Word to the Wise
Thursday, November 18, 2010 - Thursday in the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
[Revelation 5:1-10 and Luke 19:41-44]As Jesus drew near to Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If this day you only knew what makes for peace - but now it is hidden from your eyes.
I remember well my first glimpse of Jerusalem! I was on a bus with a large group of pilgrims - Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulcher. We had been traveling around various sacred sites in the Holy Land and Jerusalem was to be our final stop. When the scriptures speak of going "up to Jerusalem" they are not kidding! One does go up to get to the city. I was very moved by the sight! Our hotel was on a neighboring ridge, above the Garden of Gethsemane, which allowed for a magnificent view of the "old city." I could not help but wonder if Jesus had a similar view when he wept at the sight. The Gospel of Luke assumes at least one previous visit by Jesus with his parents before the fateful visit that ended in his death, but he may have made other pilgrimages from Galilee on the occasion of great feasts. The process of a Roman siege, described by Jesus in today's gospel scripture, would have been familiar to his audience. Since the Gospel of Luke was put into writing most likely after the destruction of the temple by the Romans in 70AD, the images would have been fresh in the minds of many either from personal witness or from the stories that circulated. What is sad is that tension and destruction have marked this site from the very time that King David chose it as his capital and seized it from a people called the Jebusites. The city remains divided as a symbol of the mutual antagonism between Jew and Moslem. Some of the most sacred sites in the city remain divided because of mutual antagonism between various Christian churches!! It appears that peace is still hidden from the eyes of all to whom Jerusalem is sacred. The "siege" of the city is almost global because of its sacred importance to three major religious families. A reflection on this incident in Jesus' final pilgrimage to Jerusalem could suggest a further reflection on our own locations and whether or not we are recognizing "what makes for peace." National interests - or even selfish interests masquerading as religion - always seem to come before the beauty of peace! AMEN
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