Wisdom 2:12, 17-20 / James 3:16 – 4:3 / Mark 9:30-37
Everyday, our ears do a lot of hearing and listening.
In the early morning, our ears hear the ringing of the alarm clock, and we wake up for the day.
We listen to the voices of our family members in order to know how they feel and what they need.
At work, we listen to the boss in order to know what is required of us and what we need to do.
We also have to listen to our colleagues in order to have a better understanding and working relationship.
So, every day our ears do a lot of hearing and listening.
And when we listen to what others are saying, we also want to understand what they are saying.
When we understand what others are saying, then we are able to respond with words and actions.
But quite often, even as we are listening to others speaking, we are already thinking of how to reply.
So, even before others have finished speaking, we already know what we want to say.
We may even interrupt when others are still speaking, which is a telltale sign that we are not really listening.
That happens specially in an argument, when emotions are running high.
In an argument, everyone is talking, but no one is really listening, and words are rough and sharp.
In the gospel, Jesus told His disciples that He will be delivered into the hands of men, He will be put to death, but He will also rise again.
The disciples did not understand what Jesus said, and they were afraid to ask Him.
Indeed, it was difficult to understand what Jesus said.
And then, almost at the next moment, the disciples began a discussion that led to an argument.
They did not discuss about what Jesus told them.
Instead the topic of their discussion was about who among them was the greatest.
There could be many reasons as to why the disciples enter into that discussion.
It could be about who deserves more merit and credit.
It could be about who did more work than the rest.
It could be about who had the highest qualification, or who had earned more money in the past, or about who was more popular.
Whatever it is, the discussion is about boastful comparisons that led to petty arguments.
The 2nd reading has a teaching for this as it says:
“Where do these wars and battles between yourselves start?
Isn't it precisely in the desires fighting inside your own selves?
You want something and you haven't got it, so you are prepared to kill.
You have an ambition that you cannot satisfy, so you fight to get your way by force.”
That is a reflection of what is happening in the world where the is violence, war and bloodshed.
In short, it is about the desire to be the greatest, the strongest, the richest and the highest.
In the jarring noise of this world what are we listening to?
Yes, we need to listen to the Word of God.
And in order to listen, we need to be silent.
The famous classical musician Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart said this:
The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between the notes.
When we understand that, then we will also know that we listen to the Word of God in the language of silence.
And that would also lead us to listen to what others are saying with a heart of silence.
Yes, to listen is to be silent, and we will be able to understand what others are saying.
And we will also be able to listen to what God is saying to us.