GOD’S FAITHFULNESS TO US [WISDOM 2:1,12-22]

GOD’S FAITHFULNESS TO US [WISDOM 2:1,12-22]

The Book of Wisdom was probably written by a faithful Jew in Alexandria, Egypt about half-a-century before the coming of Christ. Yet despite its early date, parts of this book, like today’s reading, sound amazingly close to a description of Jesus. Although not worded as specific predictions, these passages are still very powerful pointers to the salvation that God had been planning from the beginning of time.

This passage, however, doesn’t only point us to Jesus. It also describes aspects of the life of anyone who choose to follow Jesus. We too can profess “to have knowledge of God,” and we too can boldly call ourselves a “child of the Lord” (Wisdom 2:13). And at times, we too will experience some kind of persecution for our witness to Christ.

In all of today’s readings, in fact, we are reminded of the opposition that our faith in Christ will provoke – and of God’s faithfulness to us. In the responsorial psalm, we hear that “many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD rescues them from them all” (Psalm 34:19). In the Gospel reading, we hear of a failed attempt to arrest Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles because “His hour had not yet come” (John 7:30).

God will rescue us! You may face opposition when you follow Christ. Jesus Himself died – but God raised Him up again! Rest assured that no matter what the suffering, God will always bless us far beyond what we have had to endure. And isn’t it worth it anyway? Wouldn’t we be willing to be ridiculed for our faith if we knew that our witness helped someone else come to know God’s love and salvation?

So, dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, do not hesitate the next time we have a chance to share with someone about Jesus. Sure, we may be mocked or rejected, but the rewards – both for us and for the other person – far outweigh the losses. As we follow Christ, we’ll find that He is working through us in unpredictable, even mystical ways. And not only does that mean that we do not need to be a brilliant theologian or charismatic speaker. It also means that He will sustain and strengthen us in any trials we face.

Jakarta, 4 April 2014

A Christian Pilgrim