Friday of the Fourth Week in Lent
(Wisdom 2:1a.12-22; John 7:1-2.10.25-30)
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is credited with having saved the American banking system and hence the world economy from ruin. However, at the same time he is being criticized by both right and left for undermining America’s economy.
Today’s first reading from the Book of Wisdom soberly assures that righteous people like Ben Bernanke suffer persecution. Certainly the Gospel of John portrays Jesus as being so persecuted. By healing the hopelessly infirm, Jesus shows himself to be sent from God. By performing such acts on the Sabbath, he further reveals that the age of the Law, prohibiting Sabbath work, has ended. The upshot of all this is that since the Messiah has now arrived in person, belief in him and not following the Law, leads to salvation. Today’s gospel reading pictures Jewish rulers, threatened by their loss of authority to Jesus, plotting to kill him.
When we pursue what is good, we will sometimes find our efforts criticized and our intentions misconstrued. It happened to Jesus, and as his followers, we can expect it to happen to us. But suffering persecution is no reason to give up doing what is right. We might check our work and question our motives to assure that they are properly ordered. If they are, then there is reason to stay the course. After all, Jesus promises the Kingdom of heaven to those who suffer persecution for the sake of righteousness.
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