Jesus’ concern for God’s people

Thursday, October 31, 2013

30th Week in
Ordinary Time
1st Reading: Rom 8:31-39
Gospel: Luke 13:31-35

Some Pharisees came to Jesus and gave him this warning, “Leave this place and go on your way, for Herod wants to kill you.” Jesus said to them, “Go and give that fox my answer: ‘I drive out demons and heal today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my course!’ Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and for a little longer, for it would not be fitting for a prophet to be killed outside Jerusalem.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you slay the prophets and stone your apostles! How often have I tried to bring together your children, as a bird gathers her young under her wings, but you refused! From now on you will be left with your temple and you will no longer see me until the time when you will say: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”

D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in
the Assimilated Life
Experience)

Jesus did not withdraw his love from Jerusalem despite the indifference of the Jews. This love was never reciprocated, except in very few instances like what we read in today’s Gospel. Certain Pharisees, in a rare show of extraordinary concern for Jesus, warned him of Herod’s plot to kill him. We find this unusual because the Pharisees are portrayed in the gospels as always on the lookout for opportunities either to trap or harm Jesus physically.

This display of loyalty from a group noted to be inimical to Jesus takes us to the inspiring principle that something good can come from bad people. I am reminded of a weather forecasting seminar I attended sponsored by PAG-ASA where the speaker talked about the benefits of typhoons. The speaker explained that without typhoons happening somewhere, we’d stand to suffer yearlong draught.

Just as a typhoon can bring about something desirable, so bad people are still capable of delivering something good to society. Today’s Gospel passage is a good case in point. With the negative portrayal of the Pharisees by the gospels as inimical to Jesus, who would think any group loyal to Jesus could come from their ranks? Jesus too must have seen something positive in Jerusalem. So he never gave up on this city despite Herod’s plot to kill him.

The same love Jesus had for Jerusalem is available to us. We feel this in the ministry of the Church, in the charitable deeds of lay people, and in the favorable timing of events. Are we reciprocating God for these? Critics rush to answer in the negative. Let’s insist that no matter how bad we are, something good can come from us. Let’s reciprocate God’s love by being channels of His love to the world. – Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email: [email protected]. Website: www.frdan.org.

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