A JESUS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND

September 1, 2010
Wednesday of Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time

Luke 4:38-44


This Jesus is difficult to understand. His ways are not our ways. His attitude is not our attitude.

Jesus was rejected in Nazareth. He did not reject them in return but quietly went away from them. He was welcomed in Capernaum. He made His home there, yet He did not keep Himself grounded over there. He refused to work miracles in Nazareth, yet His frist day in Capernaum was full of miraculous deeds—driving out demons and healing the sick. As He raised up the ailing mother-in law of Peter, He became the darling of his househod. He became the darling of the town mates as He laid His hands on all the sick and afflicted people, and cured them all who were brought to Him. He became the darling of the Apostles as He rose in popularity and became an instant “hit” in the town. Yet, Jesus withdrew from the crowd and even from the Apostles and went into a deserted place to spend His time in silent prayer.

The disciples were woken up by the people who came looking for Jesus. They realized that “Jesus is found missing!” They look for Him intently, and found Him in solitude and prayer. They could not understand this Jesus, who in the height of His popularity and fame, would run away from His fans and seclude Himself in silence. They could not understand this Jesus, who worked throughout the day and late in the evening, would discard His rest only to spent His time in silence and prayer. They could certainly not understand this Jesus, when He was in high demand, and everybody is happy with Him and look for Him, would abandon the place and leave the people in pursuit of other places for his mission!

Yes, His mission! That was the focus of His life. This was a mission given to Him by His Father. Therefore, He constantly consulted with His Father and sought after His Divine will for Him. His mission did not rest on popularity or mass-drive, acceptance or rejection, success or failure. His mission is not confined to some areas of life or some aspects of human situation. It is integral. In this sense, Jesus is the most perfect person—integral and balanced. His integrity flows from the integral life He chose to live. It was a life of deep compassion for others, yet a life of liberation, not grounded or tied down to any. It was a life of selfless service, rooted in prayer, meditation and deep intimacy with the Father. He immersed Himself with the people and their needs, even as He secluded Himself from the distractions of the crowd, and withdrew into the chamber of solitude. He effected healings and drove out demons even as inhibited from the clamor of performing miracles and working out signs and wonders. He preached a Gospel of love, peace and fullness of life, even as He invited us to take up our cross and follow Him and reminded us to give up and let go of everything for His Kingdom.

Nothing can stop Him: neither rejection nor acceptance, neither hostility nor hospitality, neither friends nor foes, neither popularity nor mass-hate… He leaves behind pain and joy, and He moves forward.

How do I follow this Jesus who is full of surprises and difficult to understand? How do I approach success and failures? How liberated a person am I? How easy is for me to leave behind the applause and popularity and move on to the unpopular? Do I feel being tied down to people, place, situations, projects and ideologies? How balanced a person am I in my service and contemplation? Am I comfortable with silence, solitude and contemplation as also with the company of people, noise and active service?