Day 64, Luke 20
Good day everyone! It’s Monday of Holy Week!
This Chapter is all about the authority of Jesus questioned!
He has now entered Jerusalem and the Pharisees and Scribes will come after Him wanting to find reason to arrest Him!
I see three rock solid points:
- The Stone Rejected
- The Teacher Answers Well
- Be On Guard
1- The Stone Rejected
“The Stone the which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone”
Jesus says this at the end of the parable which tells the story of the farmers who rejected the servants sent by the vineyard owner and then finally his son — basically to take the inheritance!
Here Jesus is saying that the one that was rejected is the one holding everything together!
What I see here is that the stone — originally was the 10 Commandments! Written on stone was the law!
Jesus is the fulfillment of the law — of what was written on that stone — and key to remember is that the Word of God is JESUS! The eternal Word! There is only one!
So this stone — is rejected!!! This stone is the one that holds the whole structure together — and what is that structure? The Church!
We are all called to be living stones! Stones alive in Christ and filled with faith!
Our belief is in Jesus Christ our Rock and our fortress –and we follow the 10 Commandments in order to remain in Him and His love!
Those who fall on this stone — meaning that they fall short of truth — they sin — they will be dashed to pieces by this rock!
In addition this stone will CRUSH anyone on whom it falls! Now Jesus goes to Gethsemane to be crushed! He is crushed there for our sins — it is the weight of sin which crushes us and causes us to fall!
And it is in that same spirit that we want to be set free and not have to carry around the burden of sin!
2- The Teacher Answers Well
When asked about the resurrection — we see that some of the scribes reply “Teacher, you have answered well.” And then they don’t dare to ask Him anything!
They know! At that point they realize that He is truth… they just can’t seem to surrender to Him!
We see that even today! People have a lot of questions and that is good! People should get their questions answered. But sometimes the questions are a way to stay stuck!
Have you ever seen people who ask many questions about the faith and then still don’t believe even if you answered all the questions?!
That is what we see here — another place we read that they fell silent after listening to Jesus answer a question.
So Jesus answers were right on!!! They either provoked anger — or silence — and the bottom line is that getting questions answered is a great thing and we should ask many questions in order to study and to know truth…
But these guys just wanted to find something wrong! They had an agenda -
- So when Jesus answers the question about marriage at the resurrection we see that when it comes to rising that we will all be children of God — not married or unmarried — but sons in the Son!
It is not about what happens when we die but the state of our living!! Marriage on earth is a sign to make Christ present — a Sacrament — sign of God’s love and an image of the Trinity when Marriage bears fruit of children! Could be spiritual children too!
The key here is are they really interested in the answers and truth or are they only asking to find Him wrong and a blasphemer so they can catch Him and put Him to death?
There are still people on earth who do the same thing — they are not really interested in the truth –just in condemning Christianity — or Catholicism!
And so really we can answer questions but better to ask questions… and be on guard!
3- Be On Guard
Right after this section we see Jesus Denouncing the Scribes! With everyone listening — Jesus tells the disciples to …
“Be on guard against the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and love greetings in marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers.”
WOW — now Jesus was not messing around — and this must have really set the Scribes off — especially after they had been silent!
I guess after they questions the “Son of David” Jesus really had had enough of them!!!
But why be on guard over this? Well these are all the external conditions that later are a sign of the internal conditions that we have in our heart!
Are we prideful in our hearts — do we seek approval of man and push to be noticed? Are we unjust to those less fortunate than we are? Do we pray or sing so that others will hear us or do we share our gifts with others but with a servant’s heart and in humility!
This chapter is really where Jesus enters in and drives out all the dishonesty and deception!
Jesus goes head on and it out in the open confronting their issues and questions… while knowing their hearts all along!
In this was Jesus shows His authority to go head to head and showed no fear or trepidation in facing anything that the Pharisees and Scribes had to say!
I think we have to read this and put ourselves right in the middle of these conversations to see where Jesus and the disciples are at right at this moment!
For us we can really see how things started to get heated up which is why we ended up right here on Monday of Holy Week — with things getting fired up –
Jesus shows no fear — as He is full of grace — just like His Mother —She in fact is just like HIM!
What a Holy Combo!
Take some time this week to journal as I had stated a long time ago — and to make a stop in a holy place to pray — even if for a short time —
This Past week I visited St. Katharine Drexel Shrine — what a gift to Philadelphia — and hoping to get to Miraculous Medal Shrine!
Our Priest Fr. Taglienetti said on Passion Sunday in the homily — that we should take a person from the Gospel and imagine, pray and contemplate what it was like for them to go to the cross — or to be there at this time of Calvary –
For example — take Peter or Mary Magdalene or the Blessed Mother — or Simon of Cyrene or Veronica —
What was it like for them and how does that translate into whatever you are going through!
IE Simon of Cyrene — perhaps you find yourself today carrying a cross that you didn’t ask for or want — there are so many good stories to choose from!
At the morning of renewal I spoke of Peter — and how He didn’t make it to the cross — his vision was clouded with denial!
Instead of being the light and fire for Christ — Peter was warming himself with the fire and then denied Jesus three times!
When the shepherd was struck the sheep scattered!
Let us not be scattered this week — let us come together and get fired up for this Holies of Holy!
The great grace of Holy Week!
Please share!!
God bless you all!
