| Friday, April 04, 2003 Lenten Weekday |
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The following is, as usual, from The Word Among Us:
What caused Jesus to trigger seething anger in some people? Why did his contemporaries want to kill him (John 7:1)? Perhaps the answer is found in the Book of Wisdom, which was written at least fifty years before Jesus was even born! According to Wisdom, "the very sight" of the righteous man is a "burden" to the wicked (Wisdom 2:15). In the way he lived and the things he taught, Jesus revealed sin for what it was, and so he was considered "inconvenient" by those who refused to give up the things they knew were opposed to God's laws.
The irony in all this is that Jesus did not travel around playing the role of a "good cop" snooping out all unlawful conduct. He wasn't trying to be a hero, and he certainly wasn't motivated by a prideful desire for recognition. Then, as now, his only motivation was love. When he corrected his people--as when he corrects us--his goal was always to lead us out of the bondage of sin so we could know the freedom of being children of God. Like a committed parent, Jesus doesn't just see our failures and sins; he sees our full potential and wants to help us become everything he created us to be.
Like the Jews who plotted Jesus' downfall, today too there are many who reject Jesus and his claim over their lives. Even we who believe can point to times when we have resented Jesus or resisted his presence. Thankfully, Jesus never gives up on us. He continues to pursue us and tug at our consciences, urging us to embrace his laws and his love.
Whenever you find yourself wishing Jesus would just go away, or trying to rationalize your way around one of God's commands, stop and ask yourself a few questions. "Have I lost sight of God's plan for me?" "Do I really want to minimize the potential that Jesus has given me--the possibility of being filled to overflowing with the love and power of Christ?" Recall your heritage! Recall the goodness of God! Then, confident that Jesus is still with you, go on to fight the good fight of faith.
"Lord Jesus, you alone are the holy and righteous one. Help me to become more like you. May your love be my strength!"
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God bless.
AC
