Gospel Delights!

Friday, October 6, 2023

Bar 1:15-22; Lk 10:13-16

Though the woe message is an apparent theme of today’s gospel, we cannot afford to miss out on the message of blessing in it. A careless reading cannot penetrate the meaning of the gospel text. Only a diligent reading helps us discover the blessing that Jesus offers. 

Woe Message: Today’s gospel is one of the passages on woe message. However, how do we understand the passage in which we find Jesus cursing the unrepentant people? 

Though Jesus utters the words ‘woe to you,’ more than being a curse, the words signify the disappointment of a sincere worker who feels discouraged when his hard work has not paid off. In his anger, Jesus even compares the unrepentant Jewish towns (Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum) to the notorious Gentile cities from the Old Testament (Sodom, Tyre, and Sidon). Why is the sin of the New Testament cities worse than their Old Testament counterparts?

There is a subtle difference that we cannot overlook. Though the Old Testament cities were equally unrepentant, they received God’s message only from prophets who represented God. Whereas in the New Testament, it is not a prophet but God Himself in the person of Jesus Christ who proclaims the Good News. Thus, the Divine Status and Identity of Jesus increase their accountability. That is how the unrepentant crowd in the New Testament becomes more sinful than their counterparts in the Old Testament. 

Looking past the anger and disappointment of Jesus, what we are called to remember is the unconditional love of God who said, ‘For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will bring you back’ (Is 54:7). God is love! Love is God!

Message of Blessing:  We uncover the message of blessing when we find Jesus equating his messengers to Himself and the Heavenly Father. Those who proclaim the Good News of Jesus represent Jesus Himself. And representing Jesus is equivalent to representing the Heavenly Father. This is why acceptance or rejection of Jesus’ message amounts to acceptance or rejection of the Heavenly Father who sent him. 

This message of blessing reminds us of what Paul writes in Romans 10:15: ‘How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!’

The gospel begins with Jesus’ disappointment but ends with his blessing! 

The final words of God are not death and decay, but life and its fullness (Jn 10:10)!

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar