Monday of the Third Week of Advent
Lectionary: 187
Lectionary: 187
When Balaam raised
his eyes and saw Israel encamped, tribe by tribe,
the spirit of God came upon him,
and he gave voice to his oracle:
The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor,
the utterance of a man whose eye is true,
The utterance of one who hears what God says,
and knows what the Most High knows,
Of one who sees what the Almighty sees,
enraptured, and with eyes unveiled:
How goodly are your tents, O Jacob;
your encampments, O Israel!
They are like gardens beside a stream,
like the cedars planted by the LORD.
His wells shall yield free-flowing waters,
he shall have the sea within reach;
His king shall rise higher,
and his royalty shall be exalted.
Then Balaam gave voice to his oracle:
The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor,
the utterance of the man whose eye is true,
The utterance of one who hears what God says,
and knows what the Most High knows,
Of one who sees what the Almighty sees,
enraptured, and with eyes unveiled.
I see him, though not now;
I behold him, though not near:
A star shall advance from Jacob,
and a staff shall rise from Israel.
the spirit of God came upon him,
and he gave voice to his oracle:
The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor,
the utterance of a man whose eye is true,
The utterance of one who hears what God says,
and knows what the Most High knows,
Of one who sees what the Almighty sees,
enraptured, and with eyes unveiled:
How goodly are your tents, O Jacob;
your encampments, O Israel!
They are like gardens beside a stream,
like the cedars planted by the LORD.
His wells shall yield free-flowing waters,
he shall have the sea within reach;
His king shall rise higher,
and his royalty shall be exalted.
Then Balaam gave voice to his oracle:
The utterance of Balaam, son of Beor,
the utterance of the man whose eye is true,
The utterance of one who hears what God says,
and knows what the Most High knows,
Of one who sees what the Almighty sees,
enraptured, and with eyes unveiled.
I see him, though not now;
I behold him, though not near:
A star shall advance from Jacob,
and a staff shall rise from Israel.
Responsorial Psalm PS 25:4-5AB, 6 AND 7BC, 8-9
R. (4) Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your kindness are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
he teaches the humble his way.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your kindness are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
he teaches the humble his way.
R. Teach me your ways, O Lord.
Alleluia PS 85:8
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Show us, LORD, your love,
and grant us your salvation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Show us, LORD, your love,
and grant us your salvation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel MT 21:23-27
When Jesus had come
into the temple area,
the chief priests and the elders of the people approached him
as he was teaching and said,
“By what authority are you doing these things?
And who gave you this authority?”
Jesus said to them in reply,
“I shall ask you one question, and if you answer it for me,
then I shall tell you by what authority I do these things.
Where was John’s baptism from?
Was it of heavenly or of human origin?”
They discussed this among themselves and said,
“If we say ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say to us,
‘Then why did you not believe him?’
But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we fear the crowd,
for they all regard John as a prophet.”
So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.”
He himself said to them,
“Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
the chief priests and the elders of the people approached him
as he was teaching and said,
“By what authority are you doing these things?
And who gave you this authority?”
Jesus said to them in reply,
“I shall ask you one question, and if you answer it for me,
then I shall tell you by what authority I do these things.
Where was John’s baptism from?
Was it of heavenly or of human origin?”
They discussed this among themselves and said,
“If we say ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say to us,
‘Then why did you not believe him?’
But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we fear the crowd,
for they all regard John as a prophet.”
So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.”
He himself said to them,
“Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Meditation: "All hold that John was a prophet"
Are you willing to
take a stand for the truth, even when it might cost you personally because of
opposition or disapproval from others? When we fear the disapproval or
rejection of our friends we are tempted to be evasive and to bluff our way to
avoid confrontation or trouble. Jesus told his disciples that the truth
would make them free - free to think and act according to what they
know is right, honest, and good, rather than yield to deception, lies, and evil
(John 8:32).
