Word to the Wise
Friday, March 31, 2017 - 4th Week of Lent - Fri
[Wis 2:1a, 12-22 and John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30]FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 2017. FRIDAY IN THE FOURTH WEEK OF LENT [Wisdom 2:1a, 12-22 and John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30] "He calls blest the destiny of the just and boasts that God is his Father. Let us see whether his words be true; let us find out what will happen to him." [Wisdom] The words in the first scripture today are from the Book of Wisdom. They are almost eerie in their probing of human motivation and feeling. It is no wonder that the early Christian community found in them an understanding of the way some people reacted to their preaching about Jesus, and the possible motives of those who killed him. What the Book of Wisdom points out is that the life of a truly good person will always be a threat to people whose own life is destructive and sinful. The good person's life seems to them to be a judgment against their own. Since faith is the foundation stone of the good person's life, the evil ones will try to test it. It's like children who are being naughty and do everything they can to draw a reluctant "good" child into their mischief. The Book of Wisdom offers us a challenge today to examine our own reactions to people who seem to us to be "too good to be true," but really are good! Do we think they are less "human" because they are resolute in their faith and behavior? Does our reluctance to examine our own lives lead us to want to get rid of or at least avoid their company? The resentment many felt at Jesus' life and ministry became lethal. We may not get that destructive, but we can still do a lot of damage if we are less than honest with ourselves. AMEN