Blog # 19 THE TEACHER

Blog #19 THE TEACHER St Mark begins the fourth chapter of his Gospel by giving the setting in which Jesus gave the parable of the sower. It is by the sea, most likely up around the city of Cepernaum, on the lake of Gallilee. The lake is around fourteen miles long and nine miles wide. Jesus is on the shore. Peter is there with his fishing boat and several of the other Apostles and disciples of the Lord. Jesus is teaching! As more and more people come out from the town to listen to Jesus, He gets into one of the boats and sits down. The crowd gathers around the boat and sits on the shore facing the sea. There is the picture, the crowd sitting on the shore, Jesus in a boat , teaching . Men women and children are in the crowd. There are fishermen carpenters business people. There are old wrinkled men. There are youths full of life and vigor. There are babies sleeping in their mothers' arms. People just like you and me, but almost two thousand years ahead of us in the story of creation and human life. Jesus is teaching them all, the rich the poor the blind the lame the young and the old. And well can He teach, for He is the Word of whom St. John speaks at the beginning of his Gospel saying : In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Then St. John goes on to say that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And this is Jesus, here before us, God Himself, yet one of us. God, all good, knowing all things, powerful enough to create by willing it the heat of the sun,the beauty of the flowers and the stars, and the goodness of mercy and forgiveness, Lord and Master, now become our brother, Jesus the Savior of the World is here before us teaching, teaching all who would come to listen and to learn, then as well as now, the crowds on the shore of the lake, people living all over the world today, you, and me. May we cherish the teachings of Jesus in the Bible. May we spend time with Him there, listening and learning. May our minds be open to His message and our hearts be open to His love!