B: 11th Sun of OrdTime (17 June 2018) - JESUS THE FARMER - Mk 4:26-34

There are debates in the biblical field inquiring on the exact profession of Jesus, or at least, knowing which craft he is more exposed into. The leading candidate is that he is a carpenter. Jesus is explicitly described in Mk 6:3 as a carpenter, and as a son of one in Mt 13:55. This is a reference to Joseph who is known as a carpenter in tradition; the liturgical calendar celebrates this title every first of May. Furthermore, Jesus talks about building a house (Mt 7:24-26; par. Lk 6:48-49), which may be an indication that he is sharing here what he had experienced as a craftsman himself.

However, most of his parables, analogies and revelations of his identity are about other professions. Firstly, he allegorizes his ministry as fishing people (Mk 1:17). In fact, most of his disciples are fishermen (Mt 4:18). He even describes God’s kingdom in the activity of catching fish (Mt 13:47; Jn 21:3ff.). Secondly, he calls himself a good shepherd (Jn 10:11,14) who will take care of his sheep against all harm (Mt 18:22). At his birth, his first visitors are shepherds (Lk 2:15-20). As if going into full circles, before he departs he entrusts Peter to feed/tend his lamb/sheep (Jn 21:15-17). Thirdly, Jesus also uses the imagery of merchandise or the trade industry several times especially in describing the kingdom of God, namely: doing business dealings (Mt 25:5; Lk 19:13), taking care of treasures (Mt 6:19-21), finding a rare pearl (Mt 13:45-46), putting money in the bank (Lk 19:23), and saving treasure in heaven (Lk 18:22). Finally, and more abundantly, he uses the farming profession, as we encounter in our gospel today (Mk 4:26-34). He uses the parable of the seeds several other times: Mt 13:4-8,31-38; Lk 8:5-11; 13:19; 17:6. Additionally, he calls his father a vine-grower and he as the vine (Jn 15:1).

In sum, what we can conclude is that Jesus, though described as a carpenter in the gospel, is knowledgeable enough of many other crafts. The many instances that he uses them in his speeches is probably because he wants to relate closely with what the general population do. Indeed, being a carpenter does not disqualify one from speaking about other professional activities. On the contrary, it all the more gives him license to talk about it considering that he/she is in the blue-collar profession… an ordinary citizen of the Roman empire like all of them.

In a similar vein, being a priest is not confined to speaking only spiritual matters or things related to worship and religion. Otherwise, if the pulpit is restricted to that, priests should then proclaim exclusively in convents and monasteries to religious congregations who can relate best with what they know. Rather, they are called to proclaim the good news to the poor (Lk 4:18). In his homily to the clergy and the religious at the Manila Cathedral in 2015, Pope Francis reminded them that they face the “challenge of proclaiming the radicalism of the Gospel in a society which has grown comfortable with social exclusion, polarization, and scandalous inequality” especially when “those living in the midst of a society burdened by poverty and corruption, tempted to give up.”

Last June 10, Fr. Richmond Nilo became the third Filipino priest gunned down in the past 6 months; Fr. Marcelito Paez was killed in December, followed by Fr. Mark Ventura in April. The popular discourse behind all of these is: it is their fault, they should not be meddling with political matters in the first place. Be the judge yourselves… Will we fault priests for speaking the truth especially when the poor are unprotected? Rather, they are simply speaking for those who cannot.

This is a sad moment for the Philippine Church. We can only take comfort on the words of Paul in the second reading: “For all the truth about us will be brought out in the law court of Christ, and each of us will get what he deserves for the things he did in the body, good or bad” (2 Cor 5:10).

- Rex Fortes, CM