Facing Truth

In today's Gospel, "some Pharisees and Herodians were sent to Jesus to ensnare him in  his speech!"  Hoping to corner Him, they ask Him whether it is lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not.  "Knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them: 'Bring me a denarius to look at....Whose image and inscription  is this?...Caesar's. So...[r]epay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.'"

Just as Jesus knew their intentions, so, too does He know yours and mine. Hypocrisy,  insincerity, a lack of genuineness and integrity do not escape Jesus! "Why," Jesus asks his interrogators, "are you testing me?"  Do you and I realize when we are testing Jesus? And when we are being testy and insincere in our relationships with others and with therefore with God, Jesus does not condemn us any more than He condemned the Pharisees or the Herodians, in this instance.  He gives them, and us, an opportunity to face truth. He does not leave them, or us,  off the cuff, so to speak, but puts forth a challenge!  In what ways has Jesus challenged you/me today, this past week, this past month?  In what ways has Jesus shown us His patience so as to bring us to repentance, to salvation?

Lord, open my eyes to my hypocrisy!  Show me the truth that is hidden from me when I set out to ensnare another person?

Jesus' Composure

“He is near who upholds my right….See, the Lord God is my help; who will prove me wrong?” we read in today’s first reading, Isaiah 50: 4-9a.  In the Gospel, Mt. 26: 14-25, Jesus says very calmly “one of you will betray me.”  The apostles then break into a frenzy, asking who it is and, Judas, the betrayer, attempts to cover up his sinful intentions by saying “Surely, it is not I, Rabbi?”  The others simply ask: “Is it I, Lord?” Judas adds emphasis: Surely!    All of us know when we have sinned. We know when our behaviors are dishonest, when we are covering up what is really real!  That is why Judas added the emphasis. 

Jesus, knowing that His Father was near, upholding His right, remains calm and proceeds with the Last Supper meal, offering the disciples bread to eat and wine to drink, telling them: “This is my body, given for you….This cup is the new covenant in my blood poured out for you” (Luke 22: 19-20).  What love! What compassion. What composure as He willingly accepts his upcoming death for the sake of our salvation.

How composed am I when I am faced with a situation that is anything but kind, when another turns against me, lashing out at me, throwing a “grenade” of uncontrollable anger at me, when another sins against me, as Judas sinned against Jesus? Can I, like Jesus, let the other person’s actions be that person’s accuser or do I rely upon my own weaknesses and  become retaliatory?  Can I allow the person’s conscience to be his/her judge and not be condemnatory? Jesus does.