Day 32, Saturday, 20 March Never has anyone spoken like this

 

RETREAT IN LENT 2021

Day 32, Saturday, 20 March

Never has anyone spoken like this

It is the police who speak the truth. They have no idea whether Jesus comes from Galilee or from Bethlehem. They are not interested. All they know is this man has a message and he speaks powerfully. But the chief priests and the Pharisees are interested in where he comes from because it supports their prejudice that this man is a trouble maker and has to be got rid of. They have closed their minds to Jesus. Ironically, the author of the gospel tells us (John 7:40-52), they say ‘the Christ will come from Bethlehem’, the very place Jesus was born. But once minds are closed no contrary information is welcome. As the saying goes, ‘my mind is made up; don’t confuse me with facts!’ So the police are ignored.

The passage from Jeremiah (11:18-20) speaks of the quiet way Jesus is being led to his passion, ‘like a lamb to the slaughter-house’. The dark clouds are gathering and he knows what will happen. He continues to struggle against it, trying to answer the Jews’ questions but – meeting a blank wall – he becomes more forceful as the days go by. He trusts in his Father who is always with him: ‘Lord God, I take refuge in you. From my pursuer save me and rescue me’ (Ps 7).

Lent presents us with this real challenge of our day: the call to be authentic and true to ourselves and to the gospel in our hearts in a world that tries to seduce us into compromise. We live this tension.