Reading 1 1 Mc 6:1-13
As King Antiochus was traversing the inland provinces,
he heard that in Persia there was a city called Elymais,
famous for its wealth in silver and gold,
and that its temple was very rich,
containing gold helmets, breastplates, and weapons
left there by Alexander, son of Philip,
king of Macedon, the first king of the Greeks.
He went therefore and tried to capture and pillage the city.
But he could not do so,
because his plan became known to the people of the city
who rose up in battle against him.
So he retreated and in great dismay withdrew from there
to return to Babylon.
While he was in Persia, a messenger brought him news
that the armies sent into the land of Judah had been put to flight;
that Lysias had gone at first with a strong army
and been driven back by the children of Israel;
that they had grown strong
by reason of the arms, men, and abundant possessions
taken from the armies they had destroyed;
that they had pulled down the Abomination
which he had built upon the altar in Jerusalem;
and that they had surrounded with high walls
both the sanctuary, as it had been before,
and his city of Beth-zur.
When the king heard this news,
he was struck with fear and very much shaken.
Sick with grief because his designs had failed, he took to his bed.
There he remained many days, overwhelmed with sorrow,
for he knew he was going to die.
So he called in all his Friends and said to them:
"Sleep has departed from my eyes,
for my heart is sinking with anxiety.
I said to myself: "Into what tribulation have I come,
and in what floods of sorrow am I now!
Yet I was kindly and beloved in my rule."
But I now recall the evils I did in Jerusalem,
when I carried away all the vessels of gold and silver
that were in it, and for no cause
gave orders that the inhabitants of Judah be destroyed.
I know that this is why these evils have overtaken me;
and now I am dying, in bitter grief, in a foreign land."
Responsorial Psalm Ps 9:2-3, 4 and 6, 16 and 19
R. (see 16a) I will rejoice in your salvation, O Lord.
I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart;
I will declare all your wondrous deeds.
I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, Most High.
R. I will rejoice in your salvation, O Lord.
Because my enemies are turned back,
overthrown and destroyed before you.
You rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
their name you blotted out forever and ever.
R. I will rejoice in your salvation, O Lord.
The nations are sunk in the pit they have made;
in the snare they set, their foot is caught.
For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
nor shall the hope of the afflicted forever perish.
R. I will rejoice in your salvation, O Lord.
Gospel Lk 20:27-40
Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection,
came forward and put this question to Jesus, saying,
"Teacher, Moses wrote for us,
If someone's brother dies leaving a wife but no child,
his brother must take the wife
and raise up descendants for his brother.
Now there were seven brothers;
the first married a woman but died childless.
Then the second and the third married her,
and likewise all the seven died childless.
Finally the woman also died.
Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be?
For all seven had been married to her."
Jesus said to them,
"The children of this age marry and remarry;
but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age
and to the resurrection of the dead
neither marry nor are given in marriage.
They can no longer die,
for they are like angels;
and they are the children of God
because they are the ones who will rise.
That the dead will rise
even Moses made known in the passage about the bush,
when he called "Lord,
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob;
and he is not God of the dead, but of the living,
for to him all are alive."
Some of the scribes said in reply,
"Teacher, you have answered well."
And they no longer dared to ask him anything.
Meditation: Luke 20:27-40
They no longer dared to ask him anything.” (Luke 20:40)
Why did these scribes lose their fighting spirit? There were probably two reasons. First, these men were plotting his ruin, but thanks to Jesus’ profound response, their scheme backfired. Surely, “You have answered well” was an understatement! They probably feared that if they challenged him again and got similar results, they would have no chance at swaying the crowd’s opinion against him.
There’s another reason that isn’t as plain to see, but may have been equally as important: They just didn’t want to hear anything else from Jesus that might confront them with their own need to repent. So they backed out of the match for a while.
What about us? Of course, none of us is out to hurt Jesus’ reputation. But we can probably relate with the second, deeper reason. After all, it’s only human to shrink away from the holiness and majesty of God! It’s not easy to stand in his light when you know there’s still darkness lurking in your heart. And so, afraid of what Jesus may say to us, we avoid asking him any serious questions. We avoid looking into his eyes, for fear that he will look into our eyes —and not like what he sees.
Don’t be afraid! Don’t back away! Jesus knows you inside and out. He sees the darkness in you —but he also sees the light. He sees your sincerity. He sees your desire to do what is right. And believe it or not, he even sees the goodness in you that you can’t see! It is never a bad idea to ask God questions, and it is never a bad idea to let him look into your heart.
Who knows? Maybe if those who were questioning Jesus had persisted and not given up, they might have had a change of heart. Maybe just one more parable, or one more keen answer would have been all they needed to see that Jesus really was the Messiah. Maybe just one more question could have unlocked the key of faith in their hearts.
So keep on asking. Press in, like the woman with the flow of blood, until you touch Jesus. Then, let him look you in the eye. Your heart will melt, and your spirit will soar!
“Lord, let me see your face!”
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