Daily Meditation - Monday 11August 2008 - THE CALL TO GO BEYOND DUTY AS WITNESS

[BarbaraTherese]

**

**

Memorial
St **

**Clare

---

---

Mass Readings & Meditation
Readings

rc.net/wcc/readings/aug11.htm

Who likes to pay taxes,
** especially when you think they might be**
** unreasonable or unjust?**

Jesus and his disciples were confronted by tax collectors on the issue of tax evasion.

• When questioned about paying the temple tax,
• Jesus replied to his disciples: We must pay so as not to cause bad example.
• In fact, we must go beyond our duty in order that we may show others what they ought to do.

The scriptural expression to give no offense
doesn’t refer to insult or annoyance;
rather it means*** to put no stumbling block in***
*** the way of another that would cause them to trip or fall***.

Jesus would not allow himself anything which might possibly be a bad example to someone else.

• Do you evade unpleasant responsibilities or obligations?
• On three different occasions the Gospels record that Jesus predicted he would endure great suffering through betrayal, rejection, and the punishment of a cruel death.

The Jews resorted to stoning and the Romans to crucifixion –

• the most painful and humiliating death they could devise for criminals they wanted to eliminate.
• No wonder the apostles were greatly distressed at such a prediction!

** If Jesus their Master were put to death, then they would likely receive the same treatment by their enemies.**

• Jesus called himself the “Son of Man” because this was a common Jewish title for the Messiah.
• Why must the Messiah be rejected and killed?
• Did not God promise that his Anointed One would deliver his people from their oppression and establish a kingdom of peace and justice?

The prophet Isaiah had foretold that it was God’s will that the “Suffering Servant” make atonement for sins through his suffering and death.

• Jesus paid the price for our redemption with his blood.
• Slavery to sin is to want the wrong things and to be in bondage to destructive desires.
• The ransom Jesus paid sets us free from the worst tyranny possible
• – the tyranny of sin and the fear of death.

Jesus’ victory did not end with death but triumphed over the tomb.

• Jesus defeated the powers of death through his resurrection.
• Do you want the greatest freedom possible,
• the freedom to live as God truly meant us to live
• as his sons and daughters?

"Lord Jesus, your death brought life and freedom.

May I always walk in that freedom
and be guided by your love and truth
that I may be generous towards all
and give each their due."