December 13/Third Monday of Advent
They discussed this among themselves. . . And they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.” ~ Matthew 21.27
The disingenuousness of our political discourse never ceases to amaze me. Even as they strike arch poses and take extreme positions, talking heads and congressional leaders profess that they are just “trying to get to the truth” or “speaking for the American people.” The throwaway lines, the cheap posturing, the mischaracterization of another’s viewpoint – taken together, these constitute an exercise in inauthenticity. The debate between the chief priests and elders and Jesus in today’s Gospel is not so different: in questioning Jesus’s authority, members of the Jewish religious and legal establishments are simply trying to trap him. “By whose authority are you acting?” they ask; Christ parries, “Was John’s baptism of heavenly or human origin?” Keenly aware of the political ramifications of their answer, unable to acknowledge their real agenda, they triangulate, prevaricate, and obfuscate, finally falling back on the half-hearted defense of every politician: “We do not know.” Earlier in Matthew’s Gospel, the priests and elders have failed to see the truth and to hear the truth; today they show themselves unable to speak it. But do we do any better today? As Christians in a secular world, we may find ourselves in the position of having to defend teachings that may feel hard to defend because they run counter to the secular values that dominate our society. We may try to avoid taking a stand that offends or seems unfashionable. And so, like the chief priests and elders, we triangulate, prevaricate and obfuscate. But faced with the reality of Jesus Christ, nothing less than genuine commitment will do. As Alfred Delp, a German Jesuit who was martyred by the Nazis in 1945, wrote, “In the presence of the Ultimate the only thing that survives is what is authentic.”
Lord who governs the world and all that is in it, Give me the courage to embrace the truth of my faith and to speak it with conviction. Amen.
For today’s readings, click here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121321.cfm
To hear the Choir of the Abbey School, Tewkesbury, sing “Dear Lord and Father of Mankind,” click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk7SX3r59sc
