thursday of Twenty-fifth week in Ordinary Time (Hg 1:1-8, Lk 9:7-9) God’s word keeps coming to people in different ways. The purpose is to help them turn and come back to God, thereby transforming their lives. How do we respond to it? When Jesus came to earth and preached some of the people thought that John had been raised from the dead. Others thought that an ancient prophet had risen. Still others thought that Elijah had arisen. The importance of Elijah “coming back” is not lost on the Jews. They knew Elijah had been taken up in the clouds and would come back at the appropriate time. In fact the prophet Malachi speaks about it (Mal 4:5). The “coming back to life of a prophet” reminds us, also of Jesus telling us about the rich man and Lazarus, where the rich man in Hades pleads that one of the prophets be sent back to earth, to educate and warn the people. Hence, these were clear signs to the people that this was a time to repent and turn back to God. What would be the reaction if such a thing were to happen? Some of us would say that we would straight forward repent, confess our sins and try to change our lives. Some Jews were no doubt excited; that perhaps justice and true religion, which had long been suppressed, would once again be able to flourish. Others like Herod are only perplexed, that why should such a thing happen. Some others might have been filled with fear, but perhaps not sufficient to change anything. Yet others are filled with curiosity and therefore want to see and experience. Yet even this curiosity is perhaps an “idle” curiosity to see some “rare” phenomenon and perhaps debunk it – how can some rise from the dead, especially as Herod himself had John beheaded. Is our reaction similar to these Jews, where all this does excite them, but does not change anything in our lives? After all, we as Christians have not just a prophet come back to life or raised from the dead; we have Jesus risen. Do we listen to His word? Does it result in a change of heart, and bring about repentance? Or is our going to church, prayer meetings, bible sharing etc. all exercises based on “idle” curiosity, to check who else is coming, what they are wearing, or if any “miracles” will happen? Abba Father, help us to listen to Your Son this day, and return to You.
Posted on: Thu, 26 Sep 2013 05:35:06 +0000
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