Today’s Gospel sounds a lot like our nation today. It seems to be all gloom and doom, especially for Christians being persecuted here in America. We must always remember that we are so blessed to live in America compared to the rest of the world but at the same time know that the Church is being persecuted by the evil forces in the world.
Jesus wept over Jerusalem because of the people’s refusal to worship God. Jesus weeps over America for our refusal to worship God and strive for peace with each other.
Origen, one of the Church Fathers, lived from 185 to 254. We are fortunate that Origen’s homilies were preserved for us today. Origen gives us a unique perspective on Christ’s teachings and life.
He wrote in a homily: “When our Lord and Savior approached Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept.… By his example, Jesus confirms all the Beatitudes that he speaks in the Gospel. By his own witness, he confirms what he teaches. “Blessed are the meek,” he says. He says something similar to this of himself: “Learn from me, for I am meek.” “Blessed are the peacemakers.” What other man brought as much peace as my Lord Jesus, who “is our peace,” who “dissolves hostility” and “destroys it in his own flesh”? “Blessed are those who suffer persecution because of justice.”
No one suffered such persecution because of justice as did the Lord Jesus, who was crucified for our sins. The Lord therefore exhibited all the Beatitudes in himself. For the sake of this likeness, he wept, because of what he said, “Blessed are those who weep,” to lay the foundations for this beatitude as well. He wept for Jerusalem “and said, ‘If only you had known on that day what meant peace for you!
Origen tells us that even though Jesus gave us the Beatitudes as a guide to live our lives, Jesus lived his life as an example of those Beatitudes.
That statement really struck me as a new perspective of Jesus’ life. I never heard it put in these words that Jesus lived the Gospel he taught. But why wouldn’t Jesus live what he preached? We don’t think of it in those terms.
Origen admonishes us to be peacemakers like Jesus. It seems that very few people attempt to make peace with others today. We are so polarized on all fronts; political is the most obvious but ideological and philosophical too. If you don’t think the way I think, you are wrong and you need to change to think like me.
Let us take some time to pray and ask God to help us to be considerate and kind to others even if we don’t accept their beliefs. Ask God for his mercy and strength to become peace makers in the world we live in today.
We criticize our nation’s leaders rather than pray for them. Let us begin to pray for our nation’s leaders that God will draw them and us closer to himself so we will recognize the time for our salvation and work for peace.