Yielding to the Spirit
of truth rather than falsehood
When the Israelites began to enter the promised land, after their wilderness sojourn of forty years, they met stiff resistance and opposition from the people around them. Balak, one of the local rulers in Canaan, employed the services of Balaam, a prophet of Baal, to put a curse upon the Israelites. Balak wanted to scare the Israelites away through fear and ill omen. Balaam, however, prophesied blessing and protection to the Israelites rather than cursing and destruction. He yielded to the Spirit of truth rather than to the spirit of falsehood. He spoke the word of God contrary to the words which King Balak wanted him to speak. Balaam even prophesied that a star would one day announce the coming of the Messiah King from the house of Jacob. This king would destroy all the enemies of God's people and establish a kingdom of peace (Numbers 24:17).
When the Israelites began to enter the promised land, after their wilderness sojourn of forty years, they met stiff resistance and opposition from the people around them. Balak, one of the local rulers in Canaan, employed the services of Balaam, a prophet of Baal, to put a curse upon the Israelites. Balak wanted to scare the Israelites away through fear and ill omen. Balaam, however, prophesied blessing and protection to the Israelites rather than cursing and destruction. He yielded to the Spirit of truth rather than to the spirit of falsehood. He spoke the word of God contrary to the words which King Balak wanted him to speak. Balaam even prophesied that a star would one day announce the coming of the Messiah King from the house of Jacob. This king would destroy all the enemies of God's people and establish a kingdom of peace (Numbers 24:17).
When the prophet John
the Baptist began to preach a message of repentance in preparation for the
coming of the Messiah, the religious leaders and rulers in Palestine resisted
his word and persecuted him as well. Jesus met resistance, opposition, and
fierce hostility from the religious rulers as well. Why did the religious
leaders oppose Jesus and reject his claim to divine authority? Their view of
religion did not match with God's word because their hearts were set on
personal gain rather than truth and submission to God's plan and design for
their lives.
They openly questioned
Jesus to discredit his claim to be the Messiah. If Jesus says his authority is
divine they will charge him with blasphemy. If he has done this on his own
authority they might well arrest him as a mad zealot before he could do more
damage. Jesus, seeing through their trap, poses a question to them and makes
their answer a condition for his answer. Did they accept the work of John the
Baptist as divine or human? If they accepted John's work as divine, they would
be compelled to accept Jesus as the Messiah. They dodged the question because
they were unwilling to face the truth. They did not accept the Baptist and they
would not accept Jesus as their Messiah.
There can be no
compromise with Jesus' authority - he is Truth incarnate
The coming of God's kingdom or reign on the earth inevitably leads to conflict - a conflict of allegiance to God's will or my will, God's justice or the world's way of playing fair, God's standard of absolute moral truth or truth relative to what I want to believe is good and useful for the time being. How do you respond to Jesus' claim to be not only the Messiah, but the source of everlasting life and truth as well? Do you submit to his word and stake your life on the coming of his kingdom? Jesus promises that those who seek to live according to God's truth will find true joy, freedom, and happiness both now and forever.
The coming of God's kingdom or reign on the earth inevitably leads to conflict - a conflict of allegiance to God's will or my will, God's justice or the world's way of playing fair, God's standard of absolute moral truth or truth relative to what I want to believe is good and useful for the time being. How do you respond to Jesus' claim to be not only the Messiah, but the source of everlasting life and truth as well? Do you submit to his word and stake your life on the coming of his kingdom? Jesus promises that those who seek to live according to God's truth will find true joy, freedom, and happiness both now and forever.
"Lord Jesus
Christ, you are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Let your light shine in my
heart and in my mind that I may grow in understanding the truth of your word
and find joy and freedom in living according to it."
 My Present for Jesus? A Heart Filled with Love |
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December 15,
2014. Monday of the Third Week of Advent
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Matthew 21:23-27
When Jesus had come
into the temple area, the chief priests and the elders of the people
approached him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority are you doing
these things? And who gave you this authority?” Jesus said to them in reply,
“I shall ask you one question, and if you answer it for me, then I shall tell
you by what authority I do these things. Where was John’s baptism from? Was
it of heavenly or of human origin?” They discussed this among themselves and
said, “If we say ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say to us, ‘Then why did you
not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we fear the crowd, for
they all regard John as a prophet.” So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do
not know.” He himself said to them, “Neither shall I tell you by what
authority I do these things.”
Introductory
Prayer: Lord, I believe in you,
but not just with the assent of my mind. Since I believe in you, I commit my
whole life into your loving hands. I know that you cannot deceive me or let
me down, because you are goodness and mercy itself. I humbly offer you my
love. Though I know it is so weak, I am certain, nevertheless, that my desire
to love you more is pleasing to you.
