Unbridled Compassion

𝐍𝐎𝐕. 𝟐𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐃 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐈𝐍 𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈: 𝟏 𝐌𝐚𝐜 𝟐:𝟏𝟓-𝟐𝟗

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟓𝟎:𝟏-𝟔, 𝟏𝟒-𝟏𝟓 “𝐓𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝.”

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐋𝐊 𝟏𝟗: 𝟒𝟏-𝟒𝟒

𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆: “𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒆 – 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔.” (𝒗.42) 

          This passage has two parts – one speaks of the compassion of Jesus Christ even for those who reject him (𝐯𝐯.𝟒𝟏-𝟒𝟒) that we will reflect on today and his anger upon seeing the Temple turned into a marketplace (𝐯𝐯.𝟒𝟓-𝟒𝟖) that we are going to reflect on tomorrow.

         At this point, Jesus has also crossed his Rubicon and there is no more turning back. He knew what will happen the moment he sets foot in Jerusalem, but Jesus had an obligation to fulfill as his earthly ministry was about to reach its culmination.

         The feast of the Passover couldn’t be the reason for his going to Jerusalem because the Passover can be observed and celebrated in any synagogue not necessarily in Jerusalem. But he needed to go because The Temple in Jerusalem serves as a reminder of God’s presence among the Jewish nation. He also had to go because this was probably the last time he would set foot at the Temple.

         The name Jerusalem came from the word 𝒔𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒎 which meant peace and it was ironic that the peace he brought and offered was rejected by the people of Jerusalem. The view of Jerusalem from Mt. Olives was magnificent and as Jesus looked at the city, he wept (𝒗.41) and said: “𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒆 – 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔.” (𝒗.42)            

         There are at least three things that we can picture from this short passage. The first was 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑱𝒆𝒘𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝑮𝒐𝒅 (𝒗.44) and their 𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒆 (𝒗.42). In some Bible versions, the word ‘𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯’ was used instead of coming. The second was 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒍𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝑱𝒆𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒎 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒚𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑻𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆 (𝒗𝒗.43-44). The third was 𝑱𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒑𝒕 (𝒗. 41) upon seeing what awaits the people of Jerusalem because of their refusal to recognize the coming of God and the peace that he brings.

         In the Old Testament times, visitation meant the coming of God either to judge (𝐈𝐬𝐚 𝟐𝟗:𝟓) or to save (𝐆𝐞𝐧 𝟓𝟎:𝟐𝟒). In 𝐋𝐤 𝟏𝟗:𝟒𝟒, it was clear that the coming of God or visitation was to save the people through Jesus Christ but whom the people rejected and refused to recognize as they could not believe that God would come in the flesh in the person of a carpenter’s son.

         This should also serve as a clear reminder for us of our own prejudices and judgment on those who do not fit into our own set of standards. How many times have we looked down on others because they are not of the same life status as we are.

         Jesus wept because he knew he did not come up short in telling the people who he was. On several occasions (𝐋𝐤 𝟏𝟏:𝟐𝟎; 𝟏𝟑:𝟑𝟒; 𝟏𝟕:𝟐𝟎), Jesus showed who he was and what he can do and the peace that he brings but still the religious leaders and the people rejected him. The sin of the people was not that they have not heard of the kind of peace that God offered them but the way they suppressed the truth through their unrighteous way (𝐑𝐨𝐦 𝟏:𝟏𝟖).        

         And what he saw happened 70 years following his death on the cross and resurrection when Titus, son of the Roman emperor Vespasian, led Roman soldiers to stave off the rebellion of the Jews and burned the city to the ground leveling off the Temple and left 600,000 Jews dead.

         Transposed into our current situation, this Gospel should serve as a reminder that we can avoid the terrible judgment that fell on the Jews on 70 A.D. if we will accept the offer of peace that Jesus brings. But as with similar peace agreements reached between governments and rebellious elements, we are also obliged to put something on the table of peace as a sign of goodwill.

         Jesus comes to offer us peace that consists of eternal joy and salvation and the privilege to be readmitted as co-heirs of the kingdom of God. In return, we must lay down our arms consisting of our Pride and Arrogance, Envy, Gluttony, Sloth or Laziness, Lust and Indiscretions, Avarice and ostentatious acquisition and display of temporal things, Wrath, bitterness, resentments and, unforgiveness.

         From the time the universe was created, God has constantly visited the people that he created and loved. God visited the Jews through his Son, but they didn’t see him or refused to see him when he passed. Even now, God never tires in visiting us and in his mercy, he gives us time to turn away from our sin of rebellion and come to the table of peace and Grace.

          The time for contemplation and making a decision on where we want to be is right now because if we vacillate the consequence is Grace may pass us by as in the case of the five virgins who did not have enough oil for their lamps and the bridegroom arrived and shut the door behind him. I would not want to find myself in a position when I will have to bang at the door and hear the bridegroom say: “𝑰 𝒅𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖.” (𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒕 25:12)        

        We all need to take stock of our lives and review our priorities. Are titles, positions, fame and fortune more important than our salvation? Think again as there may not be enough time left. (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 - 𝘕𝘰𝘷. 20, 2025)