Lectionary # 456 Sept.30,2008...Scripture Reflection

Scripture: Tuesday of 26th week. Job 3:1-3.11-17.20-23. Psalm
88:2-3.4-5.6.7-8. Luke 9:51-56. Lectionary 456:

Have you ever felt like this as Job cries out, "Perish the day on
which I was born, the night when they said, "The child is a boy!"
Hopefully, none of us would curse the day we were born but rather praise
God for that day and for all the days since then. Job is miserable and will
let us know about it through 39 more chapters of this considerably long
biblical book of wisdom. It has 42 chapters. We are led to contrast his
attitude with the joy of Jesus' birth who grows in wisdom, knowledge, and
grace and does the will of his heavenly Father throughout the Gospels. He
experiences what Job is going through but somehow does not curse the day he
was born and how grateful we are for that selfgiving love he has for us.
Jesus is reprimanding his disciples who take on a self-righteous
attitude and curse in anger the Samaritans who do not allow Jesus to pass
through their land because he has made it known that his destination is
Jerusalem the sacred city of the Jews. We hear the "sons of thunder"
roaring in anger against the heretics as they want to have God bring down
fire and exterminate the Samaritans. We see that prejudice, vindication,
anger and a form of cursing are part of their lighting bolt personalities.
Their names are James and John, the same ones who will be close to Jesus in
important events like the Transfiguration and the agony in the garden of
olives. No wonder they are not yet ready for understanding why Jesus is
going up to Jerusalem for the last time in his life.
In our world of violence, terrorism and war there are many sons of
thunder like John and James. Are we among them in our subconscious
prejudices? How about our attitude toward other races and nations? Do we
poke fun at them and enjoy sharing anti-ethnic jokes about them? Are we
like James and John in wanting to rid ourselves of our enemies or those who
do not think as we do? or who do not pray in the same Church as we do? We
can learn from John and James what NOT to do and also from Job not to
curse. Let us think about the Christophers motto, "To light one candle in
the dark rather than cursing it." We pray for the wisdom of God and for
acquiring the mind of Christ as Paul urges us to do. Amen.