My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God. — Psalm 63:2

Mass readings: Jude 17,20-25 / Mark 11:27-33 

The New Teacher 

I recall feeling a bit threatened once when “a new guy” was hired at my workplace. He was smart and seemed to have a lot of new ideas. I believe the chief priests, scribes and elders in today’s Gospel experienced that feeling strongly enough so that they kept looking for a way to kill “the new guy,” Jesus. They didn’t particularly care whether He was doing good or doing bad; they just didn’t like the fact that He was assuming authority that threatened their own. After all, “the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching.”  

We can feel the same way when we see our egos threatened or our old ways challenged. And this includes the challenges that Jesus puts before us. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us follow the One Teacher.