Selective Hearing

“Don't waste your time with explanations: people only hear what they want to hear.” Insofar as Paulo Coelho's quote reflects the truth of human behavior, it also reflects the behavior of the disciples in the Gospel of Mark. Time and again, Jesus explains to his closest followers that he must fail: he must be judged, treated with contempt, made the least of all, and finally, put to death shamefully in the public square. Still, when Jesus tries to explain this, all the disciples hear is what they want to hear: that Jesus is the Lord's Messiah; that he is powerful, that he works signs and wonders, and that he will be raised in victory. But of what do the power and victory of Jesus consist? What happens when you talk about the Resurrection without the Cross? What happens to the disciples in Mark? Those who are called to serve the lowest and the least in God's household change the subject away from the dregs of the teaching to the heights of personal glory: who, the disciples ask, among their privileged ranks is the greatest? What to do, O Lord, when even divine hyperbole falls short? Richard and Fr. Marc discuss Mark 9:30-37. Episode 175 Mark 9:30-37; Subscribe: http://feedpress.me/the-bible-as-literature; “The Lift” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http:// creativecommons .org/ licenses /by/3.0/ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★