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Gospel: Luke 13: 31-35
Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said,
“Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.”
He replied, “Go and tell that fox,
‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow,
and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.
Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day,
for it is impossible that a prophet should die
outside of Jerusalem.’
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,
how many times I yearned to gather your children together
as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,
but you were unwilling!
Behold, your house will be abandoned.
But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say,
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Something fishy is going on here.
Both King Herod and the Pharisees want Jesus dead. Yet, in today’s Gospel, the Pharisees warn Jesus about Herod’s intention to kill him, as if they’re trying to keep him safely out of Jerusalem.
Why?
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Politically, it’d be much easier for Herod and the Pharisees to rid themselves of Jesus by having him disappear voluntarily than it would be to kill him. Christ has won the hearts of the people; executing him would come at a cost.
But even death threats will not deter Jesus from doing his Father’s will. He knows exactly what awaits him in Jerusalem, and he’s ready to embrace it. If the authorities want Jesus dead, then they will have to do it themselves.
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This fishy exchange between the Pharisees and Jesus reminds us that the Lord not only understands our fallen human nature, but also human politics.
Although we’d all like to believe that everyone is for us, that’s not always going to be the case. At times, there will be people either inside or outside of our circles who do not want us to succeed.
This was not only true for Jesus, it can also be true in our own families, at work, in the Church, or in society at large.
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Rather than flinching or breaking at the first sign of resistance, Jesus urges us to remain steadfast. The only one whose approval we seek should be our Father in heaven.
It was never between us and the rest of them anyway.
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Image credits: (1) Meadowbrook Church, Redmond, WA (2) The Catholic Thing (3) AZ Quotes