Daily Readings Reflection for 11/19/10

Reflection on Today’s Daily Readings by Fr. Bertrand Buby, SM

Scripture: Lectionary 501. Revelation 10:8-11. Psalm 119:
14.24.72.103.111.131. Luke 19:45-48:
Whenever Jesus visited Jerusalem, he was always near or in the Temple.
There he could easily be seen and heard as he preached and taught about
doing the will of the Father. On this this his final visit, he would
achieve his goal by dying on the Cross to save all who believed in him. We
too pray often in a church or a sacred place set aside for prayer. Like
Jesus we preach and teach more by our behavior and our adherence to keeping
the commandments of God given through Moses to us, and those special
commandments of love that Jesus gives us in the beatitudes and the corporal
works of mercy.

Unfortunatley, on this last occasion of having reached Jerusalem with his
disciples, he finds money-changers trafficking in exchanges in the Temple.
This angers him and he drives all of them out through his fiery zeal for
the love of God's most sacred dwelling place, the Temple. We have seen
Luke making the Temple a theme and a symbol throughout his Gospel where it
begins in the Temple and then from the Temple spreads throughout the world
as we here the message of Jesus being given to the Gentiles. Jesus actions
will lead to his conviction and condemnation to death on the Cross.

Jesus was not the type of Messiah the crowd expected as they celebrated his
entrance into Jerusalem. In Luke Jesus is a prophetic Messiah not a royal
one. As a prophet he is pouring out through parables and teachings the
will of God for the people. Therefore, he does a prophetic action when he
cleanses the Temple by ridding if of the money minded and the business
taking place in this sacred location. The Temple is never meant to be a
marketplace.

Father Karris, O.F.M. shares with us his insights on the messianic kingship
of Jesus: "The theme of Jesus, the peaceful king, culminates in the
startling picture of Jesus the crucified king...To his last breath, Jesus
continues his kingly ministry to the sinner and he saves the "good thief".
( Luke 23:40-43).

As disciples of the Lord we too experience rejection and misunderstanding
from time to time. We are led to turn back to the Journey Narrative of
Luke and to remember what Jesus taught us. We trust in him and realize
that he alone can help us through some of the problems we face in relating
to others. We trust in Jesus because we know he loves us to the last
breath. Amen.