Gospel: Matthew 17: 9-13
Jesus’ disciples, like the Pharisees and religious leaders, are obsessed with this question of Elijah coming, and they come to see John the Baptist as that Elijah figure that precedes the coming of the Messiah. But the whole question seems unimportant to Jesus. Of greater importance to him is the message of John in how it was received – in John’s execution – and how the same will happen to Jesus himself.
The real issue is not the identify of particular people but in the message itself. John and Jesus announce the coming of God’s kingdom, a kingdom of mercy and love. We are to prepare for that coming kingdom in our hearts through repentance and through offering mercy to others. It is this message that will not find welcome in our world, a message that will lead to violent opposition from the world.
The powerful of this world are fine with the message as long as it is confined to the commoners and the sins they commit; and the commoners are fine with the message as long as it is aimed only at the rich and powerful. In realizing the message applies to them both leads to common cause against the message and the messenger. Yet, if we accept this message and the kingdom in our hearts – if we repent and show mercy to others – the kingdom and its joy are ours. We rejoice in them and in the persecution we face for it.
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