24 March 2021
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
I once attended a talk by Greg Boyle, SJ, the founder of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles which works with former gang members with job training programs and social services. He mentioned in the course of the talk that one of the most difficult moments he wished people could witness is seeing a mother cry over the loss of a child. He has watched as mothers learned that their child–either as a gang member or as a bystander—had died. The cycle of violence is often separated from the cycle of pain caused in its wake, the sound of sobs and weeps of a parent losing a beloved child.
In our readings today we hear two accounts of testing someone’s origin to see from where they really are. King Nebuchadnezzar does not believe that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego come from the one true god, opting instead for his idol. The three companions face the consequence of not submitting to Nebuchadnezzar’s request by being thrown into the furnace. Throwing the companions into the furnace is what made him able to see the God who transcends all idols. Jesus in our Gospel passage today reminds his Jewish believers of their common origin, not only in Abraham but also in God. While Jesus is sent from God, he encounters resistance to his word which he received from the Father of us all. Jesus says, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and am here; I did not come on my own, but he sent me.”
Jesus challenges the crowd and rings true for us today if we truly recognize who is from the Father. The simple answer is everyone is from God. Jesus in a unique way is from and reveals the Father. All of us are created from a loving God who delights in us and cares for us. The truth of our common origin in God should not be a recognition after the fact of violence or resistance for people’s call for dignity. We as a Church should strive to keep our human solidarity forefront on our minds as Jesus gathers all people into one family.