Friends,
in today’s Gospel Jesus compares himself to a mother hen who longs to
gather her chicks under her wing. As the theologian N.T. Wright points
out, this is much more than a sentimental image. It refers to the
gesture of a hen when fire is sweeping through the barn. In order to
protect her chicks, she will sacrifice herself, gathering them under her
wing and using her own body as a
shield.
On
the cross, Jesus used, as it were, his own sacrificed body as a shield,
taking the full force of the world’s hatred and violence. He entered
into close quarters with sin (because that’s where we sinners are found)
and allowed the heat and fury of sin to destroy him, even as he
protected us.
With
this metaphor in mind, we can see, with special clarity, why the first
Christians associated the crucified Jesus with the suffering servant of
Isaiah. By enduring the pain of the cross, Jesus did indeed bear our
sins; by his stripes we were indeed healed.
Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 482
Brothers and sisters:
If God is for us, who can be against us?
He did not spare his own Son
but handed him over for us all,
how will he not also give us everything else along with him?
Who will bring a charge against God's chosen ones?
It is God who acquits us.
Who will condemn?
It is Christ Jesus who died, rather, was raised,
who also is at the right hand of God,
who indeed intercedes for us.
What will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?
As it is written:
For your sake we are being slain all the day;
we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly
through him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities,
nor present things, nor future things,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor any other creature will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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."
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment