THE WORD
Job 42,1-3.5-6.12-17 / Lk 10,17-24
The seventy (-two) returned rejoicing, and said, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.” Jesus said, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power ‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
At that very moment he rejoiced (in) the holy Spirit and said, “I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”
Turning to the disciples in private he said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”
IN OTHER WORDS
There are variations of the Primacy-of-Chicken-or-Egg puzzle. There is the Boyfriend variation: Whom do you choose: The good-looking guy but is ill-mannered or the ugly guy but is well mannered? The inevitable answer/question to it is always: “Why can’t the good-looking guy be also well mannered?” To which my answer is: “They became priests.”
There is also the Teacher variation: What is more important: Competence or Character? Sometimes we overlook a very competent teacher’s character. But can one really be a teacher to children if the character is in question? In the same vein, can a very good person automatically handle a class of 40?
The disciples faced the same question. While they were rejoicing at their apostolic successes, Jesus points to them another view. God reveals to little children what he has kept hidden from the wise and the learned. “Rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven.”
Jesus had many more: The first must be the last.
One must die so that he might live.
Leave the ninety-nine to look for the one lost.
Give the other cheek to the one who slapped the first cheek.
The beggar was at the bosom of Abraham while the rich was in hell.
To be able to answer the chicken-or-egg questions in life, one must understand Jesus’ choices. This is because Jesus had a particular, even peculiar, perspective to see the right answers. St. Therese of the Child Jesus understood it well and she, who was cloistered in a monastery, is the Patroness for the Missions.
- Fr. Alan Meechan, SVD | Naujan, Or. Mindoro
The Word in other words 2016
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
