Glory be to Jesus Christ!
As we continue our reading of the Gospel of Luke, we see the ultimate trajectory of the Son of Man. He must enter Jerusalem to be mocked, tortured and killed. The disciples do not understand what is happening as these events are “hidden from them,” and we can’t really hold that against them, as the Messiah was supposed to usher in a time of political and military triumph for the Chosen People, or so they thought. Things become clearer only after those three days Our Lord mentions, and this is their legacy to us- we know better…or at least we should!
Often times we make assumptions based on a Christian worldview which we think is shared by society. We are surprised and outraged when Our Lord is mocked in the public square. It should certainly upset us, but we should not be surprised by it. Christ did not come to establish a Christian nation, He came to make us citizens of an even more amazing kingdom. We must not be surprised by the hostility surrounding us, at the end of the day we don’t really belong here, we are meant for another world.
But that’s no reason to stop living, acting and loving in this world, spreading the Gospel and trying to live godly lives right here and now. Our Lord went to Jerusalem, and what’s more, told His disciples that they too were going there with Him. We as Christians must follow Him there too, and be prepared to be mocked, hated and perhaps even killed for the One who died for us.
The two questions for us today, brothers and sisters, are:
- What is my response to the Lord? Do I respond like Peter in another account by trying to dissuade Our Lord from going down to Jerusalem (Matthew 16:22), or like Thomas who states “let us also go and die with Him.” (John 11:16)
- What “Jerusalems” are there in my life that I am afraid to visit with the gospel? How can I preach the Good News there through my words and actions despite resistance?
Brothers and sisters, let us continue on this road, knowing that it will bring us through Jerusalem, but also to the Lord’s ultimate Resurrection and gift of His heavenly Kingdom!
Glory be to Jesus Christ!
