Worldliness will never overcome the wisdom of God's word

-

Today's readings illustrate what happens when worldly strongholds are confronted with the wisdom of God's word. We see this in today's first reading, where Jeremiah experiences worldly push-back as he announces God's word to his people: “'Denounce! let us denounce him!' All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. 'Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail, and take our vengeance on him.'”

In today's Gospel, the push-back moves from whispers to open hostility. Those who oppose Jesus' words seek to take His life. He, the Wisdom of God, announces His oneness with the Father, and the Judaeans want to stone Him:

The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?” The Jews answered him, “We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy. You, a man, are making yourself God.”

The Lord is forced to leave to preserve His life. It is not yet His time to be raised up on the cross. In the wilderness, among those who do not subscribe to the worldly herd mentality, He finds believers:

“He went back across the Jordan to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained. Many came to him and said, 'John performed no sign, but everything John said about this man was true.'
And many there began to believe in him.”

In Psalm 18, David declares his love for God, who has defended and upheld him before his worldly foes:

I love you, O LORD, my strength, O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.
My God, my rock of refuge, my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim, and I am safe from my enemies.

Jeremiah proclaims the same confidence in God's vindicating power:

“But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. In their failure they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion.”

All of the prophets' Godly words and actions are fulfilled in Jesus. He is the Word and Wisdom of God made flesh. Crucified and risen, He fully reveals the Father's vindicating power. By our Baptism, we share in Christ's risen victory. As members of His body, we joyously call out with Him to the Father in David's words, “I love you, O LORD, my strength, O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.”

God my Father, help me to walk more and more each day in the wisdom of Your holy word. When worldly opposition arises, grant that I may cling to You – my Strength, my Rock, my Fortress, my Deliverer. Help me to walk each day in the sure hope of Your vindicating love in Christ. I make this prayer to You in His Most Holy Name. Amen.

Link to readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040822.cfm

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Spirit sets us free

-
Today's readings present a freedom that only God can give. This freedom does not make sense to the carnal mind that outwardly defines us by worldly accomplishments, possessions and prestige. The freedom of God's Spirit, poured into our hearts (Rom 5:5), defines us from within. The Gospel reading ( Jn 3:7b-15 ) presents Jesus' encounter with Nicodemus. Nicodemus is a member of the ruling Sanhedrin, a Pharisee and secret believer in Jesus. Jesus tells him, “You must be born from above.” The Lord continues: “ The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Jesus, the Son of Man, must be “lifted up”, “just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert... so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” The Holy Spirit, like the wind, blows where it wills – the Holy Spirit is free! The first reading ( Acts 4:32-37 ) tells us somethi...
Read more

Tuesday, Octave of Easter: I have seen the Lord!

-
 For eight days the Church celebrates the Octave of Easter. This makes the Easter solemnity (the most important of feasts of the Church year are solemnities) an eight day celebration, from Sunday to Sunday. Today's Gospel tells the story of Mary Magdalen's encounter with the Risen Jesus. She runs to Him and hugs Him. This is not just a spiritual experience; He is truly risen in His glorified body. Mary has been looking for Jesus in a tomb, among the dead. But Jesus is risen and among the living. This is the Easter Jesus we believe in. He is risen in the flesh and among us in the power of His Spirit. There is a longstanding tradition that Mary Magdalen, her sister Martha and brother were expelled from Palestine after Jesus' resurrection, set adrift in a boat on the open seas, landing in France. There, they witnessed to the Risen Jesus, establishing communities of believers in various parts of the country.* Nothing can stop the power of the Risen Christ when we have yielde...
Read more

But the Lord laid upon him the guilt of us all. (Is 53:6)

-
 Today's Good Friday readings begin with Isaiah's fourth suffering servant song. It is a powerful prophetic testimony to the sufferings that will be endured by Jesus, Who takes upon Himself our sins to make us righteous before the Father. The word tells us, “ He was spurned and avoided by people, a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity, one of those from whom people hide their faces, spurned, and we held him in no esteem. Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, while we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted. But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins; upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed. We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his own way; but the LORD laid upon him the guilt of us all. ...through his suffering, my servant shall justify many, and their guilt he shall bear.  Therefore I will give him his portion among the great, and he shall divid...
Read more