St Mark 12: 35-37

St Mark 12: 35-37

Jesus continues in the Temple precincts to speak with the scribes or doctors of the law. How can the scribes maintain that the Christ (Messiah) is the son of David? This is a challenging question that Jesus proposes to them.

Jesus then reminds them of Psalm 110, written by King David but inspired, as all Scripture is, by the Holy Spirit. Jesus is quite clear about that here, as he goes on to quote these verses from Psalm 110. “The Lord (Christ, the Messiah) said to my Lord (King David). Sit at my right hand and I will put your enemies under your feet”.

King David is prophesying about the Christ, the Messiah, not his son, although a descendent of King David through the lineage of St Joseph but superior to him, as he is the Christ, the Messiah.

So, what is Jesus saying to the Scribes. He is reminding them that although they may be learned men, with human wisdom, their wisdom is only human. David’s wisdom was a gift of the Holy Spirit and therefore he prophesies about the Messiah, the Christ. Basically, this is what Jesus was saying to the Scribes, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Their knowledge and wisdom had limitations as it lacked the input of the Holy Spirit and was preventing them from seeing and accepting Jesus as the Messiah.

We too have to be careful when making judgements about people and things. Are they simply human assertions and assumptions or are they divinely inspired objective truths?

“Today, having a clear faith based on the Creed of the Church is often labelled as fundamentalism. Whereas relativism, that is, letting oneself be tossed here and there, carried about by every wind of doctrine, seems the only attitude that can cope with modern times. We are building a dictatorship of relativism that does not recognize anything as definitive and whose ultimate goal consists solely of one’s own ego and desires.”

Cardinal Ratzinger’s Homily at the pre conclave Mass on 18th April 2005 prior to his election as Pope Benedict XVI on 19th April.

 

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