Word to the Wise
Thursday, November 19, 2020 - Thursday in the 33th Week in Ordinary Time
[Rev 5:1-10 and Luke 19:41-44]As Jesus drew near 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." [Luke]
The evangelist Luke chose to tell the story of Jesus' life in ministry as a journey from Galilee to Jerusalem, from where the gospel would ultimately spread to the rest of the known world. (cf. Acts 2:1-13) Jerusalem was a fortified site occupied by a tribe of Palestinians called the Jebusites when King David seized it and made it the capital of the more or less unified tribes of Israel. He centralized all the worship of the Jews into one temple. (Imagine what it would be like if Mass were only offered at St. Peter's in Rome.) The city remains a sacred place for Jews (the "Wailing Wall" is a remnant of the original temple foundation), for Christians (Jesus suffered and died outside the city), and Moslems (who believe Mohammed received the Quran there at the "dome of the rock.) The scene in today's gospel reflects not only Jesus' frustration with the failure of his fellow Jews to receive Him, but since it was written after the destruction of the temple and the city, it shows what ultimately happened as a result of that failure in 70 AD. (Luke describes normal Roman military siege tactics, which can be seen also at Masada, the last refuge of Jewish resistance.) Still, the city inspires awe. I remember well my first glimpse from the window of the tour bus and how I felt.
Parents, grandparents, friends, teachers and spiritual directors know well the sadness and frustration when a loved one, especially an offspring, refuses to see the possible destructive consequences of the direction they are taking in iife. Denial is a powerful adversary to wise counsel. This can be true also of organizations and nations! It is an old problem because the Old Testament prophets warned the leadership about introducing foreign idolatry and making alliances with outside powers. They were ignored and the Assyrians and Babylonians and later on the Romans destroyed the country and Jerusalem and took much of the population into exile.
Jesus' tears are those of prophetic frustration. I know it well from pastoral counseling. Sometimes all I can do is hope the person or organization that I have counseled will find a way forward that is wise because every path I can suggest is unacceptable. Jesus could not "fix" Jerusalem. It is no different for parents, grandparents, friends, teachers or spiritual directors! AMEN