They begged him to Lay His Hand
Recently, I attended a vigil for a deceased. The prayers were led by a prayer group who reverently conducted a solemn series of prayers that ‘begged God’ to show mercy and compassion on the deceased. The prayers reminded me of the line in this week’s Gospel Mark 7: 31-37 ‘(they) begged him to lay his hand on him (and heal him)’.
The vigil was attended by family and friends and as I sat there looking around I thought it must have been the same with the group who approached Jesus ‘begging for healing’ for the man with the hearing and speech impediment. It must have been a group of family and genuine friends.
This led me to reflect on the importance of having genuine friends and family in our lives, especially in moments of deep need. They are the ones who stand by us, intercede for us, and often bring us before God with their prayers, just as the group in the Gospel did. True friends and family not only share in our joy but, like the attendees at the vigil, also share in our pain, offering support and seeking God’s grace on our behalf.
This experience gave me an insight into Jesus’ teaching on the ‘Kingdom of God’. Throughout his ministry he emphasised community as in The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). This parable emphasizes that true community in the Kingdom of God extends beyond social, ethnic, or religious boundaries. The Samaritan, moved by compassion, helps a stranger, showing himself as a genuine neighbour.
And at the Last Supper (John 13:34-35), Jesus gives His disciples a new commandment: ‘Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’ This underscores that the Kingdom of God is marked by genuine, self-giving love within a community of believers, a love that reflects Christ's own love for humanity.
In (Acts 2:42-47) the description of the early Christian community reflects the Gospel teaching of Jesus about the Kingdom of God. The believers ‘devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers’. They shared their possessions and ensured no one was in need. This communal living reflects the Kingdom of God as a place where relationships of love, generosity, and shared faith thrive.
So often we can get caught up in believing the kingdom is all about a personal effort to getting into heaven. This week’s Gospel challenges me to see Jesus’ ministry as more of building genuine communities of love.
As I reflect on this week’s Gospel in which they begged Him to lay His hand on the blind man and heal him it becomes clear that the Kingdom of God is not just about our individual journey toward salvation, but about living in genuine community with others. Just as the group in the Gospel we too are called to intercede for one another and support each other in times of need.