Jesus and the crowds

As a matter of fact, the horizontal aspect quickly became the proof of the vertical. If Christians weren't one with one another, then neither were they one with Jesus.

This insight prompts Paul to speak about Jesus bringing together two extremes: Gentile and Jew (Eph 2: 12-18). "He (Jesus) came and preached peace to you who were far off (Gentiles) and peace to those who were near (Jews), for through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father."

Love for all

Paul's faith in Jesus led him to understand a dimension of God's personality which many "religious folk" conveniently forget: God's love and concern for everyone.

A lack of love and concern for others is at the heart of Jeremiah's condemnation of the religious and civil leaders of his day (Jer 23: 1-6). "Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture, says Yahweh.... You have scattered my sheep and driven them away. You have not cared for them."

Because Jeremiah is addressing Jewish leaders, he logically emphasizes Jewish well-being. But the name given to the mysterious future leader who shall "reign and govern wisely,...who shall do what is just and right in the land" contains the roots of something broader. "This is the name they give him," Yahweh proclaims, "the Lord, our justice."

Because of our Greek philosophic training, most of us regard a "just" person as someone who treats everyone equally, an individual who strives to give everyone what he or she deserves.

Who is just?

A truly just person helps fill the basic human need to be recognized and treated as special persons. What other name so perfectly describes someone who leads us in such a direction? "Our justice" is most appropriate.

This biblical dimension of justice also stands out in Jesus' personality. In the Gospel (Mk 6: 30-34), we see someone trying to find a time and place to be alone with His disciples, who are returning from their first "missionary journey." Yet He still relates to those crashing His private party. He's not angry with the crowd who interrupts His plans. On the contrary, "His heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd."

Ironically, Jesus' attempt to relate to his disruptive crowd eventually leads Him to perform Mark's first bread miracle, an event which scholars interpret as a sign of the Eucharist.

Ever notice the instructions inside the cover of our parish missalettes, the ones which remind us who may and who may not receive the Eucharist? It's amazing that we Christians have turned an action which our faith ancestors regarded and used as a great sign of -- and help to -- unity into an action that today divides us. Maybe some of us have yet to experience the same "just" Jesus that His first followers experienced. (07-20-00) [[In-content Ad]]