Word to the Wise
Monday, December 14, 2009 - St. John of the Cross, OCD (Priest and Doctor of the Church)
[Numbers 24:7, 15-17A and Matthew 21:23-27]I see him, though not now; I behold him, though not near: a star shall advance from Jacob, and a staff shall arise from Israel. [Numbers]
It is Balaam the Seer who speaks those words. (He's famous for his talking donkey!) They are ironic words because Balaam had been hired by Israel's enemies to come and put a curse on Israel prior to a battle. Instead God uses Balaam to predict victory and future greatness and a hero-deliverer. Later Jews and Christians would understand these words in terms of a Messiah! The gospel scripture today from Matthew shows that those expectations gave rise to conflict between Jesus and the religious leadership in Jerusalem. Jesus saw himself as the fulfillment of all the prophecies, which those religious leaders could not accept. In Advent, as we pray for the renewed presence of the Lord in our midst, it is hard to see how that presence, especially in the birth of a child, could be a source of conflict. Yet, we know that from the very beginning, as the gospels tell us, Jesus became a threat to existing powers. All of this helps us to realize that the gospel story involves real people with real concerns just as it does today. When we look at the crib scene, it helps to remember that the story of those figures is our story too. Is there any conflict needing healing in our own families, relationships, communities? That kind of healing would be a great Christmas gift! AMEN
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