Petition: Lord, help me to grow in my faith.
1. A Faith That
Manifests Itself in Deeds: We are
preparing for the coming of Jesus. Where does he come from? What is his
origin? Like the Pharisees, many people today try to dodge this uncomfortable
question. If we asked them right out, “Do you believe?” They might very well
say, “Yes.” But their lives tell another story. They don’t do anything, or at
best, they do the minimum to follow Jesus. If Jesus were only a human being,
it would be fine to follow him half-heartedly, accommodating what he taught
in order to make it more suitable to ourselves. But if he is really sent by
God, then none of us has the authority to change or water down anything he
taught. Our lives should be a clear reflection of everything Jesus taught,
insofar as we know his teachings and are capable of putting them into practice.
Is that what my life shows? Does it clearly witness to my belief that Jesus
is from heaven—that he was sent by God?
2. A Faith That
Comes From the Heart: The way the
Pharisees followed the Law seemed to be faultless, or at least it seemed much
closer to being faultless than the lives of the other Jews. The Pharisees
even went so far as to add many rules of their own to make sure they never
even came close to breaking the rules God gave the Jewish People. It would
seem that their lives did give testimony to their firm belief in the Messiah.
Yet, when the Messiah appeared, they missed out. They didn’t recognize him.
What happened? While their lives gave testimony to their beliefs, their
hearts were not filled with the necessary love for God. They were unable to
recognize the Messiah; rather, they were filled with self-love. They did the
right things for the wrong reasons — selfishness, or seeking the esteem of others.
In short, they had the wrong attitude. Is this my kind of Christianity? Do I
act “correctly,” but out of selfishness or some other unworthy motive?
3. A Faith That
Grows Stronger at Mary’s Side: To
prepare well for Christ’s coming I would do well to ask Mary for her help.
She prepared herself for nine months for the first coming of Jesus, and she
did an excellent job. She can help me. If I haven’t asked her for her help
yet this Advent, there is still time to do so.
Conversation with
Christ: Jesus, I am sorry for the
poor way I put my faith into practice. I am even sorrier that when I do act
in accordance with your teachings, all too often my attitude is wrong. I
don’t practice your teachings according to love for you, but according to my
selfishness, concern for the approval of others or comfort. Help me to
correct my attitude; help me to live with more love each day; help me to
imitate more closely the way of life you taught me by your words and example.
Resolution: I will examine my attitudes to see if my actions really
do speak of love for Christ, or if my own interests are ruling my life. Then,
during the day I will choose something that is hard for me and try to do it
well and out of love for Jesus Christ.
By Father James
Swanson, LC
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MONDAY, DECEMBER 15, ADVENT WEEKDAY, MATTHEW
21:23-27
(Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17a; Psalm 25)
(Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17a; Psalm 25)
KEY VERSE: "Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things" (v 27).
READING: When Jesus entered the Temple Precincts, he saw merchants who were changing unsuitable coinage into the correct currency to pay the Temple tax of one half-shekel, and for purchasing animals for sacrifice. Jesus was filled with righteous anger and he cleansed the temple of its merchants and traders (Zec 14:21). The religious leaders were outraged and they demanded to know on whose authority he acted. Knowing that his opponents were accusing him of blasphemy, Jesus counter-questioned them. He asked where John got his authority to baptize. Was it of divine or human origin? This posed a dilemma for the religious leaders. If they said John's work was merely human, the people would be disturbed as they considered John to be a prophet. If they said John's work was by divine authority, then why had they opposed him, and why did they now oppose Jesus? Because they refused to answer, they abdicated their position as teachers. Thus Jesus revealed himself as the true interpreter of God's law.
REFLECTING: Do I avoid speaking the truth on controversial issues for fear of rejection?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to cleanse my inner temple of anything that is not of you.
Monday 15 December 2014
Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17.
Teach me your ways, O Lord—Ps 24(25):4-9. Matthew 21:23-27.
Make known to me your
paths, Lord; teach me your ways.
Today’s psalm highlights a
very simple and humble cry from the heart of someone wanting to know the Lord.
