Meditating In Scripture
“A productive method of meditation [on Scripture] is to place yourself at the scriptural event and ask: What does it mean to me? How can I respond to it? If by personal insight you are drawn into the event, the prayer becomes all the more effective because the imaginary elements will symbolically represent particular needs which you have. They may be far away from the actual historical event, but they do link you with it...
After placing ourselves in mind’s eye at a particular Gospel event, we may go on to ponder the reactions of those present at the historical occurrence. This enables us to examine our real feelings, because we are projecting ourselves into the role of a participant or a bystander.
…I have often meditated on the incident of the man with the withered hand and tried to place myself in his situation. He comes into the public life of our Lord early on, in Mark 3:1-6. It is a dramatic moment and one of the earliest recorded conflicts between Christ and His critics. The man is cured on the Sabbath; after witnessing the miracle, Christ’s enemies leave the synagogue plotting to destroy Him.
The man who had been cured was quite ordinary, filled with ordinary thoughts. He no doubt had to contend with all the fears and frustrations of a disadvantaged person. In a simple agrarian society the embarrassment of his affliction was not mitigated by good manners; a handicap was often seen as a sign of God’s displeasure. How did he feel when he was cured by Christ? He was delighted; his parents were vindicated. He showed his restored arm to everyone in the town, which was probably Capernaum. I thought of this man as I sat in the town’s old marketplace, no doubt near the place where it had happened. I could hear him relating the good news, laughing, and clapping his two hands together.
But how did he react later when he heard the controversy about Jesus of Nazareth? At first he defended Christ loudly to all comers. But if he was an ordinary man, he started to pull in his horns when he heard about the displeasure of those in power: the scribes, the priests, the Romans. Controversy was not his line. Someone suggested that it was all just a natural phenomenon: others thought it was the work of the devil. My God, the devil! What had he gotten himself into? He took his older brother’s advice, ‘Keep your mouth shut, and don’t go showing your hand to people.’
Then the word went around that Jesus had predicted the destruction of the town. He had told people to drink His blood. He had cured the sick but had condemned the authorities. Many people who had been disciples followed Him no longer. The poor man put his head in his hands and was deeply perplexed. ‘After all,’ he said to himself, ‘if He is a prophet, He can save Himself. He does not need my help.’ And then, he remembered, ‘they killed the prophets, too.’
One afternoon the Roman dispatch-rider brought news. Despite the fact that it was the great Sabbath (he heard the news outside the synagogue), word spread that the prophet was dead. He had been crucified. The thought crossed his mind: ‘My brother was right. Keep your mouth shut.’ Then another thought, ‘Will my hand wither now? I have to go home and keep a constant watch for any signs of withering. Will it start to rot like a leprous hand?’
He started to pray to the Almighty. But suppose the prophet had not come from God? He began to feel sick…
A day or two later―on the Monday after the Sabbath―the news broke. Again, the Romans had it first. They were alarmed. Soldiers were everywhere. In public, everyone kept quiet, but underneath, there was wild curiosity, laughter, and, in the homes of His followers, great rejoicing mixed with confusion and disbelief. The man looked carefully at his hand. It was perfectly all right. No signs of decay. He laughed; he cried. He clapped his hands together. Jesus was a prophet, after all, and had come back from the dead. That will fix them! They’ll all believe now; they’ll have to. He spoke to his brother and suggested: ‘Let’s tell everybody.’ But his brother again said, ‘Keep your mouth shut. Wait.’ So he said nothing. He was still silent when the rebellion came. The Romans razed the town and crucified him with the others. Perhaps he called on the Prophet when they pierced his hands.”
~Benedict Groeschel
After placing ourselves in mind’s eye at a particular Gospel event, we may go on to ponder the reactions of those present at the historical occurrence. This enables us to examine our real feelings, because we are projecting ourselves into the role of a participant or a bystander.
…I have often meditated on the incident of the man with the withered hand and tried to place myself in his situation. He comes into the public life of our Lord early on, in Mark 3:1-6. It is a dramatic moment and one of the earliest recorded conflicts between Christ and His critics. The man is cured on the Sabbath; after witnessing the miracle, Christ’s enemies leave the synagogue plotting to destroy Him.
The man who had been cured was quite ordinary, filled with ordinary thoughts. He no doubt had to contend with all the fears and frustrations of a disadvantaged person. In a simple agrarian society the embarrassment of his affliction was not mitigated by good manners; a handicap was often seen as a sign of God’s displeasure. How did he feel when he was cured by Christ? He was delighted; his parents were vindicated. He showed his restored arm to everyone in the town, which was probably Capernaum. I thought of this man as I sat in the town’s old marketplace, no doubt near the place where it had happened. I could hear him relating the good news, laughing, and clapping his two hands together.
But how did he react later when he heard the controversy about Jesus of Nazareth? At first he defended Christ loudly to all comers. But if he was an ordinary man, he started to pull in his horns when he heard about the displeasure of those in power: the scribes, the priests, the Romans. Controversy was not his line. Someone suggested that it was all just a natural phenomenon: others thought it was the work of the devil. My God, the devil! What had he gotten himself into? He took his older brother’s advice, ‘Keep your mouth shut, and don’t go showing your hand to people.’
Then the word went around that Jesus had predicted the destruction of the town. He had told people to drink His blood. He had cured the sick but had condemned the authorities. Many people who had been disciples followed Him no longer. The poor man put his head in his hands and was deeply perplexed. ‘After all,’ he said to himself, ‘if He is a prophet, He can save Himself. He does not need my help.’ And then, he remembered, ‘they killed the prophets, too.’
One afternoon the Roman dispatch-rider brought news. Despite the fact that it was the great Sabbath (he heard the news outside the synagogue), word spread that the prophet was dead. He had been crucified. The thought crossed his mind: ‘My brother was right. Keep your mouth shut.’ Then another thought, ‘Will my hand wither now? I have to go home and keep a constant watch for any signs of withering. Will it start to rot like a leprous hand?’
He started to pray to the Almighty. But suppose the prophet had not come from God? He began to feel sick…
A day or two later―on the Monday after the Sabbath―the news broke. Again, the Romans had it first. They were alarmed. Soldiers were everywhere. In public, everyone kept quiet, but underneath, there was wild curiosity, laughter, and, in the homes of His followers, great rejoicing mixed with confusion and disbelief. The man looked carefully at his hand. It was perfectly all right. No signs of decay. He laughed; he cried. He clapped his hands together. Jesus was a prophet, after all, and had come back from the dead. That will fix them! They’ll all believe now; they’ll have to. He spoke to his brother and suggested: ‘Let’s tell everybody.’ But his brother again said, ‘Keep your mouth shut. Wait.’ So he said nothing. He was still silent when the rebellion came. The Romans razed the town and crucified him with the others. Perhaps he called on the Prophet when they pierced his hands.”
~Benedict Groeschel
Comments