20190406
COMMITTING
OUR CAUSE TO THE LORD
06 APRIL, 2019,
Saturday, 4th Week in Lent
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour:
Violet.
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First reading
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Jeremiah 11:18-20 ©
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'Let us cut him off from the land of the
living, so that his name may be quickly forgotten'
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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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The Law does not allow us to pass
judgement on a man without hearing him
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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.’
COMMITTING OUR
CAUSE TO THE LORD
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [JER 11:18-20; PS 7:2-3,9-12; JN 7:40-52 ]
Many of us are like
Jeremiah. The Lord has called us to serve Him according to the capacity
He has allotted to us.
As conscientious servants of God, we endeavor to do our best to fulfill the
responsibilities entrusted to us. Out of our generosity and goodwill, we
undertake whatever tasks have assigned to us. But little do we know that
even when we do good, we are not always appreciated. More often than not,
we face all kinds of criticisms; many are destructive rather than constructive.
Like Jeremiah, we too could share his sentiments when he said, “I for my part
was like a trustful lamb being led to the slaughter-house, not knowing the
schemes they were plotting against me.”
When we face challenges
and opposition, we often feel unjustified at what people say about us. It is a fact that those in authority will
always be misunderstood as Jesus was in today’s gospel. No matter how
sincere we are, not all will appreciate our position or the actions we
take. In truth, no leader can please everyone. Even Jesus could not
win everyone over to His side, what more us!
How do we react to such
injustices? Most people would retaliate against their opponents. This is a natural response in the
face of attack. Defending ourselves, our pride and our dignity, is in the
DNA of every human person. When we sense a violation of justice against
us or even against others, especially our loved ones, we are indignant.
So self-defense is the normal response towards those who hurt us.
But is that the way to
respond as Christians? How did Jesus respond to His enemies? We
must be calm and see from a larger perspective. In the gospel, Jesus made it clear, “You
have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a
tooth.’ But I say to you, ‘Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone
strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants
to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone
forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile.” (Mt 5:38-41) Clearly, retaliation would not be
the best way to deal with our opponents and enemies.
We must begin by
learning to understand the situation objectively. The truth is that we
are often misunderstood simply because people do not have all the
information. This
happens either because of miscommunication and the lack of critical
details. Some might have heard of it partially. Others were not
attentive. Some heard from others and were prejudiced. Some formed their
own opinions and judgments based on their background, their knowledge and past
experiences. So there are many factors that will determine how much
information a person can digest. Hence, we should not be surprised that
many of the Jews did not quite know who Jesus was, His background, His
childhood and His origin. We read that “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?'” Even the supposedly learned scholars said to
Nicodemus, “Are you a Galilean too? Go into the matter, and see for yourself:
prophets do not come out of Galilee.” That is why no matter who we are,
we will have our friends and fans; as well as detractors and enemies.
Only those who know us personally will understand and support us.
Secondly, everyone seeks
to protect himself from his perceived enemies. It is again natural that everyone
seeks to protect his vested interests. This was the case of the Jewish
leaders. Jesus’ presence and ministry were a challenge to the religious
institutions of their day. He was not just a maverick teacher, but He was
seen as a deviant prophet and a potential cause of social disorder. By
challenging the traditional interpretation of the Law of Moses and the customs
of the day, Jesus was perceived as a threat to the status quo of the priests,
the scribes and the Pharisees. Indeed, His act of cleansing the Temple
was a direct challenge to the authority of the Temple Priests. His
authority was questioned by the chief priests and the elders of the people who
asked, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this
authority?” (cf Mt 21:23-27)
This is true for us
all. We do not like people who challenge our plans and our decisions. We tend to take them too personally
and as a consequence, instead of weighing the value of their arguments, we
spend more time finding ways to counter their objections. We are not
ready to listen or to see from the other person’s point of view. Our
insecurity and defence mechanism blind us from seeing the truth. Hence,
like the Jews, “some would have liked to arrest him, but no one actually laid
hands on him.” In the case of Jeremiah, because he was bringing bad news
of destruction to the king and his officials, they felt that he would discourage
the rest of the countrymen. Hence, their conclusion was, “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!” Removing the thorns, whether
they meant well for us or even when they are speaking the truth, is how most
would deal with their opponents. Indeed, this was the irony of the
Jewish leaders. They were inconsistent in applying the Law, as Nicodemus
remarked, “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?”
So is it right to defend
ourselves by clarifying? By all means, this should be done whenever
possible. When questioned
by His opponents, Jesus stood up to His convictions and often confounded them,
leaving them even angrier. “And they were not able in the presence of the
people to trap him by what he said; and being amazed by his answer, they became
silent.” (Lk 20:26) But there were times when Jesus
refused to answer because He knew that their minds were already made up.
In the trial before the High Priest, Herod and Pilate, Jesus was largely silent
unless He had a point to make. “The high priest stood up and said, ‘Have
you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?’ But Jesus was
silent.” (Mt 26:62f)
But after all that is
said and done, we need to follow the path of Jeremiah and Jesus in surrendering
our cause to the Lord.
This is what the prophet said, “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.” We do not have to fight
for our rights. Upholding the truth should always be done. But we
need, as the Lord did, to commend everything into His hands. (cf Lk 23:46) There must be no
vindictiveness in our hearts or retaliation on our part. Instead, with
the Lord, we pray for them, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what
they are doing.” (Lk 22:34) In the final
analysis, we must not allow our ego and pride to cause us to attack our
enemies; or let greed and attachment to the things that rightfully belong to us
to upset us and cause us to be resentful and miserable. If we are
truly detached from things or are humble to recognize our limitations, we will
not react to every negative comment or destructive criticism hurled at us or to
things taken from us. Instead, we recognize that not everyone will be
able to understand us even if we try explaining. And there are certain
things we cannot reveal to everyone as well. We can only do what we can
within the constraints.
What is ultimately
important is that we do the right thing. Let God be our judge. Like the psalmist, we pray, “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!” We need to prove our words by our deeds as Jesus
did. Even “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.'” Time will prove us right.
Just as the crucifixion and death of our Lord was a scandal but it became the
wisdom of God. “For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we
proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to
Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is
the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Cor 1:22-24) Indeed, God is our refuge
and our “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.”
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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