May 10 – Luke 23:33-56 – “The people stood by and watched; the rules, meanwhile, sneered at him and said, “He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Messiah of God” (Lk 23:35)
I can see this scene everywhere, every time. Leaders, of any kind, sneering at whoever brings the fullness of life. They are the kind of leaders who want people to behave according to their standards, not God’s. And to make the point, the use the same argument: because he is on the cross, his message is invalidated. I heard this all the time: just because a priest failed, the whole message of the Church is invalidated; because there are hypocrites in the Church, the entire Gospel must be dismissed.
As a disciple of Jesus, I must remain focused on the Truth that God has revealed to us. It’s not mine, I cannot use it as I wish. I have to make sure that what people do does not necessarily make their message, or their action, null and void. Certainly, they have to deal with their action, but the message still has validity. Respect must always be given because respect has been given to me. By God, who could have treated me – or anybody else – according to our own deeds.