God is so near, and yet so awesome. On the countenance of the Holy (Mark 1)

When one reads Mark’s Gospel, one experiences the Mysterious Presence of Christ. He is human – he is baptized, tempted, calls disciples. But he is also known as Son “of God” (Mk.1:1). This is remarkable: we recognise Jesus. He talks to us, eats and drinks with us, live among us, and yet, he is Infinite, Other, Someone we cannot fathom.

We meet him in the synagogue. In Mark 1:21-22 we see him teaching in the space where believers meet to speak about the deeper things in life. He is among them, to reflect with them. He is one of them. “They came in Capernaum and immediately on the sabbath he went into the synagogue.”

But this time, it is also different than other times. His hearers are amazed after he speaks. “He teaches like someone with authority, not like the scribes.” The amazement, the awe which will reappear later in this gospel, is, therefore, there from the very beginning. Jesus is one of us, but he is also Son of God. When we are with Him, we are aware of how He, one of us, is the Other.

This is where transformation begins. Where we begin to think and reflect on who we are and how we relate to others. We see Jesus, we see him interact with others, and we realize He is more than simple a copy of ourselves. He is the Other, the Different one, the One we cannot fathom, the One who brings us into a sphere of holiness. And the One who calls us to respond with holiness.

Here lives begin to change. In the presence of the Holy One, people feel an irresistable power. Therefore the impure one calls out: “Stop this, Jesus. I know you, who you are, the Holy One of God” (Mk.1:24). He, the sinner, the destructive one, recognizes in Him goodness, purity, wholeness and healing. He knows it, feels it, experiences it. It overwhelms him.

It is just that he does not want to respond to it. He rejects any relationship with Jesus, refuses to act responsibly to Him. So he calls out: “Go away...”

It would be this type of person who would crucify Jesus, who opt for violence, who finally finds the cross a good solution. He is the One who cannot tolerate the Other, who only has his own needs in mind, who chases the Holy One away. He cannot look Jesus in the eyes, afraid to face him.

The others, though, are amazed. But, even in our relationship with Jesus, our openness to him, we discover our impotence, our lack of knowledge. One moment we recognize the Holy One. The next moment we seek to know more, experience more. We know too little, our words are too few. So we wonder, “Who is this man? What teaching is this?” (Mk.1:27). One moment we are with the Holy, and then, it is as if there is only a trace of the Holy in our lives (Levinas). We understand so little, even though we know we are in the presence of the Infinite, the Other.

Those who refuse to respond to the Holy, will face the consequences of their refusal. But even those who recognize and accede to the Holy One, need to be watchful. Because the Holy One is so Other, so transcendent. So, let us follow Him, become his disiples, be transformed by his Holiness.

Which is why we need to remain in the presence of the Holy One, hear others speak of that Presence, open ourselves to the appeal of the Other. We may understand so little. We may even have four great stories of Mark, Luke, John and Matthew as they stand before Jesus - countenance before countenance, and yet, it will not be enough. He is, after all, the Holy One, far beyond our human understanding.