20240315 VERIFYING THE CHRIST IN US
15 March 2024, Friday, 4th Week of Lent
First reading |
Wisdom 2:1,12-22 © |
Let us lie in wait for the virtuous man and condemn him to a shameful death
The godless say to themselves, with their misguided reasoning:
‘Our life is short and dreary,
nor is there any relief when man’s end comes,
nor is anyone known who can give release from Hades.
Let us lie in wait for the virtuous man, since he annoys us
and opposes our way of life,
reproaches us for our breaches of the law
and accuses us of playing false to our upbringing.
He claims to have knowledge of God,
and calls himself a son of the Lord.
Before us he stands, a reproof to our way of thinking,
the very sight of him weighs our spirits down;
his way of life is not like other men’s,
the paths he treads are unfamiliar.
In his opinion we are counterfeit;
he holds aloof from our doings as though from filth;
he proclaims the final end of the virtuous as happy
and boasts of having God for his father.
Let us see if what he says is true,
let us observe what kind of end he himself will have.
If the virtuous man is God’s son, God will take his part
and rescue him from the clutches of his enemies.
Let us test him with cruelty and with torture,
and thus explore this gentleness of his
and put his endurance to the proof.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death
since he will be looked after – we have his word for it.’
This is the way they reason, but they are misled,
their malice makes them blind.
They do not know the hidden things of God,
they have no hope that holiness will be rewarded,
they can see no reward for blameless souls.
Responsorial Psalm |
Psalm 33(34):16,18,19-21,23 © |
The Lord is close to the broken-hearted.
The Lord turns his face against the wicked
to destroy their remembrance from the earth.
The just call and the Lord hears
and rescues them in all their distress.
The Lord is close to the broken-hearted.
The Lord is close to the broken-hearted;
those whose spirit is crushed he will save.
Many are the trials of the just man
but from them all the Lord will rescue him.
The Lord is close to the broken-hearted.
He will keep guard over all his bones,
not one of his bones shall be broken.
The Lord ransoms the souls of his servants.
Those who hide in him shall not be condemned.
The Lord is close to the broken-hearted.
Gospel Acclamation | Joel2:12-13 |
Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!
Now, now – it is the Lord who speaks –
come back to me with all your heart,
for I am all tenderness and compassion.
Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!
Or: | Mt4:4 |
Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!
Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!
Gospel |
John 7:1-2,10,25-30 © |
They would have arrested him, but his time had not yet come
Jesus stayed in Galilee; he could not stay in Judaea, because the Jews were out to kill him.
As the Jewish feast of Tabernacles drew near, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went up as well, but quite privately, without drawing attention to himself. Meanwhile some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, ‘Isn’t this the man they want to kill? And here he is, speaking freely, and they have nothing to say to him! Can it be true the authorities have made up their minds that he is the Christ? Yet we all know where he comes from, but when the Christ appears no one will know where he comes from.’
Then, as Jesus taught in the Temple, he cried out:
‘Yes, you know me
and you know where I came from.
Yet I have not come of myself:
no, there is one who sent me
and I really come from him,
and you do not know him,
but I know him because I have come from him
and it was he who sent me.’
They would have arrested him then, but because his time had not yet come no one laid a hand on him.
VERIFYING THE CHRIST IN US
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [WIS 2:1,12-22; PS 34:16,18,19-21,23; JN 7:1-2.10,25-30]
Lent is a time for Catechumens to prepare for baptism or for baptized Catholics to renew their baptismal promises. This is because baptism means to put on Christ and let Christ be formed in us so that we regain our likeness of God lost by sin through Adam and our personal sins. In Christ Jesus, our likeness to God is restored because Christ is the image of the invisible God, the first born of all creation. (cf Col 1:15) However, this confession of faith in Christ is a prerequisite for us if we are to be reborn in Christ. Hence, before baptism, the question we need to ask ourselves is whether we know who is the Christ. Is Jesus for us the Way, the Truth and the Life? (cf Jn 14:6) Are we ready to confess with St Peter, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” (Jn 6:68f)
In the gospel, we read that the people were unsure of the identity of Jesus. They were still searching and inquiring. Some were speculating but no one actually knew who Jesus was and His identity and origin. They said, “Can it be true the authorities have made up their minds that he is the Christ? Yet we all know where he comes from, but when the Christ appears no one will know where he comes from.” Like them, we too have many views about the identity of Jesus. In a secularistic world, many are giving up faith in Christ. Europe sadly has lost its faith in Christ and the Christian culture. What is left are just some vestiges that the faith was once strong, such as monuments and churches, but they are now empty and deserted. Churches and the Christian Faith are for those who are unsophisticated.
