Suy Niệm Thứ Hai tuần thứ Ba Mùa Vọng

Suy Niệm Thứ Hai tuần thứ Ba Mùa Vọng

Suy ngẩm về bài Tin Mừng hôm nay, chúng ta có thể chắc chắn một điều: Những người có chức vụ và trách nhiệm trong Đạo Do Thái như những thầy tư tế và các thầy Levy  là những người chịu trách nhiệm đền thờ Jerasalem là những người không có thẩm quyền thực sự của Thiên Chúa; cũng như họ không sẽ tìm được cái thẩm quyền đó, bởi vì họ đã không thành thật tìm kiếm sự thật. Nếu những người Pharisêu đã sẵn sàng lắng nghe và chấp nhận lời Chúa, họ sẽ công nhận cái uy quyền của Chúa Giêsu như là người lãnh đạo tôn giáo của họ: ". Giáo lý của Ngài đã gây ấn tượng sâu sắc trong lòng họ, vì những gì Ngài dạy cho họ còn hơn cà các kinh sư, Ngài đã giảng dạy cho họ với quyền uy của Thiên Chúa" (Mk.1: 22) . Ngược lại, Nhà tiên tri Balaam đã tiên đoán là “sẽ có một người xuất hiện được coi như là đại diện các 'vì sao của Jacob' ai đã giải thoát cho con người ra  khỏi bóng tối để trở về ánh sáng; Chúa Giêsu Kitô, Đấng Cứu Thế.

      Đôi lúc đức tin chúng ta có thể cũng yếu đuối kém cỏi  như những người Biệt Phái, Chúng ta nhận ra và chấp nhận uy quyền của Chúa Giêsu như là của Thiên Chúa. Thông thường chúng ta cho phép những mối quan tâm thế tục chiếm cứ, ảnh hưởng làm lu mờ tâm trí của chúng ta để chúng ta không còn nhận ra được sự hiện diện của Thiên Chúa trong thực tại nơi chúng ta. Chúng ta chấp nhận những thách thức như những người của Thiên Chúa khi chúng ta đang chờ đợi việc cử hành sắp tới của Đấng Messiah (Đứng Cứu rỗi) trongo dịp Giáng sinh.’  "Lạy Chúa, xin dạy chúng con và  biến chúng con trở thành những người có đức tin và hy vọng là chúng con mong được chào đón Chúa vào lòng chúng con khi chúng con mừng sinh của bạn trên trái đất."

 

Reflection

            Reflecting on today’s Gospel reading, we can be sure of one thing:  the religious ‘authorities’ e.g. those responsible for the Temple did not have genuine authority from God; nor will they find it because they were not sincerely seeking the truth. If the Pharisees had been willing to listen, they would have recognized Jesus’ authority as the religious people did: “His teaching made a deep impression on them because like the Scribes, he taught them with authority.” (Mk.1:22). On the contrary, it took Balaam to prophesy the coming of the One as represented by the ‘Star of Jacob’ who would lead the people out of darkness into light — Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

      How little faith we can have like the Pharisees to recognize and accept the authority of Jesus as from God. Often we allow other worldly concerns cloud our minds that we fail to see the presence of God in our own realities. Let this challenge us as people of God as we await the celebration of the coming of the Messiah at Christmas.  “Lord, teach us to be people of faith and hope as we look forward to welcome You into our hearts as we celebrate Your Birth on earth.”

 

Monay 3rd week of Advent 2021

Opening Prayer: Lord, how I struggle some days to turn to you as my ultimate authority. Please humble me so that I can truly give you authority over my life. Help me to remember that you are the author of my life. Teach me to trust in you and your wisdom in all things.

Encountering Christ:

·         Questioning Christ: From our vantage point, it can seem incredible that the chief priests and the elders were unable to recognize the Messiah. These men had spent a lifetime immersed in the Old Testament. Jesus’ life from beginning to end was a perfect unfolding of the prophecies regarding the Messiah. Yet instead of joyfully welcoming him, they were threatened by him. His miracles and his popularity threatened their control over the religious life of the Jews. They were blinded by their strict misinterpretation of the signs of the times. As praying people we also know Christ well, but we can avoid the downfall of the elders by practicing discernment, which is the prayerful listening for the will of God in our lives.

·         These Things You Do: This portion of the Gospel unfolded during Tuesday of Holy Week. What, exactly, had Jesus done to so anger the chief priests and the elders? He had entered the town in a procession, honored as a king. He had healed and performed miracles. He had cleansed the temple and exposed the abuses and wrongdoing there. Now he was teaching in the Temple, and they quickly laid a trap for him with their question. If he said his authority was human, they would quickly conclude that he was, in fact, not authorized to teach—he was not a priest or scribe or Levite. If he answered that he had divine authority, they would accuse him of blasphemy. It was a well-crafted trap, but they had completely underestimated the wisdom of Jesus. We can fall prey to this kind of scheming, even unwittingly, when we make “deals” with God or cling to our own understanding of things instead of acknowledging that Jesus is Wisdom Incarnate. 

·         Questioning the Accusers: Jesus promised to answer their question if they would answer his question: “Who gave John the Baptist authority?” The chief priests and elders did not want to anger the crowd who regarded John as a great prophet by saying he did not have divine authority. If they said John’s authority was divine, then they gave credence to John’s claim that Jesus was the Messiah. Since they answered that they did not know, Jesus didn’t answer their question. His time was near, but it had not come; thus, he evaded their trap. May we, in times of trial or sorrow, lean on Jesus instead of questioning him. 

Conversing with Christ: Lord, I can see myself in the chief priests and elders. I do not like it when you bring me face-to-face with my failings and my sins. I want to argue back, to make excuses. Help me to see myself as you do. Give me the grace to be the best version of myself.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will pray the Magnificat asking Mary to intercede for me, that I may be humbled and surrender authority to her son over my life.