Trong bài tin mừng hôm nay, Thánh Luca cho chúng ta thấy rằng những người Biệt Phái không phải là những người xấu cả và cũng có một số ít trong số những người biệt phái này đã có cảm tình với Chúa Giêsu và đến báo cho Ngài biết về mối nguy hại sẽ xẩy đến với Ngài. Không cần nghi ngờ, chúng ta đều biết không phải tất cả những người Biệt Phái là thánh cả, như trong phần trước của bài tin mừng hôm nay, Thánh Luca, đã cho chúng ta nghe Chúa Giêsu giảng: " Anh em đừng xét đoán, thì anh em sẽ không bị Thiên chúa xét đoán." (Lk.6 : 37).
Người Biệt Phái là những người rất sùng đạo. Lỗi của họ là vì họ đã quá đạo đức và quá thận trọng với cái vỏ bề ngoài của luật lệ, nhưng Chúa Giêsu đã không chỉ trích họ về những điều đó. Cái sai lầm lớn nhất của họ là họ để tự rơi vào cái bẫy mà họ thường xuyên phải đối mặt đó là tự cho mình là những người đạo đức, rồi đâm cuồng tín và tỉ mỉ. Sự nhiệt tình của họ dễ dàng trở nên cố chấp, không biết khoan dung. Họ đã sẵn sàng áp đặt gánh nặng lên mọi người sự nghiêm ngặt, khắt khe trong các lề luật Thiên Chúa theo cách riêng của họ, mà họ quên rằng Thiên Chúa là đấng đầy lòng nhân từ, thương xót và dịu hiền, bởi vì Ngài biết không phải tất cả chúng ta luôn luôn có thể sống và tuân giữ từng những chi tiết nhõ trong lề luật của Thiên Chúa để đạt được lý tưởng trong sự thánh thiện.
Trong bài thánh thư gởi cho Ê-phê-sô chúng ta đọc hôm nay, Thánh Phaolô thúc giục chúng ta nên dùng chân lý sự thật, công bằng và lòng nhiệt thành để truyền bá Tin Mừng hòa bình của Chúa. Chúng ta có thể có được lòng nhiệt thành, sốt sắng như những người Biệt Phái, nhưng lòng nhiệt thành của chúng ta phải được sinh động bởi sự thật và công lý, vì chúng ta phục vụ Tin Mừng bình an của Thiên Chúa.
Lạy Chúa Cha trên trời, sự kiên nhẫn của Chúa chính là cơ hội cho chúng con được cứu rỗi. Xin Chúa ban cho chúng con một tinh thần kiên nhẫn khoan dung, khiêm nhường và rèn tôi lòng nhiệt thành của chúng con trong sự thật và công bằng.
Today’s passage from Ephesians urges us to use truth, justice and zeal to propagate the Gospel of peace. We may be as zealous as the Pharisees, but our zeal must be animated by truth and justice, for we serve the Gospel of peace.
Heavenly Father, Your patience is our opportunity to be saved. Grant us a spirit of patience and tolerance and temper our zeal with truth and justice
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how many times I yearned to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were unwilling!” Luke 13:34
It’s helpful to ponder the Sacred Heart of Jesus. His heart is one that is strong and gentle, compassionate and just, merciful and truthful. In this Gospel passage, we are given a glimpse of Jesus’ love for the people of Jerusalem. He was not expressing His love for the city, but for the people in the city. It is clear that His deepest desire, His strong yearning, was that they allow Him to draw them close to Him so that He can protect them from all evil.
Jesus begins by speaking the word “Jerusalem” twice. This expresses deep compassion for the people of that city. It also expresses a lament that they have not turned to Him, remaining unwilling to change. Their refusal began long before Jesus walked the earth when their forefathers rejected the call of the prophets to repent and turn back to God. The stubbornness of their fathers continued with the people of Jesus’ day, and He experienced their rejection. This rejection did not lead Jesus to anger or condemnation as much as it led Him to holy sorrow.
The image of a hen gathering her brood under her wings is a lovely image to meditate upon. A mother hen protects her chicks with great courage and without concern for her own safety. When danger approaches, she extends her wings and covers the vulnerable chicks to protect them. Jesus uses this motherly image to express His desire to protect not only the people of Jerusalem, but all of us.
If Jesus yearned to gather the people together under his “wings” to protect them, then we should know, with certainty, that we need our Lord’s protection. He would not desire something that was unnecessary. He is not an overly protective God Who irrationally worries about His children. His concern is real and necessary, and we must know that we need His protection.
As you go about your daily life, do you feel as though you can handle life on your own? Do you act as an independent child who wants to separate yourself from the safety of your parents? Though we must all work to become responsible in life, we will never arrive at a point where we no longer need the protection of our loving God. The world in which we live is filled with dangers from which only God can protect us.
