The Holy Prophet Nahum (7th century BC)
2 Timothy 4:9-22; Luke 20:1-8
Nativity Fast. Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat.
Read Luke 20:1-8
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
You can imagine that meeting of the Sanhedrin that week, can’t you? The Pharisees, chief priests and scribe and the elders enjoined to deal with the problem of Jesus. He made that kingly entrance into Jerusalem just after the Sabbath. He’s been preaching in the Temple precincts and is drawing the people away from us. He even upset the tables of the merchants and money changers. What is He about? Why is He doing this? What are we going to do about Him? We run the real risk of losing our influence (and control?) over the people. He is a problem.
While the above is speculation, it is speculation based on the evidence in the Holy Gospels. We can understand now why they wanted to trap Jesus with His own words. And when He was trapped, it was then that they would have won.
True to rabbinic fashion, when our Lord was questioned about His authority, He answered with a question back to them. The answer was simple. But they chose not to answer, to plead ignorance. Why did they answer such? It betrays their very hearts. They were not concerned with truth; they were concerned more with narrative about their own image. You can control narrative, but the truth you cannot control.
How about in my life? Do I always seek the truth, do I always seek the Lord (as Truth is a Person)? Are there times when I try to hide the fact that I am a disciple of our Lord from others. Is how I portray myself to others more important that who I actually am? Do others know the real me?
We are approaching the Crib in the cave. Let us receive the healing of Love Incarnate that allows for the narrative image of myself to decrease and who I truly am in Christ increase.