Center for Action and Contemplation ~ Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation: ”Third Time Should Be a Charm!” ~ Wednesday, 23 October 2013
Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation
Sixth Theme: The path of descent is the path of transformation. Darkness, failure, relapse, death, and woundedness are our primary teachers, rather than ideas or doctrines (Process).
“Third Time Should Be a Charm!”
Meditation 35 of 51
After their first opposition to the message (Mark 8:31-38), Jesus talks about necessary suffering again (Mark 9:30-37). He tells them that “The Human One” must be delivered into the hands of the people. They will put him to death, and three days later he will be raised up. But the disciples do not understand what he says, and this time they are afraid to ask him. Maybe they don’t want to get bawled out a second time. And yet, they mutter amongst themselves about who is the greatest. It feels like a cartoon.
So Jesus sits down. He calls them to him. You can just feel his exasperation. He says, “Now listen, if anyone wants to be first, he’s got to make himself last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35). He takes a little child in his arms and says, “Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me” (9:37). He’s turning the social order upside down. But they still miss the message! So Jesus speaks of necessary suffering a third time (10:32f). It is hard to believe, but the disciples respond by asking “to be seated at Jesus’ right and left hand when he comes in glory” (10:35-37)! It is as if they are on another planet. And these are the famous twelve apostles who founded our faith?
It would be laughable, if it were not so tragic, and if it had not become a prediction of so much of church leadership down to our own time. In Mark’s Gospel, and you can check it out for yourself, the blind man Bartimaeus (10:46-52), the pagan Roman centurion (15:37-39), and the sinner Mary Magdalene (16:9-13) are the only named believers. Again, I must say it: There is a message here!(Adapted from The Four Gospels (CD, MP3) The Daily Meditations for 2013 are now available in Fr. Richard’s new book Yes, And . . . .)
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Center for Action and Contemplation
1705 Five Points Rd SW, Albuquerque, NM 87105 (physical)
PO Box 12464, Albuquerque, NM 87195-2464 (mailing)
(505) 242-9588
cac.org
1705 Five Points Rd SW, Albuquerque, NM 87105 (physical)
PO Box 12464, Albuquerque, NM 87195-2464 (mailing)
(505) 242-9588
cac.org
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