The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary provide material for meditation on experiences of rejection and denial that may confront us as we journey with Christ.
Bias and rejection
The reading from the Prophet Jeremiah reveals a plot against Jeremiah.
Must good be repaid with evil1
Psalm 31 is a prayer and praise for deliverance from enemies.
* [Psalm 31] A lament (Ps 31:2–19) with a strong emphasis on trust (Ps 31:4, 6, 15–16), ending with an anticipatory thanksgiving (Ps 31:20–24). As is usual in laments, the affliction is couched in general terms. The psalmist feels overwhelmed by evil people but trusts in the “God of truth” (Ps 31:6).2
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus foretells His Death and Resurrection, a third time, and He responds to the request of the mother of James and John.
* [20:17–19] Cf. Mk 10:32–34. This is the third and the most detailed of the passion predictions (Mt 16:21–23; 17:22–23). It speaks of Jesus’ being handed over to the Gentiles (Mt 27:2), his being mocked (Mt 27:27–30), scourged (Mt 27:26), and crucified (Mt 27:31, 35). In all but the last of these points Matthew agrees with his Marcan source, but whereas Mark speaks of Jesus’ being killed (Mk 10:34), Matthew has the specific to be…crucified. * [20:20–28] Cf. Mk 10:35–45. The request of the sons of Zebedee, made through their mother, for the highest places of honor in the kingdom, and the indignation of the other ten disciples at this request, show that neither the two brothers nor the others have understood that what makes for greatness in the kingdom is not lordly power but humble service. Jesus gives the example, and his ministry of service will reach its highest point when he gives his life for the deliverance of the human race from sin.3
Jay Carney comments that as Jesus’ witness shows us, though, the Christian chalice of suffering comes not through masochism, but as an offshoot of servant-leadership. Seeking martyrdom is just another form of spiritual pride. Rather, Jesus is calling us to get beyond our ego, to make ourselves humble and small, and to offer our self in self-giving, agapic service to our fellow sojourners on life’s pilgrimage.
When I read this gospel, I immediately thought of two bishops. Emmanuel Kataliko served as Archbishop of Bukavu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo between 1997 and his premature death in 2000. A powerful speaker who helped mobilize a city-wide strike in the midst of war, Kataliko was an unassuming man in person often mistaken for the gardener. When visitors would ask him about the whereabouts of the bishop, he would promise to inquire. He would then go inside the rectory, change into his clericals, and return to greet them. Kataliko’s predecessor, Msgr. Christophe Munzihirwa, S.J. (1926-1996), was also a humble servant-leader. Preferring the title “Muhudumu” (“watchman” or “shepherd”) to Archbishop, he would often say, “There are things that can only be seen with eyes that have cried.” He refused to leave his people even as Rwandan militias invaded his city, and he welcomed thousands of refugees fleeing violence. He ultimately shared in Jesus’ chalice, shot dead at a roadblock by one of the militias he had challenged in his final pastoral message, “Stand firm in charity.” (For more on Kataliko and Munzihirwa, see Emmanuel Katongole’s beautiful book, Born from Lament).4
Don Schwager shares the connection of Jesus to the Book of Daniel and Deutero-Isaiah.
Jesus called himself the "Son of Man" (Matthew 20:17) - a prophetic title for the Messiah which came from the Book of Daniel. Daniel was given a prophetic vision of a "Son of Man" who is given great authority and power to rule over the earth on behalf of God. But if Jesus is the Messiah and "Son of Man" prophesied by Daniel, why must he be rejected and killed? Did not God promise that his Anointed One would deliver his people from their oppression and establish a kingdom of peace and justice? The prophet Isaiah had foretold that it was God's will that the "Suffering Servant" who is "God's Chosen One" (Isaiah 42:1) must first make atonement for sins through his suffering and death (Isaiah 53:5-12) and then be raised to establish justice on the earth (Isaiah 42:4). (copyright © 2021 Servants of the Word, source: dailyscripture.net, author Don Schwager)5
Don Schwager quotes “Do you wish to be great?” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Do you wish to be great? Then begin from what is slightest. Do you plan to construct a high and mighty building? Then think first about the foundation of humility. When people plan to erect a lofty and large building, they make the foundations all the deeper. But those who lay the foundation are forced to descend into the depths." (excerpt from Sermon 69, 2)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Jeremiah 18:18-20 notes that a lot of the sins that plagued Judah are familiar to us today: idolatry, injustice, abuse, and exploitation. And like the people back then, many resort to excuses and redirection to try to rationalize their sin. But like the Jews, we too have prophetic voices calling us to repentance. Even more, we have the Holy Spirit within us pricking our conscience and urging us to repent.
Usually we can tell when we are making excuses or trying to explain away our sin. Even if his voice is very faint, the Holy Spirit is always crying out to us, urging us to come back to our heavenly Father. When you hear him speaking to your conscience, when you feel him trying to soften your heart, don’t turn away. Don’t try to silence him. Instead, quiet yourself and listen. Let him convince you that it is far better to confess your sin than to live with it. Let him prove to you that God’s love is far more satisfying than sin and that he is warm and merciful to everyone who comes to him for forgiveness. “Lord, heal the blindness that keeps me from recognizing my sins.”6
Friar Jude Winkler explains the “Confessions of Jeremiah” are challenges to God that the reward of persecution is not fair. Reference to the Son of Man who suffered is used by Jesus from Daniel 7 and from the Songs of the Suffering Servant. Friar Jude reminds us that servants of the servants of God do not seek wealth, popularity, or power.
Jesus was a consummate analyst of human nature. He was really a brilliant psychologist and named many of the issues that we call today “denial,” “bias,” “projection,” and “the shadow self.” He also emphasized the necessity of inner healing of hurts to avoid continuing to hurt others. Brian McLaren offers this perspective on why Jesus’ teachings were so effective in freeing people from an over-attachment to their own way of seeing.
When you aggressively attack people’s familiar ideas, they tend to respond defensively. They dig in their heels and become even more firmly attached to the very ideas that they need to be liberated from. . . . That’s why Jesus, like other effective communicators, constantly told stories, stories that grabbed people by the imagination and transported them into another imaginative world. . . there once was a woman who put some yeast into a huge batch of dough [Matthew 13:33] . . . there once was a man who had two sons [Luke 15:11] . . . this man was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho [Luke 10:30] . . . a woman once lost a coin [Luke 15:8] . . . Through these short “imaginative vacations” to another world, Jesus helped people see from a new vantage point. He used imagination to punch a tiny hole in their walls of confirmation bias, and through that tiny hole, some new light could stream in and let them know of a bigger world beyond their walls.7
Our experience of rejection and denial of our efforts by others may be a consequence of bias barriers in their lives that challenge us to love them in the Way of Jesus.
References
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