B: 16th Sun of OrdTime (22 July 2018) - PITY ON THE POOR - Mk 6:30-34

The last line of our Gospel today says: “and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length” (Mk 6:34). This is a reference to Jesus who initially sought to rest and eat with his disciples after their tiring rural missions (v. 31). However, due to the enormity of the crowd that follows them, he changed his mind and attended on them all (vv. 33-34).

Here is just one of the many examples when God is presented in the Bible as somebody whose decisions are mutable. Take for example Gen 18:16-33 where God assures Abraham that he will change his resolve in destroying Sodom and Gomorrah provided he finds at least 10 righteous persons there (v. 32). Or recall the conversion of Nineveh after Jonah’s preaching to which it is said: “When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened” (Jonah 3:10). Ironical to the stereotypical nature of a deity, the God of the Old Testament is such a god who can be won over by mankind even if he has initially made up his mind. But this does not happen because God is weak, but because he truly listens to the pleas of the needy, altering his plans on their behalf.

In today’s gospel, the mitigating factor for Jesus’ change of mind is pity. The Greek word used here for this feeling of sympathy is “splagchnizomai” which is derived etymologically from “splagchnon”, i.e., “the inward parts of a body, including esp. the viscera, inward parts, entrails” (cf. BDAG). Literally, it means that one’s internal organs (heart, stomach and intestines) ache at the sight of a pitiful situation. Jesus may have also felt the same way at the sight of the crowd that is spiritually lost. Thus, he acted contrary to his initial plan and took care of them all. In the Synoptics “splagchnizomai” appears 12 times, out of which 5 times is a reference to Jesus’ compassion to the crowd (Mt 9:6; 14:14; 15:32; Mk 6:34; 8:2) and in 4 times it is a description of Jesus’ mercy to the sick or to the dead (Mt 20:34; Mk 1:41; 9:22; Lk 7:13). Clearly, Jesus changes his mind as the God of the OT does… it is because both are sensitive to the true situation of suffering of the people.

Changing one’s mind is not a sign of weakness. On the contrary, it can be a sign of strength especially when outside forces are pressuring one not to do so, or when the status quo is blocking the way. On this regard, deciding in favor of the marginalized will be counter-cultural or counter-economical, but it should be done since the cause of the poor should be prioritized. If one is truly attuned to the cry of the poor, a drastic change of disposition and ideology should take place. Consider the inspiring story of the British journalist Thomas Graham who left his comfortable life in the UK to embrace the life of a missionary in the Philippines in service of the needy (cf. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-JxeTd8kAw). We are not asked to imitate his radicalism fully. But we are all called to carry always a similar pro-poor disposition.

In the Philippines our internal organs must have been aching regularly at the sight of daily atrocities and sufferings. At the eve of the 3rd State of the Nation Address (SONA) of the Philippine President, we are still optimistic that a change of mind and heart can happen. And on our part, may we all begin to change our minds as well… all for the sake of the forgotten Filipino poor lest we become guilty of the accusation of Jeremiah in the First Reading: “You have let my flock be scattered and go wandering and have not taken care of them (Jer 23:2).”

- Rex Fortes, CM