For this purpose have I come

WEDNESDAY 15 JANUARY (Mk 1,29-39)

Jesus will have to do nothing starting from his will, heart, mind, feelings and virtues. Not even charity, compassion, mercy and piety will have to come from Him. He is entirely of the Father and always from the Father and from his will. The Father wrote everything for him. Jesus just has to obey. Thus the Psalm: “Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired; My ears You have opened; Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required. Then I said, “Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart.” I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation; Behold, I will not restrain my lips, O Lord, You know. I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your loving kindness and Your truth from the great congregation” (Cf. Ps 40 (39) 1-18). Jesus must draw all, even the simplest thought from the will of the Father. Nothing must come from his heart. His life can only be obedience.

The Letter to the Hebrews reveals that our redemption is the fruit of Jesus’ obedience to the will that the Father wrote for him on the scroll of his heart. Jesus’ sacrifice is his obedience that leads him to die on the cross for the Father: “For this reason, when he came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight in. Then I said, ‘As is written of me in the scroll, Behold, I come to do your will, O God.'” First he says, “Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings, you neither desired nor delighted in.” These are offered according to the law. Then he says, “Behold, I come to do your will.” He takes away the first to establish the second. By this “will,” we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb 10,5-10). Not only does Satan want to write his will on the scroll of the Book of Jesus, but also every other man, including all the sick. Peter and the other disciples even want to add a few sentences, a few lines and some entire period. Jesus knows that a powerful temptation can come to him from every man. For this reason, at night he retires to deserted, isolated places, and prays to his Father, so that he always shows him how much it is written that He does for today. Every day the Father writes. Every day Jesus must know. Every day he must obey. Every day he will be tempted to not obey.

On leaving the synagogue he entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them. When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him. Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.” He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.” So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.

Jesus is in prayer. He asks the Father to show him his will. The sick seek Jesus. They expect healing from Him. The Apostles with Simon put themselves on Jesus’ trail. They find him and tell him that everyone is looking for him. His answer is immediate: “Let us go elsewhere, in the neighboring villages, so that I also preach there. That’s why I came!” Jesus is not from the heart of the sick. He is not from the heart of his Apostles. He is not from any other man’s heart. He is not from Satan’s heart. He is not even from his heart, from his feelings and from his compassion and mercy. Jesus is only from the heart of the Father. He only does what the Father momentarily writes on the scroll of his heart. Jesus is always in everything perfect and universal obedience. Today, He has to leave the sick and go elsewhere. He leaves and goes to preach the Gospel where the Father sent him. Not even charity stops him.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints, always make us obedient like Christ Jesus, in everything.