Word to the Wise
Friday, November 24, 2023 - Thursday in the 33th Week in Ordinary Time
[1 Macc 2:15-29 and Luke 19:41-44]Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out those who were selling things, saying to them, "It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves. And every day he was teaching in the temple area. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile, were seeking to put him to death, but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose because all the people were hanging on his words. [Luke]
NOVEMBER 24 ST. ANDREW DUNG LAC AND COMPANIONS, martyrs in Vietnam
How did Jesus manage to get away with disrupting the ordinary processes of the temple? One can only imagine the chaos of livestock, birds and money scattering around in a large enclosure. Did the crowds stop the temple guards from getting to him because the spectacle was too enjoyable and Jesus was popular? We are told "all the people were hanging on his words." The gospels do not tell us. One account has the Jewish authorities sending the guard to arrest Jesus and they came back empty-handed. When asked why they hadn't arrested Jesus, their reply was "Never has anyone spoken like this man!" [John 7:46]
The temple figures large in the scriptures today from 1 Maccabees and Luke, but preacher that I am, the colorful expression, quite literally translated from the Greek, "hanging on his words.." cannot but give me pause to think about the kind of preaching/teaching that could trigger that kind of reaction! Quite often, people have wished to hang the preacher. In Jesus' case, it wasn't for poor preaching but for good preaching! He was saying things that threatened the "powers that be." But sometimes the preacher must say things that challenge popular opinion, whether it be political, economic, social or cultural. He or she might indeed challenge commercial interests connected with the church! He or she might challenge abuses by leadership, exploiting their office for personal satisfaction or gain. Jesus did both of those things. And look what happened to him! Is he a hero as long as it is not OUR or MY temple that he is challenging? Are WE hanging on his words? It's something to think about! AMEN