Persecution

Today’s readings focus on the persecution that follows from being a faithful servant of the Lord. The first reading, which is from the Book of Wisdom, shows us the words of those who reject God and fight against His love. They hate the just man and persecute him for his good deeds. Then the gospel tells us of some people from Jerusalem who did not believe Jesus was the Son of God because they knew the town where He came from. They then tried to arrest Him, but were not successful.

Do not be surprised when spiritual battles surround you. The good work done in the name of Jesus will always be attacked by the devil. Those who wallow in sin are frequently brought to anger by hearing the truth. Some are even apt to lash out in an attempt to injure you through your reputation, your self-confidence, or even bodily. This has been the case since the beginning of time. The motive that drove Cain to kill Abel was resentment because Abel had made a greater offering to the Lord. The first reading shows us that we will be subjected to persecution if we follow the way of the Lord.

The final lines of this reading give us encouragement:

These were their thoughts, but they erred;
for their wickedness blinded them,
and they knew not the hidden counsels of God;
neither did they count on a recompense of holiness
nor discern the innocent souls' reward. – Wisdom 2:21-22

In the gospel, we see that Jesus, Himself is threatened by those who are uncomfortable with His message. They try to find a way to disprove His divinity, but they are rebuked for their hardness of heart. This makes them angry and they try to arrest Him. If Christ is not immune from attack by the forces of evil, how can we expect to be?

There is hope for us, though. The responsorial psalm remind us of God’s fidelity to His faithful servants:

R. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him.

As a final thought, consider the testimony Jesus gives us in His Sermon on the Mount. After giving us the beatitudes, He wraps them up by saying: “Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Mt 5:11-12).