By Nibin K Cyriac, CSC –
Readings: Jas 1: 12-18; Mk 8: 14-21
Jesus lived a normal human life. He went through the feelings of joy, happiness, sadness etc. In today’s reading we see Jesus becoming angry or showing his disappointment on disciples for not understanding what he says.
Jesus taught lessons for life and disciples who were with him for everything were supposed to understand what he intended to say. Need of ‘yeast’ is very little to make the flour rise. Jesus wants us to be ‘Yeast’:- to be the ‘yeast’ of faith, love, joy and goodness. But he warns us about the yeast of Pharisees and Herod.
Yeast of Pharisees refers to the additional and meaningless religious practices which they were holding on. Jesus was very critical about them. Yeast of Herod symbolizes the political laws. We need to get ourselves away from the clutches and desires of power. Do our actions aim at power, position, comforts and wealth?
In present scenario, people strive for power and position. It was true even at the time of disciples as we see the sons of Zebedee asking for seats on left and right side of Jesus. As an individual what I should do is to learn to be humble and feed myself with not material bread but the spiritual bread. Let us do good deeds consciously to the other and become bread for him/her in their need. Let us become the yeast of goodness and may inspire others to be one.