Breaking the Word

33^rd Week in Ord. Time, Thursday – 17^th November 2022 — Gospel: Lk 19,41-44

Judgement of Mercy

Jesus predicted the terrible judgment that would come on Jerusalem. He had visited this sacred place frequently during his earthly life. It is here that he was presented to God as an infant, in fulfillment of the Jewish law. He had spent time talking with the Jewish leaders when he was 12 years old. Jerusalem is where the Jewish people believed God dwelled in a special way. As Jesus looks at the city of Jerusalem, he realizes that this place will soon be no more and so he wept. The word used here is stronger than in John 11,35, where Jesus quietly wept at the tomb of Lazarus. The word here means loud cry of agony. God does not delight in judgement, but in mercy. He is not willing that anything should perish, but that all would come to repentance. He is slow to anger and abounding in love toward every sinner (Ex 34,6-7). Yet he is also the righteous judge. This mystery is nicely expressed by Wordsworth, “Christ here proves his twofold nature by shedding tears as man, for what he foretold as God.” Jerusalem’s day of grace was rapidly ending and a time of terrible judgement was approaching, because they did not recognize the time of their visitation (19,44).

33^rd Week in Ord. Time, Wednesday – 16^th November 2022 — Gospel: Lk 19,11-28

Stewards for the Kingdom

In the parable, the king offered ten servants one mina each (a mina was about three months wages for a common labourer). His command was simple, “trade with these, until I get back.” It was not even their own money. This is stewardship. When the nobleman returns, he settles accounts with his servants. Though there are ten servants, we are told only about three. He rewards those who have made good use of their gifts and punishes those who traded least in getting interest on what was given. We need to recognize that all we receive is a gift to be invested in building up the kingdom of God. The more one has sought to share and work with what has been given to an individual, the more benefits are gained. Otherwise, if individuals work against the kingdom, then they are answerable for not accepting God’s plan. What is our attitude in relation to the gifts received gratuitously? Do we gratefully recognize that we are stewards responsible for building the kingdom?