So, do you know Jesus is the Christ? Is He just a great man or teacher in history? Or more? The Son of God? “As Jesus taught in the Temple, he cried out: ‘Yes, you know me and you know where I came from. Yet I have not come of myself: no, there is one who sent me and I really come from him, and you do not know him, but I know him because I have come from him and it was he who sent me.'” The truth is that even if we knew the historical Jesus, the one who was born in Bethlehem of Mary, lived in Nazareth and came into public ministry at the age of 30, then crucified and died at 33, we still cannot claim that we know Him. Faith requires us to go beyond the Jesus of History to the Christ of Faith. This is what the Lord was challenging the people. It is not enough to know His earthly origin. More importantly, what makes Jesus different from us is His heavenly origin.
What is the basis for the divine claim of our Lord? The first reading is a foreshadowing of the passion and death of Christ. The life and ministry of Jeremiah foreshadowed the ministry of Christ. The opponents of Jeremiah were threatened by his prophetic preaching. The life of Jeremiah was a reprimand to their lifestyle. Hence, they were annoyed by his teaching and said, “Let us lie in wait for the virtuous man, since he annoys us and opposes our way of life, reproaches us for our breaches of the law and accuses us of playing false to our upbringing.” Jesus, too, was a nuisance to the religious leaders because of the way He attacked the shallow motives of the scribes and Pharisees in observing the laws; and the dishonesty of the Temple officials.
Secondly, Jesus showed Himself to be the Son of God by His life. The real proof of what we say is in the way we live out our beliefs. Jesus, like Jeremiah, was true to Himself. He was not one who preached one thing but lived another. What He said about forgiving our enemies and not to take revenge or fight back, He literally lived out what He taught. (cf Mt 5:38-48) Indeed, this was the test that the enemies of Jeremiah sought to prove him wrong. “Let us see if what he says is true, let us observe what kind of end he himself will have. If the virtuous man is God’s son, God will take his part and rescue him from the clutches of his enemies.”
Jesus was different from His peers. “Before us he stands, a reproof to our way of thinking, the very sight of him weighs our spirits down; his way of life in not like other men’s, the paths he treads are unfamiliar.” Jesus lived as a man who was totally free. He was not constrained by people because He was true to Himself. Even His opponents recognized Him as such. They said to Him, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth.” (Mk 12:14)
His ways were unconventional as a rabbi of His day. He taught with authority, unlike the scribes and the Pharisees. “They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, ‘What is this? A new teaching – with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.'” (Mk 1:27) Indeed, He taught with such authority by His words and life that those who hear Him cannot but be challenged in their lifestyle. “In his opinion, we are counterfeit; he holds aloof from our doings as though from filth; he proclaims the final end of the virtuous as happy and boasts of having God for his father.”
Thirdly, Jesus showed Himself to be the Son of God by His special knowledge and intimacy with the Heavenly Father. Jesus said, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, he of whom you say, ‘He is our God,’ though you do not know him. But I know him; if I would say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him and I keep his word.” (Jn 8:54f) This was also what the enemies said of Jeremiah, “He claims to have knowledge of God, and calls himself a son of the Lord.” Jesus said to the Jews, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now I am here. I did not come on my own, but he sent me.” (Jn 8:42) In contrast, the people were ignorant of the truth. Many intellectuals are blinded by their pride, thinking that they know best and have the answers to everything through reason alone without God. Scriptures say that “This is the way they reason, but they are misled, their malice makes them blind. They do not know the hidden things of God, they have no hope that holiness will be rewarded, they can see no reward for blameless souls.”
Finally, the litmus test in life is not what we say but whether we are ready to die for what we believe in and sacrifice everything for the kingdom. If Jesus remained a celibate, it was because Jesus was totally in love with His Father. It was from Him that He derived His strength for the ministry. If priests and religious are required to observe the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience, it is to show that they are willing to give everything for the sake of the gospel, like the apostles. Indeed, the world is watching us. As Christians, we are always being tested to see whether we truly live out the gospel of our Lord. Just as the people tested Jeremiah and our Lord for their convictions through persecution and even torture, we too are being tested all the time.
The ultimate proof whether Jesus was truly a man of God and the Son of God is whether God would show Himself to be faithful to His Son’s life, ministry, passion, death and resurrection. Again, this was what the tormentors of Jeremiah and Christ said, “Let us condemn him to a shameful death since he will be looked after – we have his word for it.” These words were also said to Christ, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, ‘I am God’s Son.'” (cf Mt 27:41-44) Indeed, the world is not just watching us, but they are watching whether our God will rescue and defend us. In the final analysis, our authenticity and fidelity to what we believe and teach is what matters. Our way of life, the way we live, and especially the way we die, will demonstrate whether we are God’s sons and daughters and disciples of Christ.
God showed His endorsement of Christ’s ministry when He raised Him up from the dead at the resurrection. Indeed, as the scripture says, “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted; those whose spirit is crushed he will save. Many are the trials of the just man but from them all the Lord will rescue him. He will keep guard over all his bones, not one of his bones shall be broken. The Lord ransoms the souls of his servants. Those who hide in him shall not be condemned.” If we walk the way of truth and love, we too will suffer with Christ, but we will also share His glory. “It is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ – if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” (Rom 8:16f)
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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