Tuesday, March 17, 2020
John 7:40-53: The Crowd
From yesterday’s MAGNIFICAT mini-reflection: God takes an odd vengeance on Jesus’ human enemies: he offers them eternal life, if only they will hear and see the truth of the one they pursue with such anger.
With the election of Francis as Roman Catholic Pope, God invites us to explore the Easter message; with Jorge Bergoglio’s elevation to a major public stage we have the opportunity to react to our human dichotomous past and present. Traitor, saint, collaborator, kingdom-builder . . . we have no way of knowing what Bergoglio’s heart hides or holds. We have no way of hearing the man’s dialogs with God. We have no way of living the man’s hopes and fears. What we do have is the message of Christ brought to us in yesterday’s readings for Mass. We will want to spend time with them today.
Jeremiah 11:18-20 begins with: I knew their plot because the Lord informed me; at that time you, O Lord, showed me their doings. We must not allow our fears and anxieties to frighten us away from loving as God loves – with full and open heart – with full and open forgiveness – with full and open return for us, his prodigal daughters and sons.
Psalm 7: O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and rescue me, lest I become like the lion’s prey, to be torn to pieces, with no one to rescue me. Our greatest dread is loss – of self, of reputation, of appearance, of control, of comfort, of relationships, of God. Yet the only loss that is serious is loss of our relationship with God . . . which we forfeit when we turn away. God never leaves us; God is always waiting for our return no matter the circumstances of our leaving.
John 7:40-53 begins: Some in the crowd who heard these words of Jesus said. “This is truly the Prophet”. Others said, “This is the Christ”. But others said, “The Christ will not come from Galilee, will he? . . . So a division occurred in the crowd because of him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
This week we have spent time with the different people who were with Jesus in the last hours before his death and we have looked at the story of the Passion from various perspectives and angles. Today we reflect on these readings to see where we might be standing in the final crowd that follows and hounds Jesus. Are we for or against him? Do we reject or adore? Do we observe or act?
What circumstances chaff at us? What situations chill us? What surrounding conditions irritate us? What people annoy or terrify or inspire us? What motivates us to stand or hide, to collaborate or sacrifice? What fears and hopes drive us? What hates or loves move us?
God takes an odd vengeance on Jesus’ human enemies: he offers them eternal life, if only they will hear and see the truth of the one they pursue with such anger.
A new Holy Father steps forward to lead. What was his past? What is his present? What might be his future? Only God knows. And this God is such a generous God that any vengeance exacted will be the offer of eternal life. May Jorge Bergoglio, and may we in the crowd, go to God with all our questions. May the new Pope, and may we in the crowd, hear and act on The Word as Christ did as we move through each day. And may the Holy Father, and we in the crowd, all live in The Spirit of mercy, compassion, justice and forgiveness on this, our Lenten journey. May we love as God loves . . . for it is our only salvation.
A re-post from March 17, 2013.
Image from: http://www.mihalymunkacsy.org/search
Cameron, Peter John, Rev., ed. “Mini-Reflection.” MAGNIFICAT. 16 March 2013: 239. Print.
The Noontimes 