Sunday reflections

In just a few weeks’ time we will hear the shocking accounts of Jesus’ arrest, his torture, his passion and his death on a cross. But today, early in our Lenten journey, we recall one of the moments in his life when his divine identity is revealed to his closest disciples.

The ancient texts in the book of Genesis, which speak to us of creation and then our fall from grace, provide us with the most marvellous insights into our nature and the nature of the world about us. Creationists who insist only on a literal interpretation of such biblical texts do themselves and us a great disservice, precisely because they fail to grasp the depth of meaning that lies within them.

In an often-violent world, the call to non-violence is counter cultural. War between Russia and Ukraine has shown us the extremes of violence where missiles bring death and destruction. However, violence is not just in a distant land but present in many of our homes.

In today’s gospel it seems Jesus is asking too much of us! Following the commandments is not enough. We must also avoid anger, abusive language, lustful thoughts, and not take oaths of any kind! Even calling someone a ‘fool’ or ‘renegade’ is an offence. But is Jesus actually asking us to follow an impossible set of commandments … or is he doing something else?

Following on from the beatitudes in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus speaks of his followers as salt and light. Is that us, we might wonder? While we may no longer preserve food with salt, though millions in the world still do, we all know something of the lift it can give to food. We don’t want to overdo it, but no salt and our food might lack for something.

The opportunity to make a fresh start is something that we all value, especially if we have been struggling with problems which have weighed us down. The tradition of making New Year resolutions illustrates this deep desire to put the past behind us and move on. 

Some people today may be puzzled by John the Baptist referring to Jesus in today’s gospel as the “lamb of God”, since for most of us the lambs we see in the paddocks are cute, but weak and vulnerable to predators. You don’t hear of nations, or even sporting teams, adopting ‘lambs’ as their emblem. Why should John identify “the Chosen One of God” as the “lamb of God”? 

We often associate the word ‘king’ with power and majesty. Also, a king’s position is often not dependent on his personal abilities, virtues or goodness, but on family lineage: power and status through inheritance.  But Jesus never displayed that kind of power or majesty; after all, he was born in a stable!  

Most of us can handle changes to our plans that are part of everyday life. For example, a friend ‘drops in’ unexpectedly and we have to put aside what we’re doing or set an extra place for dinner; a family member falls sick and we have to postpone a planned trip; or our computer or smart phone crashes, leaving us ‘high and dry’, in the midst of something important. We might complain and grumble, but we generally accept the changes, despite the inconvenience and disruption.