No longer shall they defile themselves with their idols, their abominations, and all their transgressions. I will deliver them from all their sins of apostasy, and cleanse them so that they may be my people and I may be their God. My servant David shall be prince over them, and there shall be one shepherd for them all; they shall live by my statutes and carefully observe my decrees.
If Lent teaches nothing else about our sins, we should learn that we must be delivered from them. We are quite powerless. I look at the Brexit debacle in the UK, racism in the United States which a savage civil war could not erase, the struggle to contain the cost of health care against the inevitability of death, and the poisoning of our planet; it's obvious no human being or collective human effort can manage -- much less eliminate -- these crises.
One of our responses to the Eucharistic Prayer is, "Save us, Savior of the World, for by your cross and resurrection you have set us free." That's not a casual request for "a little attention here." We're desperate and things are getting worse.
Today's gospel describe the political/religious quagmire of Jerusalem as Jesus and the feast of Passover approached. If the Messiah should ever appear it would be during the Passover! And here was the Nazarene with a host of followers and a world of expectation. The Sanhedrin, not given to religious fantasies, practitioners of Realpolitik, feared the possibilities that might erupt if this Jesus-business were to go unchecked.
But, though they might be despised by Romans and Herodians alike, they had connections and they knew how to get things done. The arrest, trial and execution of Jesus were not hard to arrange. Talk to the right people, strew some temple treasury in the right direction, schedule a few meetings. We'll take care of it.
Jerusalem wasn't far different from Washington, or any national, state or regional capital.
We will celebrate Easter nonetheless. We will hope and pray that God's mercy delivers us; it is certain we can expect nothing from this world's principals.
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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.