Posted by The WORD in other words by Fr. Jose Bagadiong, SVD – University of San Carlos, Cebu City
Thursday 18th Week in Ordinary Time
Why keep the message and the medium secret?
Why did Jesus insist that his disciples tell no one that he was the Messiah, the Son of God?
This seems to run counter to Jesus’ mission: proclaiming the Father’s message, and calling, choosing, training, forming people to help him out in this proclamation/ mission. Why withhold the proclamation? This is quite a big puzzle. Let us venture for answers.
First, the prospective addressees, the Jews, and the people at that time were not yet ready for the message; they have a different understanding, concept, and expectation about the Messiah.
Second, the messengers/disciples were not yet ready to tell it because they did not yet have a fuller and adequate understanding of the Messiah; not until they witnessed the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus that was still to happen.
Third, the method and approach of the Messiah may be frustrated if disclosed prematurely. God’s plan may be derailed.
Two insights pop out. One, to witness and personally experience a message, action is the better, if not the best stimulus to effectively and passionately do the proclaiming – as the first witnesses to Jesus and the resurrection did very well in their respective missionary expeditions – with utmost conviction, dedication and ardor.
Two, the paradoxical nature of God’s strategy. It is in suffering that we find solace, in giving that we receive, in losing that we win, in failing that we succeed, in sacrifice that we gain, in dying that we rise and live—the wisdom of the Paschal mystery.
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