Matthew 21:45-46
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.
Jesus was never one to take the path of least resistance, far from it at times he seemed to positively provoke those who would do him harm, as in this case. He had just told a parable of a vineyard owner who sent his servants to collect his dues from the harvest but his tenants instead killed them. The Pharisees knew who he was talking about but not being as bold as Jesus they tempered their response with caution. To avoid trouble they would bide their time and bite their tongues.
Jesus calls us to be brave; when we need to speak out then speak out, but when there is a need to be quiet, and there often is, then we should be quiet, and this is often the braver thing to do. The Philosopher who wrote Ecclesiastes tells how there is a season for every purpose under Heaven. Jesus knew his season was coming when, by submitting to injustice and suffering, he would show the love and beauty of God.
I have no idea how the current pandemic will eventually end, but I do know that through it, and the way we respond to i,t shall show the Glory of God in action.
Prayer
Lord God our loving Father in Heaven we struggle to make sense of a world where all seems confusion and we cannot see your purpose. Give us, we pray, the faith to trust in your silence and in your actions May your glory be shown, your love felt, and your mercy received
In your Mercy hear our prayer.
Amen