Hôm nay chúng ta hãy suy niệm vào tình yêu bao la của Chúa Giêsu Kitô đã ban cho chúng ta, Đó là một tình yêu có sự tôn trọng tự do cá nhân riêng của mỗi chúng ta. Những khoảnh khắc trong cuộc sống của chúng ta, đôi khi chúng ta chẳng khắc gì những người của Samaria, có những hành động kém thân thiện, không hiếu khách khi Chúa Kitô đi qua và ghé thăm chúng ta. .
Chúng ta không thể biết được là khi nào Ngài đã đến với chúng ta. Có thể Ngài đến trong hình bóng một người thấp kém nhất trong chúng ta, có thể là một em bé, lang thang bán vé sổ, có thể là người hành khất đang ăn xin trên đường mà chúng ta đã gặp trên hè phố hôm nay, có thể một người nào đó đang thiếu thốn tình thương, đang thất vọng, đang cần sự chú ý và giúp đỡ của chúng ta.! Chúa Giêsu luôn luôn đi qua trong cuộc sống của chúng ta, trong những khoảng thời gian tốt có, xấu có, Sự qua lại ghé thăm của Ngài luôn luôn là những mục đích để giúp chúng ta phát triển thêm trong đức tin, để giúp chúng ta kiên định giữ lời dạy bảo của Ngài và tìm kiếm vương quốc của Ngài là Thiên Đàng trước tiên.
Are you surprised to see two of Jesus' disciples praying for the destruction of a Samaritan village? The Jews and Samaritans had been divided for centuries. Jewish pilgrims who passed through Samaritan territory were often assaulted. Jesus did the unthinkable for a Jew. He not only decided to travel through Samaritan territory at personal risk, but he also asked for hospitality in one of their villages! Jesus' offer of friendship was rebuffed. Is there any wonder that the disciples were indignant and felt justified in wanting to see retribution done to this village? Wouldn't you respond the same way? Jesus, however, rebukes his disciples for their lack of toleration. Jesus had "set his face toward Jerusalem" to die on a cross that Jew, Samaritan and Gentile might be reconciled with God and be united as one people in Christ.
"Lord Jesus, you are gracious, merciful, and kind. Set me free from my prejudice and intolerance towards those I find disagreeable, and widen my heart to love and to do good even to those who wish me harm or evil."
When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of him. Luke 9:51–52
Shortly after Jesus spoke to His disciples about His pending suffering, death and resurrection, we read that Jesus “resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem.” There is much to reflect upon in that short statement. First of all, Jerusalem was the place of the Temple where the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament took place as a prefiguration of the one and ultimate sacrifice to come. Jesus came into this world as the Lamb of God, the Sacrificial Victim Who would die for our sins. He knew His ultimate end in this world, and He knew it would require much suffering. This knowledge of His future suffering is the foundational context of this passage today.
As Jesus’ suffering and death drew close, He became more and more determined in His human will to fulfill the will of the Father by laying down His life. Of course, Jesus always fulfilled the will of the Father, but little by little the human manifestation of Jesus’s determination became more and more pronounced. The specific human virtue that slowly became manifest was courage. Spiritual courage is the supernatural ability to embrace the will of the Father when His will leads a person into a life of sacrifice. Within our fallen human nature, we tend to avoid sacrifice. We often work to avoid conflict and suffering and to embrace the easy way in life. Therefore, to come face-to-face with some future suffering brings forth a temptation to fear—and that fear requires courage to overcome it. As His suffering drew closer, the temptation to fear grew stronger and, as a result, His perfect virtue of courage became more manifest. Note that Jesus not only decided to go to Jerusalem to offer His life sacrificially, He “resolutely determined” to do so. There was no wavering, no doubting the Father’s will, no hesitancy, no fear. His perfect sacrificial love slowly became manifest for all to see.
Another reason Jesus became resolute in His determination to travel to Jerusalem was to witness His love to His disciples. They needed courage themselves. So, as they listened to Jesus speak about what was coming in Jerusalem and as they witnessed His unwavering determination, they were also encouraged and were strengthened to overcome the temptations to fear. Of course, they only perfected that virtue later in their lives when they also followed in the footsteps of our Lord, laying down their own lives as martyrs.
Reflect, today, upon that which causes fear and anxiety in your own life. If that suffering is of your own making, then seek to rectify it. But if that suffering is a cross that our Lord is calling you to embrace with love, then do so sacrificially and with much determination. Do not be cowed by the heaviness of the cross you are given in life. The crosses we are called to embrace are always able to be transformed into grace. Allow courage to grow within you and allow the witness of our Lord to encourage you as you seek to imitate His sacrificial love.
My courageous Lord, You faced Your suffering with much courage, strength, surrender and hope. You saw the value of Your free embrace of Your suffering and chose it with all the power of your soul. Give me the grace I need, dear Lord, to also resolutely determine to journey toward the cross I am called to embrace in life, so that my free embrace of my cross will unite me more fully with You. Jesus, I trust in You.
1. True Greatness: In her Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55), Mary spoke about the humbling of the prideful and the exaltation of the lowly. In the Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:20-49), Jesus spoke about how the poor, the hungry, those who mourn, and those who are hated on account of him are blessed. The argument in today’s Gospel about who is the greatest among the disciples shows that they have not learned the lesson about what true greatness consists in. Once again, Jesus had to teach them the way of humility. Jesus offered the example of welcoming a child. When you receive a child, you receive someone who has many needs. A child is not independent or self-sufficient and needs food, clothing, shelter, attention, education, discipline, love, and many other things. Receiving a child in Jesus’ name means giving of yourself, your time, and your treasure, without expecting anything in return or repayment. “The one who receives such lowly and weak members of society receives Jesus and the Father who sent him. Moreover, becoming the least through service of others is the true indicator of who is greatest (22:26-27)” (Gadenz, The Gospel of Luke, 190).
Determined to Journey to Jerusalem: Through intimate prayer with his Father, Jesus came to a clear understanding of the Father’s will. Once he knew his Father’s will, there was not the slightest hesitation on his part. His resolute determination did not arise from a personal attraction to what lay ahead. He was in no way deceived as to the excruciating suffering that awaited him in Jerusalem. Yet, his determination was unfailing. In her writings, St. Teresa of Avila speaks of the importance of having a “determined determination” never to give up prayer. How “determinedly determined” are we to become a saint? How “determinedly determined” are we to fulfill God’s will in our life no matter what?
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