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DEALING WITH OUR OPPONENTS
23 MARCH, 2018, Friday, 5th Week of Lent
Readings
at Mass
Liturgical
Colour: Violet.
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First reading
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Jeremiah 20:10-13 ©
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He has delivered the soul of the needy from the hands of evil
men
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Jeremiah said:
I hear so many disparaging me,
‘“Terror from every side!”
Denounce him! Let us denounce him!’
All those who used to be my friends
watched for my downfall,
‘Perhaps he will be seduced into error.
Then we will master him
and take our revenge!’
But the Lord is at my side, a mighty hero;
my opponents will stumble, mastered,
confounded by their failure;
everlasting, unforgettable disgrace will be theirs.
But you, O Lord of Hosts, you who probe with justice,
who scrutinise the loins and heart,
let me see the vengeance you will take on them,
for I have committed my cause to you.
Sing to the Lord,
praise the Lord,
for he has delivered the soul of the needy
from the hands of evil men.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 17(18):2-7 ©
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In my anguish I called to the Lord, and he heard
my voice.
I love you, Lord, my strength,
my rock, my fortress, my saviour.
My God is the rock where I take refuge;
my shield, my mighty help, my stronghold.
The Lord is worthy of all praise,
when I call I am saved from my foes.
In my anguish I called to the Lord, and he heard
my voice.
The waves of death rose about me;
the torrents of destruction assailed me;
the snares of the grave entangled me;
the traps of death confronted me.
In my anguish I called to the Lord, and he heard
my voice.
In my anguish I called to the Lord;
I cried to God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came to his ears.
In my anguish I called to the Lord, and he heard
my voice.
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Gospel Acclamation
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cf.Jn6:63,68
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Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life;
you have the message of eternal life.
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
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Gospel
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John 10:31-42 ©
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They wanted to stone Jesus, but he eluded them
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The Jews fetched stones to stone him, so Jesus said to them, ‘I
have done many good works for you to see, works from my Father; for which of
these are you stoning me?’ The Jews answered him, ‘We are not stoning you for
doing a good work but for blasphemy: you are only a man and you claim to be
God.’ Jesus answered:
‘Is it not written in your Law:
I said, you are gods?
So the Law uses the word gods
of those to whom the word of God was addressed,
and scripture cannot be rejected.
Yet you say to someone the Father has consecrated and sent into
the world,
“You are blaspheming,”
because he says, “I am the son of God.”
If I am not doing my Father’s work,
there is no need to believe me;
but if I am doing it,
then even if you refuse to believe in me,
at least believe in the work I do;
then you will know for sure
that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.’
They wanted to arrest him then, but he eluded them.
He went back
again to the far side of the Jordan to stay in the district where John had once
been baptising. Many people who came to him there said, ‘John gave no signs,
but all he said about this man was true’; and many of them believed in him.
DEALING WITH OUR OPPONENTS
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ JER 20:10-13; JN 10:31-42 ]
We can easily identify with
Jeremiah and Jesus in today’s scripture readings. Very
often, we are misunderstood for doing good. Jeremiah prophesied for the sake of
his people and his country. But in the process he was gravely
misunderstood by his own people. Even his relatives and friends were
against him. This was also the situation with Jesus in today’s
gospel. He came to His own, but His own did not accept Him.
The gospel tells
us that they wanted to stone Him because He identified Himself with the Father
in doing good. The real pain is not so much the
physical pain we suffer, but the emotional pain. An Indian proverb
says, “Stones cannot hurt you as much as words that cut you.” Indeed what is
most frustrating and hurtful is when we have given ourselves selflessly to
others and instead of gratitude, we receive only negative comments and
opposition.
The truth is
that when we are in authority or in a position of power, we can expect
to face criticisms in life. We will attract enemies because they do
not like the way we manage situations, especially when their interests are
threatened. Some may be envious of our position and office and thus would
like to bring us down. But most of the time, it is due to
misunderstandings, disagreements and different mindsets. If people
do not trust us, no matter what we do, they will take a negative view. It
is significant that in today’s gospel we are told that the people believed in
the testimony of John the Baptist about Jesus, whereas they did not believe
Jesus in spite of the works that He did.
Yet, it
is important that we remain faithful to our calling in life in spite
of opposition. That was what Jeremiah and Jesus did. They did not
compromise or give in simply because they faced opposition. How should
we handle our opponents?
Firstly, it
is important that we are discerning people ourselves. We
must not react by retaliating. This would not only show us to be
immature, but also as overly defensive and closed to dialogue. Not all
criticisms are wrong. Perhaps some criticisms are sincere and
constructive. We have to weigh carefully what our opponents are saying
about us. They might reveal things about us that we are not aware
of. So before we act, make sure we do not react. Praying about it
can help us to be more objective in evaluating the situation.
Secondly, we
need to search ourselves and be certain that we are sincerely doing the will of
God. We must be conscious of our hidden motives, our ego and
pride. We must go through the scriptures as Jesus did to find verification.
Reading the word of God in a prayerful manner will help us to purify our
intentions and be clear of the will of God. Indeed, Jeremiah prayed thus,
“But you, Lord of hosts, you who probe with justice, who scrutinize the loins
and heart”. So it is important that before we confront our opponents, we
must first bare ourselves before God.
But this is not
enough. We must demonstrate with works. Indeed, this is what
Jesus said to the Jews, “If I am not doing my Father’s work, there is no need
to believe me, at least believe in the work I do; then you will know for sure
that the Father is in me and I am the Father.” By our fruits, we show who
we are. Of course, people can misinterpret our actions.
But what
is important in the final analysis is not what people say or think, but whether
we are true to ourselves and true to God. Yes, the sincerity and
truthfulness of the message of Jeremiah is proven by their fidelity to God’s
will and God’s words. Jesus’ claim to sonship is based on the fact that
He identified Himself with whatever the Father willed.
But that is not
all, once we have done the necessary and proper discernment, we must
entrust everything and our cause to the Lord. This was what Jeremiah
did when he prayed, “But the Lord is at my side, a mighty hero; my opponents
will stumble, mastered, confounded by their failure; everlasting, unforgettable
disgrace will be theirs. But you, Lord of hosts, you who probe with justice,
who scrutinize the loins and heart, let me see the vengeance you will take on
them, for I have committed my cause to you.” Ultimately, God is our judge
and He will vindicate us as He did for Jesus.
Jesus too
prepared Himself for the baptism of blood by returning to Jordan to reflect
further on the implications of His sonship. Of course, as the gospel remarked, it
was at Jordan where John was baptizing that Jesus received His baptism.
At His baptism, He received the anointing of the Holy Spirit and a keen
awareness of His sonship. It was then that He came to full realization
what this sonship entailed, namely, obedience unto death, and death on the
cross.
In the final
analysis, we are called to share in the passion of Christ.
Like Jesus, we are called to carry the cross humbly. As we are on the
threshold of Holy Week, we must be resolute in wanting to be faithful to our
beliefs. Through innocent and vicarious suffering we are sanctified for
we learn to let go, and like Jesus, allow God to act on our behalf.
Written by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of
Singapore © All Rights Reserved
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