of no effect to you - Who seek to be justified by the law. Ye are fallen from grace - Ye renounce the new covenant. Ye disclaim the benefit of this gracious dispensation.
5:5 For we - Who believe in Christ, Who are under the gospel dispensation. Through the Spirit - Without any of those carnal ordinances.Wait for - in sure confidence of attaining. The hope of righteousness - The righteousness we hope for, and full reward of it. This righteousnesswe receive of God through faith; and by faith we shall obtain the reward.
5:6 For in Christ Jesus - According to the institution which he hath established, according to the tenor of the Christian covenant.Neither circumcision - With the most punctual observance of the law.Nor uncircumcision - With the most exact heathen morality.Availeth anything - Toward present justification or eternal salvation.But faith - Alone; even that faith which worketh by love - All inward and outward holiness.
5:7 Ye did run well - In the race of faith. Who hath hindered you in your course, that ye should not still obey the truth?
5:8 This your present persuasion cometh not from God, who called you - to his kingdom and glory.
5:9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump - One troubler, ver. Gal 5:10, troubles all.
5:10 Yet I have confidence that - After ye have read this. Ye will be no otherwise minded - Than I am, and ye were. But he that troubleth you - It seems to have been one person chiefly who endeavoured to seduce them. Shall bear his judgment - A heavy burden, already hanging over his head.