20250930 EMPATHY AND UNDERSTANDING LEADS TO TOLERANCE
30 September 2025, Tuesday, 26th Week in Ordinary Time
First reading |
Zechariah 8:20-23 |
Many peoples and great nations will come to seek the Lord of Hosts
The Lord of Hosts says this:
‘There will be other peoples yet, and citizens of great cities. And the inhabitants of one city will go to the next and say, “Come, let us go and entreat the favour of the Lord, and seek the Lord of Hosts; I am going myself.” And many peoples and great nations will come to seek the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favour of the Lord.’
The Lord of Hosts says this:
‘In those days, ten men of nations of every language will take a Jew by the sleeve and say, “We want to go with you, since we have learnt that God is with you.”’
Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 86(87) |
God is with us.
On the holy mountain is his city
cherished by the Lord.
The Lord prefers the gates of Zion
to all Jacob’s dwellings.
Of you are told glorious things,
O city of God!
God is with us.
‘Babylon and Egypt I will count
among those who know me;
Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia,
these will be her children
and Zion shall be called “Mother”
for all shall be her children.’
God is with us.
It is he, the Lord Most High,
who gives each his place.
In his register of peoples he writes:
‘These are her children,’
and while they dance they will sing:
‘In you all find their home.’
God is with us.
Gospel Acclamation | Ps118:36,29 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Bend my heart to your will, O Lord,
and teach me your law.
Alleluia!
Or: | Mk10:45 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Son of Man came to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Alleluia!
Gospel | Luke 9:51-56 |
Jesus sets out for Jerusalem
As the time drew near for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely took the road for Jerusalem and sent messengers ahead of him. These set out, and they went into a Samaritan village to make preparations for him, but the people would not receive him because he was making for Jerusalem. Seeing this, the disciples James and John said, ‘Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to burn them up?’ But he turned and rebuked them, and they went off to another village.
EMPATHY AND UNDERSTANDING LEADS TO TOLERANCE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [Zech 8:20-23; Lk 9:51-56]
In both of today’s Scripture readings Jerusalem features prominently because of its great political, historical and theological significance. Jerusalem is known as the city of peace where God the Most High dwells. For the Jews, it is believed to be the dwelling place of God. Yet the Temple in Jerusalem had been reduced to ruins. Even though its foundation had been restored, it was nothing compared to its former glory. In the midst of such despondency, Zechariah gave the people hope, declaring that Jerusalem–the dwelling place of God, as the psalmist affirms–would once again become the focus and centre, not just for the Jews, but for all nations. He said, “In those days, ten men of nations of every language will take a Jew by the sleeve and say, ‘We want to go with you, since we have learnt that God is with you.'”
How could this be fulfilled? This is realized, of course, in Christ Himself. Jesus, being a Jew, followed the same tradition in many ways. He too went to Jerusalem for worship. But in the theological motif of St. Luke, Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem marks the climax of His ministry. St. Luke gives great importance to the theme of Jerusalem in both his Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. In his journey narrative, Jerusalem is seen as the place of revelation and the sending forth of the mission. It was in Jerusalem, through Jesus’ death and resurrection, that God restored His true dwelling place–not confined to the Temple, but alive in the hearts of every man and woman. The Kingdom of God, the central proclamation and concern of Christ’s ministry, is realized when all submit to His divine rule. By His death and resurrection, Jesus draws all people to Himself, and as humanity surrenders to Him, He pours out His Spirit, forming the New People of God, the New Temple of the Holy Spirit.
It is in this light that we are invited to understand the fulfilment of the prophecy of Zechariah. The real danger is that we can become too narrow-minded and myopic in embracing the grand vision of God – a vision that includes every human person. Like the Jews, we too can become so preoccupied with places and institutions that we forget the God we worship and the people who belong to Him. The hostility between the Jews in Jerusalem and the Samaritans arose because the former despised the latter. Pride and a sense of superiority fostered an attitude of exclusivism, as seen in the apostles’ arrogance toward the Samaritans. They were more concerned about membership than about goodness or truth.
