Whoever does the will of God
Tenth Sunday - Year B
Genesis 3:9-15; 2 Cor 4:13-5:1; Mark 3:20-35
Today's first reading begins with the question, "Where are you?" (Gen 3: 9). God knows exactly where Adam is, the question is whether Adam knows in what situation he found himself after sin. Adam does not admit his sin. He blames Eve and indirectly God for what happened. "The woman whom you put here with me - she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it" (Gen. 3:12).
The question, "Where are you?" is also addressed to us today. Do you try to hide from God? Why? Do you not know that "with the Lord, there is mercy, and fullness of redemption" (Ps. 130:7)? Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for your life. Out of the depths call to the Lord and he will redeem you from all your sins (see Ps 130:1.8). Do you know where you are going? Our goal is the resurrection (2 Cor. 4:14), we have a building from God, eternal in heaven (2 Cor. 5:1).
The first reading ends with the promise of salvation. Sin and death will not have the last word. God says: "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel" (Gen. 3:15). The fulfillment of this promise is in the Gospel. Anointed by the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:10), Jesus went through this life, "doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil" (Acts 10:38). Jesus' activity was an explosion of God's mercy. Jesus Christ, the offspring of the woman, the Blessed Virgin Mary, went into the house of the strong man, tied him up, and plundered his house.
The scribes from Jerusalem try to discredit Jesus’ liberating ministry (Mark 3:22). This method is also used today. It is claimed that the doctrine and morality of the Church are against science, and the pastors of the Church are being discredited in the eyes of the faithful. "If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!" (Matt. 10:25). The cunning serpent cannot bear that the Church, also anointed with the Holy Spirit, continues Jesus’ mission by freeing humankind from the power of evil.
The mother of Jesus and his relatives came "to call him" (Mark 3:31). Each of us needs time to understand the importance of Jesus' mission that he needs "to be in the things that belong to my Father" (Luke 2:49). But when, like Mary, we treasure all these things in our hearts (Luke 2:51), then God slowly transforms us. Instead of "calling" Jesus, we let ourselves be "called" by Jesus. Then, like Mary, we are ready to stand under the cross (John 19:25), and like James, the brother of the Lord (Galatians 1:19), we decide to serve the Christian community.
What conclusions will we draw for ourselves? Jesus leaves no doubt: The purpose of life is to do not what we want, but what God desires from us. "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 7:21). So the question, "Where are you," turns into another question: "Do you do the will of the Father?" Wherever you are in your life, do you do the will of the Father?