20170401 OUR SINCERITY IN WANTING TO KNOW JESUS
Readings at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: Violet.
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First reading
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Jeremiah
11:18-20 ©
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The Lord revealed it
to me; I was warned. O Lord, that was when you opened my eyes to their
scheming. I for my part was like a trustful lamb being led to the
slaughter-house, not knowing the schemes they were plotting against me, ‘Let us
destroy the tree in its strength, let us cut him off from the land of the
living, so that his name may be quickly forgotten!’
But you, the Lord of
Hosts, who pronounce a just sentence,
who probe the loins
and heart,
let me see the
vengeance you will take on them,
for I have committed
my cause to you.
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Responsorial
Psalm
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Psalm 7:2-3,9-12
©
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Lord God, I take
refuge in you.
Lord God, I take
refuge in you.
From my
pursuer save me and rescue me,
lest he tear me to
pieces like a lion
and drag
me off with no one to rescue me.
Lord God, I take
refuge in you.
Give judgement for
me, Lord; I am just
and
innocent of heart.
Put an end to the
evil of the wicked!
Make the just stand
firm,
you who
test mind and heart,
O just
God!
Lord God, I take
refuge in you.
God is the shield
that protects me,
who saves
the upright of heart.
God is a just judge
slow to
anger;
but he
threatens the wicked every day.
Lord God, I take
refuge in you.
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Gospel
Acclamation
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Ezk33:11
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Praise and honour to
you, Lord Jesus!
I take pleasure, not
in the death of a wicked man
– it is the Lord who
speaks –
but in the turning
back of a wicked man
who changes his ways
to win life.
Praise and honour to
you, Lord Jesus!
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Or
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cf.Lk8:15
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Praise and honour to
you, Lord Jesus!
Blessed are those
who,
with a noble and
generous heart,
take the word of God
to themselves
and yield a harvest
through their perseverance.
Praise and honour to
you, Lord Jesus!
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Gospel
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John 7:40-52 ©
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Several people who
had been listening to Jesus said, ‘Surely he must be the prophet’, and some
said, ‘He is the Christ’, but others said, ‘Would the Christ be from Galilee?
Does not scripture say that the Christ must be descended from David and come
from the town of Bethlehem?’ So the people could not agree about him. Some
would have liked to arrest him, but no one actually laid hands on him.
The
police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees who said to them, ‘Why
haven’t you brought him?’ The police replied, ‘There has never been anybody who
has spoken like him.’ ‘So’ the Pharisees answered ‘you have been led astray as
well? Have any of the authorities believed in him? Any of the Pharisees? This
rabble knows nothing about the Law – they are damned.’ One of them,
Nicodemus – the same man who had come to Jesus earlier – said to
them, ‘But surely the Law does not allow us to pass judgement on a man without
giving him a hearing and discovering what he is about?’ To this they answered,
‘Are you a Galilean too? Go into the matter, and see for yourself: prophets do
not come out of Galilee.’
OUR
SINCERITY IN WANTING TO KNOW JESUS
We are coming nearer
to Holy Week, when Jesus will reveal Himself as Lord in His passion, death and
resurrection. Tomorrow we will begin the fifth Sunday of Lent, when
statues and images are veiled. Already, at the beginning of the week, we
have been asked to contemplate on the person of Jesus. It is critical
that we answer the question regarding the identity and person of Jesus,
particularly so for those catechumens awaiting baptism, as our understanding of
Jesus’ identity will determine our convictions. Who is Jesus? This was
the question Jesus posed to His disciples at Caesarea Philippi. The
gospel tells us that the people then could not agree on who He was. Some said,
“Surely he must be the prophet”, and some said, “He is the Christ”.
Today, as in the
past, the reaction to this question is diverse. Different people have
different opinions of Jesus. Why is it that people are not in agreement
as to who Jesus is? It could be due to ignorance. Where there is
ignorance, there is no sin. But this cannot be said of a culpable
ignorance, when we do not bother to verify our beliefs or facts. This was
certainly the attitude of the Jews and their leaders. They were not
sincere in wanting to establish the identity of Jesus. The people argued,
“Would the Christ be from Galilee? Does not scripture say that the Christ must
be descended from David and come from the town of Bethlehem?’” Obviously,
they did not know their facts. This is also true for many people.
They do not check the facts before coming to a conclusion.
But culpable
ignorance, although regrettable, is not as sinful as pride and prejudice!
In the case of the religious leaders, a legalistic understanding of their
inherited traditions blinded them. They reasoned, “Have any of the authorities
believed in him? Any of the Pharisees? This rabble knows nothing of the Law –
they are damned.” When we are constrained by our past, we can block out new
experiences that the Lord wants to give. Some Catholics, because they
have been praying in the traditional way, cannot accept the gift of tongues or
some of the charismatic ways of worship. Hence, we must ask whether we
are too entrenched in our experiences and traditions to allow ourselves to
encounter God in new and creative ways.
In contrast, and
ironically too, the Temple guards who were under instructions to arrest Jesus,
heard Him and believed without even the need for miracles. They went back
to the chief priests and Pharisees without arresting Jesus. In reply to
their annoyance, they said, “‘there has never been anybody who has spoken like
him.” The Pharisees answered “So you have been led astray as well?” As for
Nicodemus, he tried timidly to defend Jesus, cautioning, “‘but surely the Law
does not allow us to pass judgment on a man without giving him a hearing and
discovering what he is about?” To this they answered, “Are you a Galilean too?
Go into the matter, and see for yourself: prophets do not come out of
Galilee.’”
We too are challenged to stand up for
Jesus. Do we have the courage to testify for Jesus like the Temple guards
and Jeremiah, or are we like the people who were indifferent, or like
Nicodemus who was fearful and timid? The answer depends on how sincere we are in
wanting to know Jesus, and whether we are deepening our study and contemplation
of Him.
Today, we have
Jeremiah who remained faithful to the mission that the Lord had given to him
because he trusted in the Lord. This was even when he was deceived. “The
Lord revealed it to me: I was warned. Lord, that was when you opened my eyes to
their scheming. I for my part was like a trustful lamb being led to the
slaughter-house, not knowing the schemes they were plotting against me.”
Jesus, too, knew
their scheming, yet He allowed Himself to be crucified because He trusted in
God’s vindication, like Jeremiah. Yes, as Jeremiah says, “But you, Lord
of hosts, who pronounce a just sentence, who probe the loins and heart, let me
see the vengeance you will take on them, for I have committed my cause to
you.” Indeed, whether we stand up for Jesus or not is dependent on our
personal conviction of who Jesus is. Like the psalmist, let us place our
trust in the Lord. Let us surrender ourselves into His hands.
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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