Saturday of Week 25 of Ordinary Time – Gospel


Commentary on Luke 9:43-45

After yesterday’s reading where the disciples recognised their Master as the Messiah and are told about the death and resurrection of Jesus, there follows the scene with the three chosen apostles on the mountain where they get a glimpse of Jesus in glory (the transfiguration). This is followed by the healing of the epileptic boy.

The reaction of the crowds to this cure was that:

…all were astounded at the greatness of God.

The were not astounded, we might note, by the mighty power of Jesus. Even the crowds could recognise the real source of what Jesus was able to do.

It is at this high point of Jesus’ popularity that he says just to his disciples:

Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into human hands.

What Jesus seems to be saying is that they are to realise there is no contradiction whatever between Jesus revealing in himself the unlimited power of God and his being handed over powerless to the power of his enemies. Only when they can see and understand the meaning of a suffering Messiah will they fully know the Way of Jesus.

But, Luke tells us, they were not ready yet for this:

…they understood nothing about all these things; in fact, what he said was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said. (Luke 18:34)

And Luke tells us today:

…they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

To what extent can we say that we understand and accept the idea of a suffering Messiah? We are used to looking at the cross of Jesus, but to what degree do we see the place of suffering in our own lives? Can we see that, without pain and suffering in our own lives and in those of others, our lives would be in many ways impoverished? Strange as it may seem, it is pain and suffering that can bring out what is most deeply human in all of us.

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