In today’s first reading (Jer 20:10-13) the Prophet Jeremiah is being persecuted by the people for doing good deed but he places his trust in God and still praises Him. Is it any wonder that Jesus’ contemporaries wanted to stone him? He told the rich young man that he had to sell all he had, give it to the poor and come follow him (Right!); He expelled the merchants from the temple (how did he expect them to manage?); He told prostitutes and tax collectors that God loves them (ok, then I am worthy despite my past mistakes).He healed on the Sabbath and claims to be the Son of God.
The gospel reading (Jn 10:31-42) shows that Jesus was about to be stoned by some of the Jews for speaking the truth. He, like Jeremiah, is under God’s protection and so He is saved from them until the hour of His glory. Jesus is forced to flee, to take refuge across the Jordan and to remain there for some time.
Again, today’s readings show that the result of a closed mind is to close out the other, to deny them a voice and to prematurely close down any consideration or openness to another view point. Jesus challenged his audience in his day, and us each day, to be the kind of person who can listen with the heart and to see into the heart of another. Such tolerance and openness is surely needed in our world today. One cannot maintain good relationships at the one to one level without being able to hear and listen to one’s partner or friend.
Communities cannot live together in harmony and mutual respect without being able to appreciate the value systems of one another. Nations cannot find the way of peace together if they do not give and receive mutual respect.
As our Lenten journey draws near to a close, we pray that we may we grow in tolerance, openness and a willing acceptance of the ‘other’ during these weeks. Amen.
Osho
