20240327 GOD IS OUR VINDICATOR
27 March 2024, Wednesday of Holy Week
First reading | Isaiah 50:4-9 © |
Who thinks he has a case against me? Let him approach me
The Lord has given me
a disciple’s tongue.
So that I may know how to reply to the wearied
he provides me with speech.
Each morning he wakes me to hear,
to listen like a disciple.
The Lord has opened my ear.
For my part, I made no resistance,
neither did I turn away.
I offered my back to those who struck me,
my cheeks to those who tore at my beard;
I did not cover my face
against insult and spittle.
The Lord comes to my help,
so that I am untouched by the insults.
So, too, I set my face like flint;
I know I shall not be shamed.
My vindicator is here at hand. Does anyone start proceedings against me?
Then let us go to court together.
Who thinks he has a case against me?
Let him approach me.
The Lord is coming to my help,
who will dare to condemn me?
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 68(69):8-10,21-22,31,33-34 © |
In your great love, O Lord, answer my prayers for your favour.
It is for you that I suffer taunts,
that shame covers my face,
that I have become a stranger to my brothers,
an alien to my own mother’s sons.
I burn with zeal for your house
and taunts against you fall on me.
In your great love, O Lord, answer my prayers for your favour.
Taunts have broken my heart;
I have reached the end of my strength.
I looked in vain for compassion,
for consolers; not one could I find.
For food they gave me poison;
in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
In your great love, O Lord, answer my prayers for your favour.
I will praise God’s name with a song;
I will glorify him with thanksgiving.
The poor when they see it will be glad
and God-seeking hearts will revive;
for the Lord listens to the needy
and does not spurn his servants in their chains.
In your great love, O Lord, answer my prayers for your favour.
Gospel Acclamation |
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Hail to you, our King!
Obedient to the Father, you were led to your crucifixion
as a meek lamb is led to the slaughter.
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Or: |
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Hail to you, our King!
You alone have had compassion on our sins.
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Gospel |
Matthew 26:14-25 © |
'The Son of Man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will'
One of the Twelve, the man called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What are you prepared to give me if I hand him over to you?’ They paid him thirty silver pieces, and from that moment he looked for an opportunity to betray him.
Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus to say, ‘Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the passover?’ ‘Go to so-and-so in the city’ he replied ‘and say to him, “The Master says: My time is near. It is at your house that I am keeping Passover with my disciples.”’ The disciples did what Jesus told them and prepared the Passover.
When evening came he was at table with the twelve disciples. And while they were eating he said ‘I tell you solemnly, one of you is about to betray me.’ They were greatly distressed and started asking him in turn, ‘Not I, Lord, surely?’ He answered, ‘Someone who has dipped his hand into the dish with me, will betray me. The Son of Man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will, but alas for that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born!’ Judas, who was to betray him; asked in his turn, ‘Not I, Rabbi, surely?’ ‘They are your own words’ answered Jesus.
GOD IS OUR VINDICATOR
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ISAIAH 50:4-9; PS 69:8-10, 21-22, 31, 33-34; MT 26:14-25]
We all know what it means to be wrongly accused, penalized, slandered and, worst of all, betrayed by our friends. In such moments, we feel the need to defend ourselves. But for many of us, we are helpless, especially when we are dealing with a large and powerful organization as our grievances may not be rightly addressed. Unless one has connections or have influence or power, sometimes, the ordinary people are called to suffer in silence. There is no way to justify ourselves. And for most of us, we do not have the energy and the stamina to fight our case and bring about true justice. We leave the situation as it is. This does not mean that we are happy with the outcome, but we are left disillusioned, resentful, and distrusting of those in power, especially the institutions.
But with institutions, we do not bear a personal grudge, since an institution is not a person. Yes, we are angry and frustrated. We might write letters to complain. That is all we can do because, most likely, no one will take us seriously if we are nobody. At any rate, there is no one person we can hold our grudge against. This is not the case of a betrayal. Although the gospel recounted Judas betraying our Lord, it does not describe the sentiments of our Lord. How did He feel when He was betrayed by one of His Twelve apostles who spent three years, day and night with Him? It seems that His efforts to form them was a failure. If Jesus were a man and truly human, He would have felt extremely sad and discouraged that He could not win Judas over to His side. Instead, Judas was intent on betraying Him for an insignificant sum of money – an amount paid for a slave, and even identified to His enemies by a kiss.
