Suy Niệm Bài Đọc thứ Ba Tuần thứ 15 Thường Niên
Nhiệm vụ quan trọng nhất của Chúa Giêsu là đến để hướng dẫn dân riêng của Ngài trước hết, như Tin Mừng đã cẩn thận chỉ dẫn cho các môn đệ và chúng ta về ơn cứu độ của Thiên Chúa. Tuy nhiên, Ngài cũng cảnh báo sự chối bỏ Thiên Chúa và tội lỗi của dân chúng trong các thành phố Chorazin, Bethsaida và Capernaum. Họ còn không tin vào Thiên Chúa mặc dù Chúa Giêsu đã dành nhiều thời giờ giảng dạy và làm rất nhiều phép lạ cho họ ở đó. Nhưng họ vẫn còn nghi ngờ và thờ ơ nguội lạnh với những lời giáo huấn của Chúa. Trong thời ấy, thuật phù thủy là một hành vi phạm tội sẽ bị trừng phạt bằng cái chết. Bởi vì đó là hành vi cuồng tín, gây ra sự chống đối Chúa Giêsu và giáo huấn của Ngài. Vì vậy, Chúa Giêsu đã cho họ lời cảnh báo trước để họ biết ăn năn, hối cải, tránh xa đường lối và những sự xấu xa của họ.
Tội chối bỏ Thiên Chúa của họ còn lớn hơn cả cái tội mà dân thành Sodom đã phạm và họ sẽ bị xét xử một cách khắc nghiệt trong ngày phán xét. Chúng ta hãy tự xét mình và kiểm thảo cuộc sống của chúng ta mỗi ngày và nhất là trong ngày hôm nay, chúng ta đã làm gì, chúng ta đã chống lại Thiên Chúa bằng những việc làm, lời nói và sự suy nghĩ của chúng ta?. Tội chống lại Thiên Chúa là tội chống lại giới răn thứ nhất và cũng là điều răn lớn nhất.
Reflection
The mission of Jesus was directed to his own people first and foremost, as the Gospels are careful to show. Yet he warns them that their response will show them to be less than the pagans whom they despise.
Matthew was primarily writing his gospel for Jewish Christians to whom it caused great pain that pagans responded to the Good News in greater numbers than their own people. This passage demonstrates that Jesus Himself shared their amazement and sorrow at the lack of response by Israel. Lord, grant us the grace to respond to Your Word always.
Opening Prayer:
Lord Jesus, grant me the grace to be your disciple so that others may come to know, love, and follow you.
Encountering Christ:
· Abundant Love: Jesus’s reproach seems very harsh today. But we cannot forget the God who speaks. He created us out of love and for love. From the beginning of creation to the present day, God’s love continues to be rejected. But the Lord is persistent. He comes again and again, giving us the opportunity to receive him. While his words seem harsh it is because he has knocked at the door time and time again. His love is abundant, and while he has been very patient, he finally speaks words of woe to those who close themselves off to the extraordinary gift that he is ready and willing to give at the first gesture of openness.
· The Consoling Disciple: We can imagine the pained heart of Jesus upon finding closed doors. But the disciples who say, “Yes, I will follow you” are his consolation. They will share in his pain, experience slammed doors and closed hearts, just like he did. They will also be a consolation to Jesus as they go forth to put a little wedge in the door so Christ can finally enter. The disciple never knows how the Spirit will move hearts to finally listen to God’s word and repent. As disciples, we may be ready to judge, as Jesus seemed to be doing in this passage. But our role is not judgment or condemnation. Our role is to be a testimony to the abundant love of God.
· The Least Expected Converts: One would think that Bethsaida and Corazin would have been full of repentant converts when Jesus worked his miracles among them. On the contrary, these Jewish towns rejected the very person their people were waiting for all along. Jesus alludes to Tyre and Sidon being the places where he would find open hearts. This is so ironic since they were the more pagan towns to the north, and the least likely places to find God’s favor. Once again, Jesus proves that God’s love is abundant and can enter wherever there is an open door.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, help me to be your faithful and consoling disciple through the testimony of my life. Grant that I may not be a condemning judge of anyone, but rather remain hopeful that your grace can reach the most unexpected places.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will be attentive to the least expected places, people, or events where your grace can be mightily present through me.
REFLECTION 2018
In both readings today we are reminded of faith and trust in God.
In the first reading the prophet Isaiah reminds King Ahaz of Israel's covenant with Yahweh and that Israel must rely on the Covenant and Yahweh's continuing protection.
In the Gospel reading Jesus denounces the cities in which he had preached and performed many of his miracles. Despite his many great deeds, very few received his message and repented in Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum. Jesus tells them that, if his great deeds and miracles had been performed in Tyre, Sidon and Sodom, the people in those places would have listened and repented.
We may no longer worship false gods and images, as the ancient Greeks and Romans did; but we do have many gods in our lives such as money and success, power and prestige, the approval of others and our own self-esteem, sex and drugs; the list goes on. The evil one is very good in turning what may be good in itself into idols to replace God in our lives.
In pursuing these, we may be shutting out the voice and values of Christ in our lives. Despite the many good things and talents God has given us, we can forget about him in our pursuit of these false gods and values. We can be so attached to our own will and "success" that we forget God's will and values.
Let us heed the warnings in today's readings that we may discern God and his actions in our lives, repent and keep his commandments.
Miracles may be often relegated to the realm of fairy tales and dreams, especially in the pragmatism that surrounds modern life. But the truth is, they do happen on a daily basis, but we have the tendency to be blind to them. More accurately, we have the tendency to remain unmoved.
A miracle is actually what happens when we see the hand of the Divine in our lives. But it is not a one way street. It requires not only God's intervention – it also involves us, as witnesses, as believers, as persons changed by the realization that God is ceaselessly reaching out to us through signs, big and small.
People say there can be no miracles without faith. But in today's Gospel reading about the public ministry of Christ, the miracles were there, but faith did not follow. To say that our Lord was frustrated would be an understatement.
Jesus continues to work "miracles" in our lives every single day, hoping that his extravagant display of love will be enough to move us, draw us back to his love, and transform us into the best versions of ourselves.
We see many miracles of God's grace in the kind people around us, in the loving parents raising children, in the selfless works of charity and care of so many in the world today. We see God's love and holiness reflected in the lives of many.
Have we opened our eyes and hearts to God's miracles in our lives today? How have we chosen to respond? Have we been thankful?
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