I speak the
truth in Christ, I do not lie; my conscience joins with the Holy Spirit in
bearing me witness that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed
and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to
the flesh.
Many contemporary authors speculate about Jesus' thoughts and feelings. We love and worship him and feel great compassion for him in his suffering but we struggle to understand the man. What was he thinking; how did he feel? The scriptures give us little insight into the mind of Jesus; the divine authors were not especially interested in his feelings or why he thought as he did. Unlike the modern authors, they did not try to perceive the Mind of God.
Saint Paul, however, is an open book. He shows us how one disciple of Jesus responds to various situations and challenges. He helps us to dismantle many silly notions of what a saint should be like.
In today's first reading we discover his great sorrow and constant anguish that so few Jews had come to Jesus. Born and raised in the best Jewish traditions he saw how Jesus perfectly fulfills every Jewish expectation of God. He is the Messiah, Lord and Son of God; anyone who wants to know Jesus must appreciate his Jewish roots and the long history of suffering, disappointment and hope. Paul rushed eagerly from one synagogue to the next, searching out every Jewish quarter in every city, expecting to tell them about Jesus. He was crushed when they turned away; astonished when they were hostile.
This passage from his Letter to the Romans especially teaches us how to feel about the present separation from Jews and divisions among Christians. Getting angry is not helpful; judging is worse. Arguments persuade no one; pity and paternalism insult the dignity of honorable people. Hostility fails to honor the image of God in every person.
Imitating Saint Paul, we choose and prefer to feel sadness. It is a helpless sadness like that of Christ on the cross. It sees clearly but is helpless to change anything. It welcomes that helplessness as the Way of the Cross, the way one must go.
"How long?" Saint Paul must have asked. As long as it takes. We're living with God's time and God's plans. God has all the time in the world and his plans are beyond our comprehension.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.