Posted by The WORD in other words (2009) by Fr. Titus Mananzan, SVD – Holy Spirit Novitiate House , Calapan, Or. Mindoro
Saturday 15th Week in Ordinary Time
Jesus must be a very dangerous man, and considered a great threat to the Pharisees’ power and authority, that they planned to kill him. This is no different from the political killings happening here in the Philippines. If a person is found to be a threat to another’s authority and power, they eliminate the person to perpetuate their greed.
Jesus was very prudent. He withdrew from the place of opposition. Just as prophet Isaiah foretold, Jesus will not “cry out” in the street, which means he will not quarrel with the Pharisees; rather, he will encourage the weak to be strong and proclaim justice and hope to the Gentiles. He wanted that his miracles and curing of the sick would not be made known, in order not to be misunderstood. He wanted to teach them that the real Messiah did not come with crushing power, but come to render sacrificial service.
Then, there came a time when Jesus allowed himself to be handed over to His enemies and ultimately killed. His death is the greatest manifestation of his love for us. “No one has a greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for a friend” (Jn 15,13).
Why is the Lord able to follow the will of His Father and die for us? It is the personal experience of Jesus that shows us who God really is—the Unconditional Love that wells up within Jesus to desire only one thing, that is, to do the will of his Father. “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased” (Mt 3,17). Again in the Gospel reading today, quoting Isaiah: “This is my beloved in whom I delight.”
I hope that we, too, can personally experience God so that by His grace we can follow His will, and be what God wants us to be.
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