Jesus Gets a Reputation

We need a word to describe the experience of trying to be alone, and then meeting someone who spoils everything. In today’s gospel reading, Jesus tries to be alone and discovers that it is impossible.

It’s not likely you’ve heard about the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon (BMP). In fact, you’re probably reading about it for the first time right here in Homiletics Online.

What is likely, however, is that in the next few days you will read or hear about the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon not only once, but several times.

What is BMP? It’s sometimes called the “frequency illusion,” the experience of stumbling across a piece of arcane, esoteric or weird information — something you’ve never encountered — and then in subsequent days and weeks noticing this same piece of weird data again and again. And because the previous paragraph is a strange snippet of news and a hitherto unknown piece of information, you can expect the same idea to ambush you when you least expect it … tomorrow, perhaps.

Similar to the frequency illusion of BMP is the experience of leaving town for a much-needed rest and vacation — as Jesus does in...