Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
(Ephesians 6:10-20; Luke 13:31-35)
People today think of foxes as wily. A foxy man does not reveal his
intentions. He takes advantage of
another, then slips away. In ancient
Jewish culture, however, foxes were considered more destructive than
clever. They were not to be trifled
with. For this reason in today’s gospel the
Pharisees warn Jesus to get out of Dodge.
He goes but not because he is afraid of death. Indeed, he continues his march to Jerusalem where
he knows he will be martyred.
Jerusalem is where God meets humans. God speaks there through the prophets. Also, Jerusalem is the home of the temple. In it sacrifices are offered to God for the
forgiveness of sins. As multiple as sacrifices
were and even as devout as those offering sacrifices may have been, they could
not match Jesus’. The New Testament
testifies that only Jesus’ death on the cross achieved the forgiveness of all sins.
Different words in today’s gospel conjure up thoughts of Halloween. Foxes and chickens make interesting
costumes. Jesus speaks of demons, and
the entire reading holds the specter of death.
Halloween means “All Hallows Eve,” the eve of All Saints. The saints were made holy by the impulse of
grace achieved by Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross.
No comments:
Post a Comment