Word to the Wise
Saturday, September 25, 2021 - Saturday in the 25th Week in Ordinary Time
[Zech 2:5-9, 14-15a and Luke 9:43b-45]While they were all amazed at his every deed, Jesus said to his disciples, "Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men." But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying. [Luke]
One of the most difficult experiences in pastoral life is the aftermath of a suicide. It seems to happen so suddenly and without warning. This has been, in my experience, particularly difficult in campus ministry because the victim is young. Roommates and other friends will sincerely claim that they knew of no signs that the victim was depressed or had experienced a hard event. It is only in retrospect with questioning that the signs become all too clear, all too late. The same thing can be true when one is caught up in the enthusiasm of a movement centered on a charismatic leader. Any signs that the leader is in danger can be denied right up to the end, despite warnings from the leader him- or herself. It is easier to deny there is any trouble.
This seems to be true of the gospels which recount Jesus' warnings that he would be "handed over" and killed and rise again. It was only too clear after Jesus' passion, death and resurrection, when the disciples were trying to make sense of all that had happened and reflected on what Jesus had taught and said that those warnings made sense. As the old saying goes, "Hindsight is 20/20!"
This same kind of denial process can occur with regard to Jesus' teachings. When they become inconvenient and contradict lifestyle or political or ideological preferences, it can be easy to think, "He really didn't mean it THAT way!" The consequences of denial become all too clear in the parable of the final judgment in Matt. 25:31-45.
More than 2,000 years of reflection on Jesus' teachings should provide us with plenty of warnings and much to challenge us. Are we in denial in any way? AMEN
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