It is a statement of absolute trust, coming from a contrite spirit. As we move
through this Advent season, we too have the opportunity to open our hearts to
something new in our relationship with God.
The religious authorities
in the time of Jesus often acted in direct contrast to such an attitude. Their
questioning of his actions didn’t come from a position of humility but instead
from fear or embarrassment. They were not willing to change their ways even
when Jesus challenged their motives.
Let today be the beginning
of our new relationship with Jesus. Lord, thank you for calling us. Light the
path where we will grow in faith and love. Teach us your truths as we place our
trust in you.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
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Beyond Compare
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God of joy, during these sometimes busy days of Advent, I keep
your presence before my eyes. My heart is filled with joy for all you have
done. You know the very depths of my soul, yet you love me with a tenderness
that is beyond compare.
December
15
Blessed Mary Frances Schervier
(1819-1876)
Blessed Mary Frances Schervier
(1819-1876)
This woman who once wanted to become a Trappistine nun was instead
led by God to establish a community of sisters who care for the sick and aged
in the United States and throughout the world.
Born into
a distinguished family in Aachen (then ruled by Prussia but formerly
Aix-la-Chapelle, France), Frances ran the household after her mother’s death
and established a reputation for generosity to the poor. In 1844 she became a
Secular Franciscan. The next year she and four companions established a
religious community devoted to caring for the poor. In 1851 the Sisters of the
Poor of St. Francis (a variant of the original name) were approved by the local
bishop; the community soon spread. The first U.S. foundation was made in 1858.
Mother
Frances visited the United States in 1863 and helped her sisters nurse soldiers
wounded in the Civil War. She visited the United States again in 1868. When
Philip Hoever was establishing the Brothers of the Poor of St. Francis, she
encouraged him.
When
Mother Frances died, there were 2,500 members of her community worldwide. They
are still engaged in operating hospitals and homes for the aged. Mother Mary
Frances was beatified in 1974.
Comment:
The sick, the poor and the aged are constantly in danger of being considered "useless" members of society and therefore ignored—or worse. Women and men motivated by the ideals of Mother Frances are needed if the God-given dignity and destiny of all people are to be respected.
The sick, the poor and the aged are constantly in danger of being considered "useless" members of society and therefore ignored—or worse. Women and men motivated by the ideals of Mother Frances are needed if the God-given dignity and destiny of all people are to be respected.
Quote:
In 1868, Mother Frances wrote to all her sisters, reminding them of Jesus’ words: “You are my friends if you do what I command you.... I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another” (John 15:14,17).
In 1868, Mother Frances wrote to all her sisters, reminding them of Jesus’ words: “You are my friends if you do what I command you.... I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another” (John 15:14,17).
She continued: “If we
do this faithfully and zealously, we will experience the truth of the words of
our father St. Francis who says that love lightens all difficulties and
sweetens all bitterness. We will likewise partake of the blessing which St.
Francis promised to all his children, both present and future, after having
admonished them to love one another even as he had loved them and continues to
love them.”
LECTIO DIVINA:
MATTHEW 21,23-27
Lectio:
Monday, December 15, 2014
3rd Week of Advent
1) Opening prayer
Lord our God,
in a world of injustice, war and exploitation,
in which more and more people
have the means to live
but not many reasons to live for,
you promise us a star to follow,
Jesus, your Son.
God, keep in us the hope alive
that he will come today
and that, if we are willing
to take the demands of the Gospel seriously,
we can become indeed a new people
completely renewed in Christ,
our Saviour for ever and ever.
Lord our God,
in a world of injustice, war and exploitation,
in which more and more people
have the means to live
but not many reasons to live for,
you promise us a star to follow,
Jesus, your Son.
God, keep in us the hope alive
that he will come today
and that, if we are willing
to take the demands of the Gospel seriously,
we can become indeed a new people
completely renewed in Christ,
our Saviour for ever and ever.
2) Gospel reading - Matthew 21,23-27
Jesus had gone into the Temple and was teaching, when the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him and said, 'What authority have you for acting like this? And who gave you this authority?'
In reply Jesus said to them, 'And I will ask you a question, just one; if you tell me the answer to it, then I will tell you my authority for acting like this.
