Gospel Reading of the Day
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| JESUS AND CAIAPHAS. Image from the "Passion of the Christ" via bangrawnijuan.wordpress.com and google.com |
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So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, "What are going to do? This man is performing many signs. If we leave him alone, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation." But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing, nor do you consider that it is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish." He did not say this on his own, but since he was high priest for that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God." So from that day on they planned to kill him. [47 - 53]
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The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Personal Reflection on the Reading
Sharing for the Day
The Jewish people waited for the Messiah, the one who will lead the Jewish nation and reestablish the royal line of King David. But God had a bigger plan: the Messiah will not come for the sake of the Jews only but for all men - the "dispersed children of God". The angel made it clear to Joseph that when the child Mary's womb is born, "You will name Him Jesus because He is the one who will save His people from their sins." [Matthew 1: 21].
"He will save His people from their sins" that's what the angel said, not "He will save His people from the oppression of the Romans and rule as King upon David's throne!" The Jews focused so much on their being the Chosen People that they forgot God's promise to Abraham, "You will be the father of many nations" [see Genesis 17: 4-6] and Israel is just one of these nations. Hence they thought that when the Messiah comes, He will specifically lead Israel against the other nations and make Israel the greatest nation on earth. Their sense of exclusivity even made them forget that the Lord has declared that His Temple "will be called a house of prayer for all nations" [see Isaiah 56:7] and allowed for the use the area at the Temple grounds reserved for non-Jewish worshipers - called the Court of the Gentiles - into a marketplace, which our Lord called "a den of thieves" - for it is where the Lord Jesus probably saw cheating in the changing of money and in the selling of goods and so He drove away cattle, goats and sheep, turned money changers tables, etc [see Matthew 21: 12-13; John 2: 13-17]. This is one of the events that angered the Jews for during this occasion, the Lord also told them, when they asked Him for a sign why He acted like someone with authority, that if they destroy the Temple but He will rebuild it in just three [3] days. But as John wrote, Jesus was not talking about the Temple in itself but of His body and they realized this when He rose from the dead [see John 2: 18-22]!
Jesus Himself said after His triumphant entry into Jerusalem, "And when I am lifted up from the earth, I shall draw all people to myself" [John 12:32]. He did not say that when He is lifted up, the Jewish nation will already believe and they will be saved. His passion, death and resurrection was not for a single race but for the entire humanity. By His death and resurrection, He established a new covenant, not for the Jews alone but for all mankind [see Matthew 26:28; Mark 14: 24]. That's why before He returned to the Father He sent the Apostles to "go to the ends of the earth and make disciples of all nations" [see Matthew 28:19] not "gather all the Jews and we shall reestablish the Kingdom of Israel". We must recall that Peter asked Him specifically about this issue of reestablishing the Kingdom of Israel just before His ascension but Jesus told Him that it is not for them to know instead He reminded them to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit [see Acts 1: 6-9]. When the Holy Spirit descended upon them, Peter understood that the Israel that the Lord would reestablish is very different from what they expected: it was a New Israel which shall have Jews and non-Jews alike as members; a new Chosen People that God will consecrate for Himself [see 1 Peter 2:9].
We are all blessed because we belong to this New Israel. We are among the new Chosen People, members of the royal priesthood consecrated to praise and worship the Father. We have been set apart and it is our mission to tell others of this gift that they may also become members of the New Israel, which is the Church, the Body of the Lord Jesus Christ! It is for us all that our Lord let Himself be raised up from the earth so that all who will be drawn unto Him shall be saved; in the same manner that Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the desert for the sake of the salvation of the Israelites who have been bitten by the serpents [see Numbers 21:9; John 3:14].
We are one week away from the end of our Lenten journey but our full spiritual journey will not yet end on Holy Saturday. We shall still be on our pilgrimage until we reach the Father's house being among those who have been saved because one man died not just for one nation but for all of us!
Application of the Message
[1] Prayer
Pray to give thanks to the Father for giving us all the Lord Jesus Christ not only for His original Chosen People, Israel.
[2] Abstinence
Abstain from something which makes you proud being a member of the new Chosen People of God and which make you disdain those who have not yet accepted the Lord in their lives.
[3] Almsgiving
What can you share today which will inspire someone to rejoice for being a member of the new Israel?
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