This same attitude persists today. We can be intolerant of others who think differently from us, or exclusive in our religion, condemning those outside our fold. We may pride ourselves on having the “right” spirituality or theology, and even when we are right, there is no reason to be indignant or impatient with others. While we must hold fast to the truth that Christ is the Universal Saviour and that the Church of Christ subsists in the Catholic Church, this does not give us license to look down on or ridicule the beliefs of others. At times, Church members display elitist and exclusivist attitudes toward those outside their circle, lacking charity and hospitality as they insist on their rights and privileges while excluding those deemed unworthy. This same attitude earned the apostles a sharp reprimand from Jesus. Just before this episode, they had been quarrelling over positions of power. Now, in their arrogance, they wanted to “call down fire from heaven” to destroy the Samaritans. By giving in to such vindictiveness, they forfeited their own freedom, peace, and joy, effectively handing power over to their enemies.
Jesus shows us a different way. He makes clear that such an approach is counter-productive and not the way of God in bringing about His plan for humanity. God does not impose His love on us. His way is humble love and service in lowliness. By resolutely journeying to Jerusalem to face His passion and death, Jesus’ very action became a living prophecy, revealing that true power lies not in force but in love. Force may win submission, but only love can win hearts. Too often, like the apostles, we try to impose our will – in the family, community, or workplace. Parents, leaders, and superiors may use harsh words or veiled threats to gain compliance. Insecurity can lead one to demand love or respect, but true love and respect cannot be forced–they must be earned through kindness, compassion, understanding, and tolerance. If we want to win anyone over, there is no other power except the patience of love and acceptance. It is the little acts of love and compassion that we show to others that will win over their trust and confidence in us. Might only cowers people into submission and compliance out of fear, but this is no indication of a real conversion of heart. We have yet to understand the import of Jesus’ exhortation, “Learn from me, because I am gentle and humble of heart.” (Mt 11:29)
Jesus could remain calm in the face of rejection because He understood the animosity of the Samaritans, which was deeply rooted in centuries of tension with the Jews over the true place of worship – Mt Gerizim or Zion. So Jesus could feel with them emotionally and understand their psychological blocks in welcoming Him. He knew first-hand what it was to be rejected and discriminated. After all, in His very own life, He was marginalized. His own relatives thought Him mad, and the religious leaders opposed Him, not for His deeds but because He was not “one of them.” It takes someone who has been unloved or rejected to feel with the underdogs in this world. Those of us who never suffered loneliness and discrimination will find it difficult to empathize with such people. Thus, Jesus did not take the Samaritans’ rejection personally; He knew they were the ones truly suffering. Instead of resentment, He responded with quiet dignity and moved on.
Secondly, Jesus was not as petty as His fellow Jews. He knew that true worship is more than choosing the “right” place. In John’s Gospel, He speaks of true worship as the worship of God in Spirit. What ultimately matters is relationship with God, not rituals, rubrics, or even liturgy in themselves. This is not to deny the importance of proper liturgy, which ensures dignity and unity in worship, but these are means, not ends. Sadly, some become self-appointed watchdogs of the Church, quick to judge or condemn those who err. Yet life is more than rules; life is love. As St. Paul reminds us: “He who loves his neighbour has fulfilled the law.” (Rom 13:8) “Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” (Rom 13:10)
In the final analysis, one must go beyond this earthly identification of God with us. Jesus understood that Jerusalem is but a foreshadowing of the heavenly Jerusalem that is to come. The earthly city is only a pointer to the real Jerusalem. The heavenly Jerusalem is open to all who acknowledge the Most High and live in peace and love. Thus, Jerusalem is present wherever love, peace, and unity with God and neighbour are found. Our task is to make ourselves the Temple of the Living God. Only then, when others see us as the true People of God–lovers of both God and humanity–will they be drawn to join us in seeking the Lord, and say, “Come, let us go and entreat the favour of the Lord, and seek the Lord of hosts; I am going myself.” (Zech 8:21)
Best Practices for Using the Daily Scripture Reflections
- Encounter God through the spirit of prayer and the scripture by reflecting and praying the Word of God daily. The purpose is to bring you to prayer and to a deeper union with the Lord on the level of the heart.
- Daily reflections when archived will lead many to accumulate all the reflections of the week and pray in one sitting. This will compromise your capacity to enter deeply into the Word of God, as the tendency is to read for knowledge rather than a prayerful reading of the Word for the purpose of developing a personal and affective relationship with the Lord.
- It is more important to pray deeply, not read widely. The current reflections of the day would be more than sufficient for anyone who wants to pray deeply and be led into an intimacy with the Lord.
Note: You may share this reflection with someone. However, please note that reflections are not archived online nor will they be available via email request.
Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.
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