You gave him power over the works of your hand
Hebrews 2:5-12
Mark 1:21-28
In many ways, humanity can rightly say that God has given us the power over creation. Especially today with the advance of science and technology, we see how we have learnt to subdue the world. For better or for worse, we have power over other creatures, “all of them, sheep and cattle, yes, even the savage beasts. Birds of the air, and fish that make their way through the waters.”
Yet in many other ways, we see how limited human power is over creation. Often, we stand helpless before natural catastrophes, before hurricanes, earthquakes and volcanoes, droughts and floods. With all the scientific advance, our knowledge of the vast universe is extremely limited. Before some of the minutest creatures, the virus, we often are incapacitated. Mankind has not even learnt to be master of self, to prevent the things that are known to cause harm to humanity. With all our civilization and technological advance, we still go to war and have not learnt the wisdom of turning pruning hooks into ploughshares.
In today’s first reading, the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews, quoting from Psalm 8, which constitutes today’s Responsorial Psalm, says: “What is man that you are mindful of him, or the son of man that you care for him? You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor,
subjecting all things under his feet.” … Yet at present we do not see “all things subject to him,” but we do see Jesus “crowned with glory and honor” Hebrews affirms the present reality where humanity has attained considerable mastery over nature, while at the same time, mankind is miserably subject to nature. At the same time, the author foresees in God’s plan, our total mastery over nature, through attaining of salvation in Jesus Christ. We are of the same origin with Jesus, and he is not ashamed to call us his brothers and sisters, and so as he is in his gloried state, so shall we become.
What appears unattainable even to the wildest dreams of science fiction, is according to God’s plan to be achieved by those who through Jesus Christ will attain eternal life.