The pain that Jesus felt must have been more intense when Judas pretended to be innocent. While they were eating, our Lord said, “‘I tell you solemnly, one of you is about to betray me.’ They were greatly distressed and started asking him in turn, ‘Not I, Lord, surely?’ He answered, ‘Someone who has dipped his hand into the dish with me, will betray me.’ Judas, who was to betray him; asked in his turn, ‘Not I, Rabbi, surely?’ ‘They are your own words’ answered Jesus.” Even when confronted by our Lord, Judas, as how traitors always behave, put on a false front. They always put on a smiling face in front of us, cheering us on, but behind our backs, they are conspiring against us, spreading rumours, talking bad about us, and plotting against us to bring about our downfall.
However, Jesus, in spite of His disappointment, took it in stride. He left judgment to God. Like the Suffering Servant, He placed His full confidence in God. He would not defend Himself. As the Suffering Servant said, “For my part, I made no resistance, neither did I turn away. I offered my back to those who struck me, my cheeks to those who tore at my beard; I did not cover my face against insult and spittle.” This prophecy surely directs us to Christ’s passion during His trial when the soldiers brutally whipped Him with many lashes, mocked Him, struck Him and crowned Him with a crown of thorns. Even before the Chief priests, Pilate, and King Herod, Jesus did not defend Himself. He was practically silent, according to the Synoptic gospels. He refused to answer the charges against him.
In the mind of Jesus, God will be His judge. “Does anyone start proceedings against me? Then let us go to court together. Who thinks he has a case against me? Let him approach me. The Lord is coming to my help, who will dare to condemn me? They shall all go to pieces like a garment devoured by moths.” As the Suffering Servant said, “The Lord comes to my help, so that I am untouched by the insults. So, too, I set my face like flint; I know I shall not be shamed. My vindicator is here at hand.” Indeed, Jesus knew that somehow God would justify Him. He did not know how but He had confidence in His Father that justice and truth will prevail at the end of the day. He did not have to defend Himself, or take up arms, or organize a rebellion to protect Himself.
Truly, like the psalmist, the Lord would have prayed with faith and confidence, with loud cries and tears, as the letter of Hebrews says, “in the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.” (Heb 5:7) Like the psalmist, the Lord would have also prayed, “In your great love, O Lord, answer my prayers for your favour.” We know that at the cross, the Lord commended His mission and His life to the Father when “crying with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’ Having said this, he breathed his last.” (Lk 23:46) Indeed, it was with confidence, rather than resignation, when Jesus said those words.
But when we suffer unjustly, we must suffer for a cause and for someone. In the case of our Lord, He was suffering for the establishment of the Kingdom and for the love of His Father. We must not suffer aimlessly. We must suffer for a purpose and more, for one whom we love. When we suffer for our beloved, that suffering is bearable. Indeed, like the psalmist, the Lord would also have prayed, “It is for you that I suffer taunts, that shame covers my face, that I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother’s sons. I burn with zeal for your house and taunts against you fall on me. Taunts have broken my heart; I have reached the end of my strength. I looked in vain for compassion, for consolers; not one could I find. For food they gave me poison; in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. This is what St Peter also exhorts us. “If you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God’s approval. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly.” (1 Pt 2:20-23)
In the final analysis, in the face of betrayal and injustice, we must commend everything unto Him. Even for Jesus, He could accept His fate because He knew that it was part of God’s plan that was unfolding. In fact, in the gospel, the account underscored that everything that happened was within the plan of God; from the disciples’ untying of the colt for Jesus to sit on to enter Jerusalem, to the preparations for the Passover Meal. It appeared that somehow, the things had been prearranged mysteriously for Jesus to enter into Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover Meal there. Jesus was also aware of His imminent death, for He told His disciples to tell the house owner, “The Master says: My time is near. It is at your house that I am keeping Passover with my disciples.”‘
Even the betrayal of Judas was within the plan of God. Jesus said, “The Son of Man is going to his fate, as the scriptures say he will, but alas for that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! Better for that man if he had never been born!” So, let us not be discouraged or feel hopeless. Instead, with the psalmist, we must thank God for His divine providence. The psalmist prayed, “I will praise God’s name with a song; I will glorify him with thanksgiving. The poor when they see it will be glad and God-seeking hearts will revive; for the Lord listens to the needy and does not spurn his servants in their chains.” This is why we must find confidence and trust in the Lord by being a good disciple, one who hears the Word of God. “The Lord has given me a disciple’s tongue, so that I may know how to reply to the wearied. He provides me with speech. Each morning he wakes me to hear, to listen like a disciple. The Lord has opened my ear.” Let us therefore with confidence, come to the Lord in prayer in the face of injustices and disappointments. Let us accept them in stride, knowing that the Lord in His own time will deliver us.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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