John's baptism: what was its origin, heavenly or human?' And they argued this way among themselves, 'If we say heavenly, he will retort to us, "Then why did you refuse to believe him?"; but if we say human, we have the people to fear, for they all hold that John was a prophet.'
So their reply to Jesus was, 'We do not know.' And he retorted to them, 'Nor will I tell you my authority for acting like this.'
Jesus had gone into the Temple and was teaching, when the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him and said, 'What authority have you for acting like this? And who gave you this authority?'
In reply Jesus said to them, 'And I will ask you a question, just one; if you tell me the answer to it, then I will tell you my authority for acting like this.
John's baptism: what was its origin, heavenly or human?' And they argued this way among themselves, 'If we say heavenly, he will retort to us, "Then why did you refuse to believe him?"; but if we say human, we have the people to fear, for they all hold that John was a prophet.'
So their reply to Jesus was, 'We do not know.' And he retorted to them, 'Nor will I tell you my authority for acting like this.'
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today describes the conflict that Jesus had with the religious authority of the time, after that he drove out the merchants from the Temple. The priests and the elders of the people wanted to know with which authority Jesus was doing those things: to go into the Temple and drive out the merchants (cf. Mt 21, 12-13). The authority considered itself the master of all and thought that nobody could do anything without their permission. This is why they persecuted Jesus and tried to kill him. Something similar was also happening in the Christian communities of the years seventy-eighty, the time in which the Gospel of Jesus was written. Those who resisted the authority of the Empire were persecuted. There were others, so as not to be persecuted, tried to reconcile Jesus’ project, with the project of the Roman Empire (cf. Ga 6, 12). The description of the conflict of Jesus with the authority of his time was a help for the Christians, so that they could continue fearless in the persecutions and would not allow themselves to be manipulated by the ideology of the Empire. Today, also, some who exercise power, whether in society or in the Church and the family, want to control everything as if they were the masters of all the aspects of the life of the people. They even persecuted those who thought in a different way. Keeping in mind these thoughts and problems, let us read and meditate on today’s Gospel.
• Matthew 21, 23: The question of the religious authority to Jesus. “What authority have you for acting like this? And who gave you this authority?” Jesus answered: “And I will ask you a question, just one, if you tell me the answer to it, then I will tell you my authority for acting like this. John’s baptism, what was its origin, heavenly or human? Jesus went back to the Temple. When he taught, the chief priests and the elders of the people went close to him and asked: With what authority do you do these things? Who has given you this authority?” Jesus again goes around the great square of the Temple. Then appear some priests and elders to question him. After everything that Jesus had done the day before, they want to know with which authority he does these things. They did not ask which was the true reason which urged Jesus to drive out the merchants from the Temple (cf. Mt 21, 12-13). They only ask with which authority he does those things. They think that they have the right to control everything. They do not want to lose control of things.
• Matthew 21, 24-25ª: The question of Jesus to the authority. Jesus does not refuse answering, but he shows his independence and liberty and says: “I also, will ask you a question, if you tell me the answer to it, then I will tell you my authority for acting like this. John’s baptism, what was its origin, heavenly or human?” This was an intelligent question, simple as a dove and cunning as a serpent! (cf. Mt 10, 16). The question shows the lack of honesty of his enemies. For Jesus, the baptism of John came from heaven, came from God. He himself had been baptised by John (Mt 3, 13-17). The men who had power, on the contrary, had plotted or planned the death of John (Mt 14, 3-12). And in this way they showed that they did not accept the message of John and that they considered his baptism like something from men and not from God.
• Matthew 21, 25b-26: Reasoning of the authority. The priests and the elders were aware of the importance or significance of the question and reasoned in the following way: "If we say heavenly, he will retort to us. Then why did you refuse to believe him? If we answer human, then we have the people to fear, for they all hold that John was a prophet”. And therefore, so as not to expose themselves they answered: “We do not know!” This is an opportunist response, a pretence and interested one. Their only interest was not to lose their power over the people. Within themselves they had already decided everything: Jesus should be condemned to death (Mt 12, 14).
• Matthew 21, 27: Final conclusion of Jesus. And Jesus says to them: “Nor will I tell you my authority for acting like this”. Their total lack of honesty makes them unworthy to receive an answer from Jesus.
