Daily Mass Gospel Reflection

Friends, in today’s Gospel,
Jesus launches a blistering attack on the scholars of the Law.

The Son teaches, heals, preaches to, and forgives those who feel far from the mercy of God.
He is the hand that the Father stretches out to sinners and to those who are lost.
And by the same token, he is the judge of a sinful world.
When the light of God’s forgiving love appears, the shadows of sin become all the deeper and more obvious.
In light of him, there is nowhere to hide.
And Jesus, the Word of the Father, gives voice to this judgment:
“Woe to you, scholars of the law!
You have taken away the key of knowledge.

The Son names all those powers that are opposed to the creative and loving intentions of his Father.
He speaks a word of judgment on a world grown cozy with sin.
He “channels” all of the feelings of the Father toward the world:
intense, forgiving love to those who are lost,
and equally intense hatred for the structures of darkness.

+++The Lord said:
“Woe to you who build the memorials of the prophets
whom your fathers killed.
Consequently, you bear witness and give consent
to the deeds of your ancestors,
for they killed them and you do the building.
Therefore, the wisdom of God said,
‘I will send to them prophets and Apostles;
some of them they will kill and persecute’
in order that this generation might be charged
with the blood of all the prophets
shed since the foundation of the world,
from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah
who died between the altar and the temple building.
Yes, I tell you,
this generation will be charged with their blood!
Woe to you, scholars of the law!
You have taken away the key of knowledge.
You yourselves did not enter
and you stopped those trying to enter.”
When Jesus left, the scribes and Pharisees
began to act with hostility toward him
and to interrogate him about many things,
for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.

+++

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.