+ The subtlety in our first reading during Holy Week is
remarkable. The scene is this: it is just days before Jesus knows that he will
play out the final dramatic scene of his life: his Passion / Death /
Resurrection. He has longed for this “hour” and he has yearned for it since
that day his human consciousness began to take shape when he was just a
toddler.
He is excited about the
forgiveness of our sins, and the opening up of eternal life in the Kingdom of
his Father for us, and the HOPE that would now be available to anyone who
simply believed that he is who he said he was: Son of God / Son of Man – and
that he could accomplish what he said he would accomplish: our salvation!
But how is he going to do this
“earth-shattering” “turn everything upside down” kind of activity?: how is he
going to “reverse the curse” the real curse of the Evil One?, how is he going
to destroy death and restore to an unimagined kind of newness of life?:
will he be a political heroic
figure? will he be a military heroic figure? will he be a teaching heroic
figure? will he be a scientific heroic figure? – the answer is NO! NOT AT ALL!
NOT ANY OF THESE HEROIC TYPES:
as Isaiah foretells: he will
be a “suffering servant,” the least of the least, the most despised of all
men,- but he shall bring for justice for
the nations by NOT crying out, by NOT shouting, by NOT making his voice heard
in the street, by not even “breaking an already bruised reed,” by not even
quenching an smoldering wick” – yes he will bring forth a victory of justice,
he will be a covenant for the people, he will be a light to the nations, he
will open the eyes of the blind, he will bring prisoners out of confinement,
and those living in the dungeons of darkness, he will bring them out into the
open, into the sunlight!
HOW! will he do these things:
by being silent, by living out his destiny as one flogged, stripped, nailed to
a cross, and dying after offering a brief narration of the events: in seven
last words, ending with the consummation of this life / death / resurrection
event – by breathing his last breath!
Jesus words – his sermons, his
interaction with others, will now take on a validity and significance that many
will attempt to record now in writing for the ages, his light, true light,
shining on true Truth will make real justice possible, and his never-ending
compassion on others, leading them to the kingdom will take place through his
Mystical Body – the Church, the One Church, the True Church – and many will end
up in the kingdom – but many won’t because their own selfishness and
self-seeking is just too ingrained even for God to disturb! It will pain the
Father to lose these souls for eternity, but free will will be his greatest
gift to mankind, and misuse of it will always have a price – in this case a
very steep price.
The Lord is our light and our
salvation! let us buy into his redeeming love – with all we have – by
surrendering our lives completely to him – and begin to live a life of freedom
we never thought possible as his sons and daughters!
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