In today’s Gospel (Mark 6:53-56), Mark gives us an idea of the celebrity status of Jesus. “People immediately recognized him.” And more than just that, the crowds acknowledged His extraordinary healing power: “Wherever he put in an appearance, in villages, in towns, or at crossroads, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him to let them touch just the tassel of his cloak. All who touched him got well.” Such an astonishing outpouring of zeal for Jesus (on the part of the people) isn’t really surprising, especially when you consider their acute need for healing.
The First Reading (1 Kings 8:1-7, 9-13), on the other hand, has a similar outpouring of enthusiasm from the Israelites, this time for the Ark of the Covenant during the solemn dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. While there was the appearance of a cloud manifesting God’s glorious presence, the dedication of the Temple represents man’s attempt to bring such a divine presence into a definite, tangible locus.
A concrete dwelling, after all, is essential — even perhaps for God. There, God’s presence abides forever. Paradoxically, such presence of God can never be confined in a box. Why, in Jesus’ case, the mere tassel of His cloak could already bring about His healing power! His appearances (in other words, His presence) in various villages, towns or at crossroads turned out to be not just crowd-drawers or traffic-stoppers. They were veritable encounters with God’s efficacious and loving presence.