• The Gospel today describes the conflict that Jesus had with the religious authority of the time, after that he drove out the merchants from the Temple. The priests and the elders of the people wanted to know with which authority Jesus was doing those things: to go into the Temple and drive out the merchants (cf. Mt 21, 12-13). The authority considered itself the master of all and thought that nobody could do anything without their permission. This is why they persecuted Jesus and tried to kill him. Something similar was also happening in the Christian communities of the years seventy-eighty, the time in which the Gospel of Jesus was written. Those who resisted the authority of the Empire were persecuted. There were others, so as not to be persecuted, tried to reconcile Jesus’ project, with the project of the Roman Empire (cf. Ga 6, 12). The description of the conflict of Jesus with the authority of his time was a help for the Christians, so that they could continue fearless in the persecutions and would not allow themselves to be manipulated by the ideology of the Empire. Today, also, some who exercise power, whether in society or in the Church and the family, want to control everything as if they were the masters of all the aspects of the life of the people. They even persecuted those who thought in a different way. Keeping in mind these thoughts and problems, let us read and meditate on today’s Gospel.
• Matthew 21, 23: The question of the religious authority to Jesus. “What authority have you for acting like this? And who gave you this authority?” Jesus answered: “And I will ask you a question, just one, if you tell me the answer to it, then I will tell you my authority for acting like this. John’s baptism, what was its origin, heavenly or human? Jesus went back to the Temple. When he taught, the chief priests and the elders of the people went close to him and asked: With what authority do you do these things? Who has given you this authority?” Jesus again goes around the great square of the Temple. Then appear some priests and elders to question him. After everything that Jesus had done the day before, they want to know with which authority he does these things. They did not ask which was the true reason which urged Jesus to drive out the merchants from the Temple (cf. Mt 21, 12-13). They only ask with which authority he does those things. They think that they have the right to control everything. They do not want to lose control of things.
• Matthew 21, 24-25ª: The question of Jesus to the authority. Jesus does not refuse answering, but he shows his independence and liberty and says: “I also, will ask you a question, if you tell me the answer to it, then I will tell you my authority for acting like this. John’s baptism, what was its origin, heavenly or human?” This was an intelligent question, simple as a dove and cunning as a serpent! (cf. Mt 10, 16). The question shows the lack of honesty of his enemies. For Jesus, the baptism of John came from heaven, came from God. He himself had been baptised by John (Mt 3, 13-17). The men who had power, on the contrary, had plotted or planned the death of John (Mt 14, 3-12). And in this way they showed that they did not accept the message of John and that they considered his baptism like something from men and not from God.
• Matthew 21, 25b-26: Reasoning of the authority. The priests and the elders were aware of the importance or significance of the question and reasoned in the following way: "If we say heavenly, he will retort to us. Then why did you refuse to believe him? If we answer human, then we have the people to fear, for they all hold that John was a prophet”. And therefore, so as not to expose themselves they answered: “We do not know!” This is an opportunist response, a pretence and interested one. Their only interest was not to lose their power over the people. Within themselves they had already decided everything: Jesus should be condemned to death (Mt 12, 14).
• Matthew 21, 27: Final conclusion of Jesus. And Jesus says to them: “Nor will I tell you my authority for acting like this”. Their total lack of honesty makes them unworthy to receive an answer from Jesus.
4) Personal questions
• Have you ever felt that you are being controlled without any right, by the authority of the house, in work, in the Church? Which was your reaction?
• We all have some authority. Even in a conversation between two persons, each one has certain power, a certain authority. How do I use the power, how do I exercise authority: to serve and to liberate or to dominate and control?
• Have you ever felt that you are being controlled without any right, by the authority of the house, in work, in the Church? Which was your reaction?
• We all have some authority. Even in a conversation between two persons, each one has certain power, a certain authority. How do I use the power, how do I exercise authority: to serve and to liberate or to dominate and control?
5) Concluding prayer
Direct me in your ways, Yahweh,
and teach me your paths.
Encourage me to walk in your truth
and teach me since you are the God who saves me. (Sal 25,4-5)
Direct me in your ways, Yahweh,
and teach me your paths.
Encourage me to walk in your truth
and teach me since you are the God who saves me. (Sal 25,4-5)
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