Daily Devotional for July 4

 

July 4                                                              Luke 22:63-71

One of the enduring paradoxes of life is our constant need
for answers to our questions and our equally constant rejec-
tion of any response which does not fit our preconceptions.
Jesus encountered this phenomenon before the council of
elders, chief priests, and scribes. "If you are the Christ, tell
us," they asked. His response: "If I tell you, you will not
believe." Not only would they not accept his answer, but Jesus
affirms that if he had put the question to them, they themselves
would have been unwilling to respond.

Such experiences are by no means confined to our Scriptural
ancestors. We encounter such denial and deliberate confusion
in our own social, political, and religious life continuously.
The problems that apartheid has engendered in South Africa
are blamed on tribalism. Gay men are blamed for the tragedy
of AIDS. The plight of the homeless is explained away as the
result of the supposed laziness of the poor. Responses which
require an adjustment of our attitude or behavior are difficult
for most of us. In the life of Jesus, such intransigency on the
part of his accusers led to his crucifixion.

So we are left with the continuing struggle to determine
whether or not we really want to know the truth with regard
to our life, our faith, and our world. Perhaps only as we adopt
a stance of confession, humility, and prayer can we open
ourselves sufficiently to receive or give honest answers to our
questions. Only through such honesty can we free ourselves
from the victimization, prejudice, and blame with which so
much of human history has been shrouded.

Jesus knew the truth about his life. His confession is: "... from
now on the Human One shall be seated at the right hand of
the power of God." This was a direct and unambiguous
declaration of truth in the face of hostility. Perhaps it is even
more an affirmation of trust in the dependability of God in
a seemingly hopeless situation. "What further testimony do
we need?"

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From The Road to Emmaus - An inclusive devotional Edited by Joseph W. Houle

Emmaus House of Prayer - Washington D.C.