有深厚的學歷，優美的文筆，卻能以自制、省察和克己，控制到自己的易怒和急躁；並且能以愛心，溫良地教化眾多加爾文主義者，親切地接待無禮的乞丐、和善地對待多言的婦女及仇視他的人，聖方濟各沙雷氏，的確充份地把耶穌基督的面容，彰顯在我們的面前。尊稱他為「天主之愛的聖師」，他當之無愧。
雖然今天的讀經，祇是一段「過門」的連接文字，卻處處反映出主耶穌基督對人的關懷。「同自己的門徒退到海邊去。」（谷3:7）是海邊，而不是曠野。因此他們並不是去休息，而是準備舉行「佈道大會」！
耶穌基督有先見之明，預料有很多群眾會出現，所以他準備離岸講道，利用海岸線為界，控制人數，減低意外的發生！海邊又有漁獲，可以解決食物供應的問題。那麼飲用水呢？福音裡的海不是海，而是湖。湖必然有河流灌注，可以解決食水供應的問題。
那麼，耶穌基督一定不會善待邪魔了，看他怎樣「嚴厲責斥他們，不要把他顯露出來。」（3:12）此言差矣！對於人類而言，「心裡相信，可使人成義；口裡承認，可使人獲得救恩。」（羅10:10）雖然相信和承認主對人有益，但對邪魔就不一樣了。牠們信天主，且怕得打顫（雅2:19）卻不會使牠們成義；牠們口裡承認，卻不會使牠們獲得救恩。所以耶穌基督制止牠們，不要白費心機，混淆視聽！
除了應付到群眾的物質需要外，耶穌基督更治療他們的病苦，並把他們從邪魔手中，解放出來，照顧他們肉體上及靈性上的需要。可見耶穌基督是何等細心體諒。耶穌基督是我們的「善牧」，他當之無愧。
主基督，請加強我們的愛德，領會別人的需要，並善待他們。亞孟。
JESUS CHRIST LOVES ALL (Mark 3:7-12)
Exceedingly learned, gifted with elegance to articulate his ideas but was capable of restraining his haste and anger with temperance, reflections and abstinence; converting many Calvinists with charity and meekness, embracing impolite beggars, treating gossipy women and enemies with kindness, St. Francis de Sales was truly able to manifest the countenance of Jesus Christ before us all. Calling him the Doctor of Charity is no flattery.
Although the pericope today is a piece of connective, it shows how Lord Jesus Christ cares for all. "Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples." (Mark 3:7) It was towards the sea and not the wilderness. Thus, they did not go for a rest, but to prepare for an evangelization event!
Jesus Christ predicted correctly that a large crowd would gather. So, he decided to speak offshore, making use of the coastline to control the crowd and minimize accident! There was fish, thus food supply from the sea. What about water? The sea in the gospel was not actually a sea but a lake which must be fed by rivers. Water supply was no longer a problem.
Then, Jesus Christ must be unkind to demons. See how "He warned them sternly not to make him known." (3:12) That is not quite right! For us human beings, "For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved," (Romans 10:10) believing and confessing are beneficent but not for demons. They believe in God and tremble (James 2:19), but that does not justify them. They confess but that does not save them. Thus, Jesus Christ stopped them so as not to waste their breath and to confuse us!
Besides meeting the physical needs of the crowd, Jesus Christ healed their infirmities and liberated them from demons, thus taking care of their bodily and spiritual needs. We can see how considerate Jesus Christ is. He is irrefutably our Good Shepherd.
Lord Jesus Christ. Increase our charity to understand other people's needs and treat them well. Amen.
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