St. Mark's Gospel is the sketchy first Gospel and is therefore sometimes difficult to understand in its short, often-times seemingly incomplete thoughts and unrelated sentences and paragraphs. Today we have such an example.
The first sentence today tells us that God the Father rewards anyone (disciple or not) who gives a bearer of Christ's name (a Christian) a cup of cold water because of that "name" – thus emphasizing the exalted nature and high-ranking of that sweet and powerful "name-of-names." – JESUS!
The second sentence is about the fate of those who scandalize or put stumbling blocks in the path of those poor and innocent ones who are trying their best to follow the ways of Jesus – trying to be his disciples - come what may. There is enough confusion involved in being a disciple without anyone deliberately trying to make the way more difficult. This warning goes for any who try to affect the spiritual lives of the "little ones." This can include the misguided – all too-human side of the Church leadership - at times, as well as any others who seem bent on seeing things their own way – rather than God's.
Next, because the body was a well-used image at the time, St. Mark warns us that it is better for body parts to be disregarded as if dismembered – if they are to be a cause of sin which ends in eternal damnation and punishment. It is better to discipline the body now; than to suffer the eternal loss of our souls – and our new spiritual bodies that we will get on the Last Day!
Lastly we see the image of salt being used in three different ways in one paragraph! "Everyone will be salted with fire"- refers to some of the conditions and persecutions that the just will endure near the end of the age. "If salt goes flat, what will restore its flavor?" – meaning: if your attitude goes bad, how can it be restored to goodness? And "keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another" – meaning: keep the flavor of your life in Christ: keep the Holy Spirit alive within your hearts and you will have his peace within you and there will be peace among you!
Those who do not understand any of the above messages are like the "rich in their own estimation" of the first reading today! They are the evil and wicked ones who think only of themselves and care nothing about how their lives and decisions affect other people. They hoard treasures of their own definition and calculation for themselves that will rot when they die – and yet they keep hoarding anyway – they are so steeped in evil. What fools they are!
May we receive the entire word of God today, not as the word of men – that leads only to death – but as it truly is, the word of God: which leads only to life – ever lasting life of joy, bliss and peace – in the Kingdom of our Father!
Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!
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