20240316 COMMITTING OUR CAUSE TO THE LORD
16 March 2024, Saturday, 4th Week of Lent
First reading |
Jeremiah 11:18-20 © |
'Let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name may be quickly forgotten'
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.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 7:2-3,9-12 © |
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.
Gospel Acclamation | Ezk33:11 |
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!
Or: | cf.Lk8:15 |
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!
Gospel | John 7:40-52 © |
The Law does not allow us to pass judgement on a man without hearing him
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 endeavour to do our best to fulfil 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-defence 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 23:34) 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 His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment