09/12/2021

Isaiah brings words of comfort now and to come. Jesus leads us to question what can it possibly mean to   say that up to now the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence and the violent are taking it by storm. Jesus always assures us that his kingdom is not of this world but the only interpretation of this mysterious saying that comes to my mind is that he is talking about his own people on earth who before John the Baptist had no way of avoiding the backsliding and apostasy that is recorded throughout the Old Testament.

This interpretation is quite satisfying to me as it fits in with my conception of Jesus and his mission to save us. There are many occasions that Jesus' sayings are outside the framework in which I tackle the meaning of  my being and life in this world. Faith in the goodness of God as expressed in Isaiah is my hope for all God's people. There is ,howeve, no reason that everything I read in the Bible should keep me in comfort. Jesus told us that he came to bring strife. Sometimes this strife is internal and can in fact become prayer.

Dear Lord always  let scripture call me to truth and let Father Son and Holy Spirit be my Faith Hope and Charity.