Food for the Mind

Today’s Gospel Text:  He went away from there and came to his own country; and his disciples followed him. 2 And on the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue; and many who heard him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get all this? What is the wisdom given to him? What mighty works are wrought by his hands! 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. 4 And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house." 5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands upon a few sick people and healed them. 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief.

And he went about among the villages teaching. Mark 6:1-6

Reflection: What if a man doesn't feed himself, what will happen to him?

Will he not die of hunger? How important and necessary it is to feed ourselves with a diet that is nutritious enough to sustain ourselves. 

But more than our stomachs is the mind which is the reason why we want to survive and even live for eternity. If the mind would not prod us on we would never want to eat and live and so is the case with the many who attempt suicide.

Suicide is the sickness of a mind that can no more feed itself with hope and has given in to the negative hunger of despair and hopelessness.

What food can we feed this mind with that it may keep going?

Modern research into the mind of a man gives us some interesting food for thought; an opinion which sometimes keep changing according to its discoveries and thus proves its deficiency.

But what happens to the many minds that coped up with life before the development of modern psychology? Did they not cope up with life too? Yes, they did and many a times did better.

We are in a phase in society which gives so much importance to the science of parapsychology and psychology that it prefers to reduce the time tested revealed word of God to naught. 

In reality, a sound psychological innovation can never be in conflict with what scripture reveals to us about the human person.

Jesus came to feed the mind and in order to do so he makes it a point to teach in the synagogues on a Sabbath the many minds that wants to feed on the life-giving word of God.

His teachings will not only sustain us in this life but will even lead us to eternal life and it is his prayer too for us: "Sanctify them in the truth; thy word is truth." John 17:17

Prayer: Lord, teach and sanctify me constantly by the working of your Holy Spirit as I daily choose to sit at your feet.

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His Commandment

Scripture/Bible:   And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is the first of all?" 29 Jesus answered, "The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' 31 The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." 32 And the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that he is one, and there is no other but he; 33 and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And after that no one dared to ask him any question. Mark 12:28-34

Reflection:  Confidence to trust someone seems so easy to the simple but rarely to the proud. 

There must have been many scribes around the place and one of them turns to Jesus and asks: "Which commandment is the first of all?"

Christ Jesus is indeed the right person to ask the most difficult questions of life, about right teachings and the correct way of life?

Why do people ask questions and why should they ask the right person? Generally speaking, people ask in order that they may learn and in learning they find that they grow. Intellect, if fed with the right knowledge, grows in the right direction.

If one thought that one grows only or though either of these; eating, drinking, playing or working then one has missed the essential aspect of life. 

Learning, through the development of the mind, is the best among the growth processes we can think of.  And of all learning, the learning of character is primary; to love and respect.

If we do not learn from our many learning’s the source of our origin and learn not how to love him with all our mind, heart, soul and strength then what use is it? We will miss out on learning and putting into practice the greatest virtue called ‘humility’ which is essential for our survival, which includes the collective survival of the human race, even unto eternity.

The Scribe absorbed the truth which Jesus teaches, well and his mind was quite open to what Jesus had to say. But did he lack that one thing, viz. observance of what he knew to be the truth?

Prayer: “With my whole heart I seek thee; let me not wander from thy commandments! I have laid up thy word in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Ps 119:10-11

DD = Dedicated Discipleship:  Come grow in the Lord with us