HOMILY LENT WEEK 04 05 – Yr II

The Threat of the Other

(Wis 2:1-11; Ps 34; Jn 7:1-30)

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“Something there is that does not love a wall; that sends the groundswell under it.”

The readings today invite us to resist evil, believe in Jesus, and get to know him better through prayer.

Those words from a poem by Robert Frost could, if adapted a little, describe the theme common to both readings: something there is that dislikes what is good and right, that tries constantly to undermine it.

The first reading from the Book of Wisdom speaks of “the ungodly who are reasoning unsoundly.” The rest of the reading unfolds their sordid reasoning – their resistance to and resentment towards anyone good and godly, their urge to rid themselves of anyone that is a reproof to their selfish, evil ways, and their plotting to destroy that person. As Rohr puts it in his Lenten reflections, “for some strange reason, fearful humans are threatened by anyone outside of their frame of reference. They are always a threat and must be brought down.”

A bit of sound reasoning can surface the source of that evil intent. From the disobedience of our first parents, false pride, stubborn self-will, the desire to decide for one’s self what is right or wrong, a lust for possessions, prestige, power and control have plagued humanity and wreaked havoc to this day. Persecution of the just by the wicked is so often the way of the world, just because they stand for positive values that are contrary to the selfish purposes of the persecutors.

It was thus in the time of Jesus. The Jewish leaders, on the surface, wanted to kill Jesus because he put the law of love above the Sabbath law, and claimed he was God’s son. On a deeper level, one that secretly bothered them even more, Jesus criticized their abuse of money, lust for prestige and abuse of religious power. Those were the very same false gods the devil used to tempt Jesus in the wilderness, and that Jesus categorically rejected.

Where they lusted after pride and power, Jesus taught truthfulness and vulnerability; where they sought prestige and fame, Jesus taught humility and blessing, where they grasped possessions and pleasure, Jesus taught simplicity and sacrifice. He stood before them as a shining example of who they should have been, especially as religious leaders. Fearing to lose their self-serving priorities, no wonder they grimly determined to kill him. More, we know that they were also envious and jealous of his popularity, as all the common people started coming to Jesus for a spirituality that healed them instead of a religiosity that oppressed them. Instead of facing their shadow and changing their ways, the religious leaders cast their shadow on the world around them, and that included getting rid of Jesus.

It is significant that Jesus boldly stood in the temple and fearlessly proclaimed who he was and that their problem was they did not know him. Somehow, their faith in the God of Abraham and the teachings of the Old Testament did not connect with their lives. There is a warning here for us not to fall into that same trap of substituting piety and religiosity for genuine faith and caring.

The gospel acclamation “No one lives by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” begs our attention, because the best way to avoid falling into the trap of externalism is to get to know Jesus and the Father better, and the Word of God is a sure-fire means of doing that. The more we ponder the Word of God, taking it into our hearts and minds and doing what it asks of us, and the more we waste time in contemplative prayer, allowing the Holy Spirit to penetrate the depths of our being and soul, the more we will know Jesus and have an intimate relationship with him. In turn, the relationship we have with Jesus will be the relationship we have with the Father.

Someone who is leading the way in following Jesus is Jean Vanier, who has learned much wisdom from his living and working with the mentally challenged. From that humble stance, he is able to share this reflection with us: “The mystery of people with disabilities is that they long for authentic and loving relationships more than for power. They are not obsessed with being well-situated in a group that offers acclaim and promotion. They are crying out for what matters most: love. And God hears their cry because in some way they respond to the cry of God, which is to give love. (Taken from Living Gently in a Violent World, p. 22)

To participate in the Eucharist is to receive the humble, unconditional love of our God shared with us by Jesus on the Cross.

May our celebration strengthen our faith in Jesus, deepen our appreciation for his Word, and empower us to resist evil and do nothing but good in our world.