This chapter reiterates the essence of the Gospel: “Repent”!
In the first five verses of this chapter, Jesus uses a historical happening (a
tower falling in the town of Siloam and killing 18 people) to refocus all his
teaching, all his miracle working, and all his predictions of his own death, to
the single point of his Life and Gospel: “Repent!”
Likewise, the parable that follows and ends at v. 9,
followed by the saying about the Narrow Door (vv. 22-30), all have to do with
this renewed call to Repentance and the inevitably of death and judgment;
Salvation for the just and rejection for the unjust. These two sayings alone
could justify the fact that Herod’s desire to kill Jesus (vv. 31-33). Jesus
words about Herod seems to indicate that Herod knew that Jesus thought he was
unjust. Therefore, we can also assume that Herod was familiar with Jesus’s
preaching.
There is a healing episode in this chapter as well. Jesus
heals a crippled woman on the Sabbath (vv. 10-17). This passage, and the words
that Jesus exchanges with the leader of the synagogue gives him an opportunity,
once again, to reiterate the purpose of his life and ministry: to heal and to
bring about repentance for the kingdom of God. Likewise, this healing and
repentance transcends the Laws of the Old Covenant. Notice the reactions of the synagogue
leaders: they are humiliated (v. 17). This is telling: there is no defense in
front of the Gospel: it is only life giving, only healing, only Good. There is
no argument against it or in spite of it. This is something we can remember when
we engage our Faith in the public sphere- there is no system of thought, no
philosophy, no ideology that can explain away the Gospel message; supplant the
Gospel message or make it irrelevant. It
is wholly logical and is constantly in tune with time and place: the Gospel
message is universal: Repent, believe in Christ Jesus and be saved in His name!
But Jesus’s preaching and message is not with its irony.
This chapter closes with Jesus lamenting the fact that those who hear him now,
will sooner rather than later turn on that message, and on the messenger, and
offer him up to be crucified (vv. 34-35).
This is something that we can certainly apply to our daily lives,
especially as we continue to struggle with our own fallen humanity and our
desire to grow in holiness while at the same time confronting our ability to
sin. But remember Jesus’s parable of the
barren fig tree from the beginning of the chapter (vv. 6-9), we are to retain
the ability to bear fruit for the Lord- by this the Lord is glorified- that we
bear Fruit in His name!
Point for Prayer
“Savior of the world, you have offered me salvation from all
that would oppress me above all my sins. Help me to have a true and honest
appreciation of the moral and spiritual state of my life. Assist me to be
honest in evaluating myself and my behavior in the light of your teachings and
expectations. Strengthen me with the love of the Holy Spirit and your gift of
the Sacrament of Reconciliation” (129).
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