At the beginning of today’s Gospel, Jesus referred to Herod as a “fox.” That image must be seen in the context of Jesus desiring to act as a mother hen, protecting her brood. Jesus was told that Herod was trying to kill Him, but He clearly was not afraid of Herod. Of Herod’s desire to kill Jesus, Jesus said, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.’” As a protector, Jesus took authority over demons, performed healings and opened the gates of Heaven by rising from the dead on the third day. As we go through life, there will be many demons who seek to attack us. We will need many forms of healing, and without the gift of Jesus’ triumph over death itself, we will not be led to the glories of Heaven. Demons are real. Wounds are real. And the need for a Savior is real.
Reflect, today, upon the image of Jesus acting as a mother hen, extending His wings over you to protect you from the many temptations and diabolical attacks you will encounter in this world. Ponder the fact that you need His daily protection. The demons will never stop their attacks. Mental, emotional and spiritual wounds need His healing. Jesus is the only one Who can protect you and heal you so that He can then pour forth the gift of eternal life. Remain under His protective care, and allow Him to fulfill the yearnings of His Sacred Heart.
My compassionate Lord, You yearn to protect me from the many evils in this world. You yearn to heal me of the wounds my sins have caused. And You yearn to bestow upon me the gift of eternal life. I accept Your protection, dear Lord, and pray for the healing I need. Please cover me always and bestow upon me the gift of eternal life. Jesus, I trust in You.
Opening Prayer: Lord God, you are my shield and fortress. In you alone, I trust. I have nothing to fear from my enemies because you are at my side and have clothed me with your protection.
1. The Culmination of Jesus’ Mission in Jerusalem: In the Gospel, Jesus demonstrates that he was fully aware of the evil plans of Herod Antipas. When some of the Pharisees came to Jesus to warn him about Herod and suggest that he flee, Jesus foretold his imminent death in Jerusalem as well as the third day of his Resurrection. During his public ministry, Jesus worked tirelessly, preached about the Kingdom of God, cast out demons, and healed the sick. His mission, though, will culminate in the holy city of Jerusalem in a few months. He knows that he is journeying to Jerusalem for his final Passover. On Palm Sunday, the first day of the week before Passover, Jesus will enter the gates of Jerusalem, and just as he predicted, the crowds will cry out: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” The crowds will proclaim him as their king and royal savior. On the sixth day, on Good Friday, Jesus will be lifted up on the Cross, and the sign over his head will read: “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” In Jerusalem, Jesus is manifested as our great high priest, the greatest of all the prophets, and our merciful king!
Opening Prayer: “Blessed be the Lord, my rock! Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war.” Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will. I believe, help my unbelief!
1. Behold: This exchange between Jesus and some Pharisees highlights why it was necessary for the Son of God to leave his throne at the right side of the Father and come himself to save us. The Pharisees were Jewish scholars, and like the Sadducees, were experts in the law (Scripture) and in how to interpret it. They were the ones anointed to teach and guide God’s people. We see in this conversation that these so-called experts of Scripture did not recognize Jesus as the Word. If they had, they would have known that no human power, even the kingly power of Herod, was a match for the power of Jesus. Our Lord took this opportunity to remind them that God has authority over evil: “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.’” The power of Jesus is the same power that is given to every baptized person by the Holy Spirit. We have access to God’s power over evil because he dwells in us.
Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.” He replied, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.’“ Luke 13:31-32
What an interesting exchange this was between Jesus and some of the Pharisees. It’s interesting to look at both the action of the Pharisees as well as that of Jesus.
It could be asked why the Pharisees spoke to Jesus in this way, warning Him of Herod’s intent. Were they worried about Jesus and, therefore, were they trying to help Him? Probably not. Instead, we know that the majority of the Pharisees were jealous and envious of Jesus. In this case, it appears that they were warning Jesus of Herod’s wrath as a way of trying to intimidate Him to leave their district. Of course, Jesus wasn’t intimidated.
Sometimes we experience the same thing. At times we may have someone come and tell us some gossip about us under the guise of trying to help us, when in fact it’s a subtle way of intimidating us so as to fill us with fear or anxiety.
The key is to react only in the way that Jesus did when confronted with foolishness and malice. Jesus did not give in to the intimidation. He was not at all concerned by Herod’s malice. Rather, He responded in a way that told the Pharisees, in a sense, “Don’t waste your time trying to fill me with fear or anxiety. I am doing the works of my Father and that’s all I should be concerned about.”
What is it that bothers you in life? What are you intimidated by? Do you allow the opinions, malice or gossip of others to get you down? The only thing we should be concerned about is doing the will of the Father in Heaven. When we are confidently doing His will, we will also have the wisdom and courage we need to rebuke all deceit and silly intimidation in our lives.
Reflect, today, upon your own commitment to the will of the Father in your life. Are you fulfilling His will? If so, do you find that some people come and try to deter you? Strive to have the same confidence of Jesus and keep focused on the mission given to you by God.
Lord, I do trust in Your divine will. I trust in the plan You have laid out for me and refuse to be influenced or intimidated by the foolishness and malice of others. Give me courage and wisdom to keep my eyes on You in all things. Jesus, I trust in You.
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