GROW: If we reflect on today’s Gospel, it might be hard for us to envision Jesus ever dressed like an actual king! When Pontius Pilate asked him if he was a king, Jesus responded, “If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over.” Imagine: Jesus had spent the night in agony; his friends had all abandoned him; and, in a few verses, Pilate will deliver him to be scourged.

GROW: My brother-in-law inherited his father’s company. Although he studied business in college, he knew years before receiving his degree that, provided he was faithful to his studies, he would have a comfortable job waiting for him after graduation. We may not all inherit the same economic opportunities as my brother-in-law, but, as Christians, we are heirs of infinitely greater spiritual ones.

GROW: “Give it your all! Leave it all on the field! Trust in your training/preparation/coaches.” We’ve all heard a version of this type of exhortation. It requires a great amount of confidence and trust – faith, if you will – to let go of our doubt and fears. The two widows of today’s readings had such confidence, as they offer us heroic examples of faith. The widow of Zarephath uses her only remaining food to cook for Elijah. She did this after receiving God’s promise that, “The jar of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry.”

GROW: It is not surprising that we hear both Moses and Jesus speak the same words in today’s Scripture. After all, Truth and Good News bear repeating! The Lord our God is Lord alone! “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” In these words, Moses is instructing the people to fear the Lord and keep all his commandments and in turn God would give them “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Canaan).

GROW: Although today’s Gospel recounts the healing of Bartimaeus’ physical blindness, the story is a summons for each of us to be healed of our spiritual blindness. Spiritual blindness, an effect of sin, clouds our ability to perceive who we are and who God is. Paradoxically, Bartimaeus’ spiritual eyesight is clear; he recognizes who Jesus is and he sees his own desperate need for Jesus’ help. For us, however, sin acts like dust, obstructing our vision and preventing us from perceiving God’s presence.

GROW: Our world lays down rules for greatness: wealth, accomplishment in the performing arts, beauty, business acumen. Hmmm. I don’t recall hearing any of these attributes in the Scripture passages today. What I do remember is Jesus saying that whatever authority the disciples exercise must be rendered as service rather than for personal gain: “Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant.”

GROW: All this talk about wisdom in today’s readings ... why should we care? Born of a familiarity with the heart of God, wisdom is a virtue that grants us discernment to know right from wrong and to follow God’s plan. It is so important to the life of the disciple that it is a gift given to us by the Holy Spirit.

GROW: Everything in God’s creation is intended to reflect his goodness and proclaim his glory. It’s not hard to understand this idea when we behold the majesty of the sea. It can be more difficult, however, to remember this is also present in each of us and in our relationships – including that relationship God designed for man and woman: marriage. Our ability to turn away from God means that we sometimes reject, rather than reflect, him.

GROW: Experience, education, and brainpower give parents wisdom and foresight. They can see the bigger picture and determine, for example, that eating an entire box of cookies will make their child sick – no matter how appetizing the cookies appear. God, likewise, has a perspective that is infinitely broader and deeper than our own. This divine perspective is the lens through which we must understand the strong language Jesus uses in today’s Gospel.

GROW:How often does ambition get in the way of holiness? In today’s Gospel, Jesus foretells his death, and the Apostles respond by arguing over who among them is most important. But the Apostles’ aspirations and motivation stand in stark contrast to the humility necessary for discipleship; their lack of understanding signals a need for instruction. “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all,” Jesus explains.

GROW: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.” Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel don’t leave much room for “secondary interpretation.” Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus. At first glance this may sound intimidating, but let’s think about it in the light of today’s readings. By denying ourselves, we are able to turn more fully toward God and toward others. Isn’t that what James is asking of us in his letter? He says this of faith: “if it does not have works, [it] is dead.” He even uses an example that might sound like something we would hear in a homily today: he asks, if you see someone who doesn’t have proper food or clothing and you simply wish them well without offering assistance, what good are you doing?

GROW: My first thought upon reading today’s Scriptures is that by healing the deaf man, Jesus is fulfilling what God had said he was going to do since the time of the prophet Isaiah: “making the eyes of the blind see and opening the ears of the deaf,” as we heard in the first reading. And indeed this is what Jesus did. But when I re-read the Gospel I was intrigued by the line: “[Jesus] took him off by himself away from the crowd.” Jesus had a reputation as a healer and a teacher, so it stands to reason that he healed people in front of the crowds often. Why, then, does Jesus remove the man from the crowd?

Dt 4:1-2, 6-8; Jas 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27; Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

GROW: Traditions are so important to us! They help define and preserve our heritage and our communities while also offering comfort and stability. They shape our human world as we see and live it. But in today’s Gospel, Jesus scolds the Pharisees and scribes for allowing “the tradition of the elders” to drive them to hypocrisy: “In vain do they worship [the Lord], teaching as doctrines human precepts.” He accuses them, saying “You disregard God's commandment but cling to human tradition.”