Year B - Sunday 24
Readings: Isaiah 50: 5-9a; James 2: 14-18; Mark 8: 27-35
Jesus reveals that his mission will be seriously contested and opposed by the powers to be. He acknowledges that he and these powers are in stark opposition to, and incompatible with, each other. For this he will be put to death. Consistent with his non-violent philosophy which he had preached throughout his public life, Jesus discloses that he shall willingly yield to State violence, and thereby overcome them through their own tools of oppression.
This attitude is foreseen in Isaiah’s prophetic poem. Non-violence is presented as an essential part of the Messiah’s plan and mission. Violence will not be combated with violence; the State’s oppressive tools, which lead to slavery, will not be fought with similarly condemnable tools. They will be contested (and overcome) by means which uphold freedom and justice from the beginning to the end.
As James states, it is by endorsing and employing
such a philosophy, however difficult, that a Christian will concretely demonstrate
the wrongness of his opponents and his reliance on God’s all-powerful love and
mercy: ‘I will show you my faith by my works.’
No comments:
Post a Comment