Wednesday 04 July 2012

Background

Within the Gospel of Luke's account of the arrest andcrucifixion of Jesus it is often the violence of Jesus' guards atthis point that trouble us most. Placed in a position of authority,they pour out their contempt for Jesus in the form of violence andabusive language (verses 63-65). Yet the conversation which follows(verses 66-71) no less disturbing, for here we see intolerance andabuse again but cloaked this time under a veil of academicknowledge and religious authority.

Of all that Jesus has been quoted as saying, the religiousleaders are most disturbed by the claim that he is the "Son of God"(v. 70) - the long awaited, Messiah who, it is believed, willrescue his people bringing hope and peace. As religious leaders,this claim should intrigue and excite them. We would expect to seethem question Jesus enthusiastically, and debate the impact hisarrival will have on their faith and their worship. Instead we finda group of educated and allegedly spiritual people so set in theirbeliefs that they will not even entertain the possibility thatJesus may be exactly what they have been waiting for. Jesus'statement, "If I tell you, you will not believe" underlines theirlack of faith and enrages them even further.

Jesus' interrogators bring all of their intellect and religiousconviction to bear on the conversation, but they still miss theastonishing truth about the man who is before them. They are quickto assume he is a fraud and lack the humility to listen as hetalks. As a result they miss what could have been the mostspiritually enriching experience of their lives and choose insteadto destroy what they do not understand.

To Ponder:

• How can we be more open to God's presence in our lives?

• How best can we stand by our religious convictions whilstengaging with and considering other ideas?

• What can we do to stand against intolerance at an institutionallevel as well as the prejudice we encounter in day to daylife?