It happened that a world-class violinist, Joshua Bell, played in a crowded subway station and was ignored by hundreds of passersby simply because he was performing incognito.
Similarly, in Mark 3, the scribes fail to recognize Jesus for who He truly is. Seeing His miraculous works, they accused him of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons. This act of the scribes reveals the growing tension surrounding Jesus’ identity and mission, even until today. And that raises some questions for us today.
Why Did They Not Recognize Him?
Maybe, because Jesus did not meet up with their expectation regarding what a messiah should look like. Philippians 2: 6-7 states: “Christ who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” Secondly, the scribes may have failed to recognize him due to their preconceived notion about him, about his family or even stories surrounding his birth. The point here is that they criticized him out of their ignorance of who he really is. Addressing their ignorance, Jesus asserts: “How can Satan drive out Satan?” “A divided kingdom cannot stand.” (Mark 3:23). Ignorance remains one of the many factors why people criticize others.
What Does It Take to Recognize Him Today?
The scribes’ inability to recognize Jesus points to a larger truth, namely, recognizing Jesus requires more than witnessing miracles or hearing teachings. It demands spiritual discernment and openness to God’s Spirit. Hence, miracles and teachings are only signs pointing to his divine nature, and they are meant to elicit faith in us. Like the crowd in the subway, who failed to appreciate the violinist’s artistry, the scribes failed to recognize him because they closed up themselves to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. And this is what Jesus referred to as the unforgiveable sin. In his Homilies on Matthew, St John Chrysostom notes that attributing the works of Christ to evil reveals a hardened heart unwilling to recognize God’s grace.
Why Is Recognizing Jesus Important Today?
At Jesus’s baptism, God the Father introduced him as his only beloved Son, to whom we should listen. The readings (especially Sunday readings) following his baptism try to focus on his personality and his mission as the Messiah. The reason is simple: so that we may recognize him and contribute to his mission in our time.
In order to participate in his mission, we need to examine our understanding of him. This is important because the world we live in often misrepresents and even renders him insignificant. Only the Holy Spirit can help us participate in his mission by granting us a fuller understanding of him. It is only with the Spirit’s help that we will be able to acknowledge God’s hand in our affairs and encourage the good works of God in others.
Today’s Gospel challenges us to move beyond superficial identification with Jesus to a deep, Spirit-led understanding of His identity and mission. Then, recognizing Him goes along with trusting Him, and working with Him to establish His kingdom on earth. And regarding the reason for his ministry, the first reading addresses him as the eternal high Priest, who has compassion for his people. That should be the reason behind our cooperation with him.
