MONDAY DECEMBER 16, 2024
MONDAY OF THE THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT C
Numbers 24: 2-7, 15-17
Matthew 21:23-27
AVOID BEING AND LIVING UNCOMMITTED CHRISTIAN LIFE
To always assume a diplomatic stand in the Christian life and mission is very dangerous and highly inimical to the Christian spirit. The diplomatic Christian is one who never takes a stand. He/she tends to flow with the tides and when there is a test to his or her position, such person reclines to himself or herself and takes the neutral position all in the bid of avoiding responsibility.
The likes of diplomatic Christians are described in the gospel of today. Jesus had just finished the cleansing of the temple that was desecrated by the people selling and buying. After driving away the people and restoring normalcy in the temple the leaders of the people, the priests and the scribes came asking him to give them the source of his authority and why he did what he did.
Jesus’ reaction to this question puts these people in serious confusion. For he asked them to give him the answer on whose authority John the baptist was acting and baptising. They already accepted the baptism of John the baptist and they already know that John the baptist had declared and witnessed for him. So to live in denial as if they have no clue that he was the Christ was a great denial of the truth. So asking them about John the baptist puts alot of confusion into their heads.
Their affirmation of John as a prophet will authenticate his authority for acting of which they knew. And their denial of the mission of John will have them to contend with the people who already believed in John the baptist. So they turned into declaring that they know nothing. This was a diplomatic stand. Holding back the truth, not being able to project the obvious for reasons that are personal and obviously and being over protective of one’s evil intentions.
We must not ever indulge in painting the truth to look something different. The question that Jesus puts to the leaders distablilized them and put them on the spot. Instead of admitting the obvious and correcting themselves and accepting the counsel of Emmanuel, God with us, they sought ways to avoid being corrected and entered into a more dangerous situation. Turning the truth away and denying the obvious.
A different scenario seems to play out in the first reading of today when the prophet Balaam was invited by the king to prophesy on the oracle of the Lord. This prophet received the word of God and declared it openly stating the coming of a star in the future. But that was not the expectation of the king. So all inducement to overturn his prophecy as we read in the book of Numbers, was resisted first by the prophet himself and later by even the donkey which spoke out saying, ““Am I not your own beast, and have you not always ridden upon me until now?” Because the donkey refused to return so that the truth may not be compromised.
We must also act in sincere honesty, speaking the truth as revealed, never camouflaging, never in denial, never dodging the truth for mundane reasons. We must never act in protection of our ego, of ourselves, against the truth of the gospel and of the Church.
God our Father, help us to always speak the truth, live the truth and be ambassadors of the truth. May we always have the courage to confront ourselves against falsehood, pretences and evil intentions. Help us to be real, to be true to the Christian life, teachings and doctrine and to strive to uphold and abide faithfully and sincerely to all through Christ our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
