A reflection on Luke 9:43b-45
Saturday of the Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
©️2021 Gloria M. Chang
Jesus, the Son of Man, predicts his betrayal, revealing a suffering Messiah to his confused disciples.
The Second Prediction of the Passion
While they were all amazed at his every deed, he said to his disciples, “Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
Luke 9:43b-45
The Messianic Hope
The ears of the disciples rang with praise from the crowds for their master, Jesus of Nazareth, wonderworker and healer. Flocks of invalids regained their health, thousands feasted on loaves and fish, and Peter, James, and John witnessed the blazing Transfiguration on the mountain.
Jesus had commended Peter earlier for recognizing him as the Messiah (Luke 9:20). But the disciples’ Messianic image was one-sided, full of bannered troops and victory songs as found in the Psalms of David:
You girded me with strength for war;
2 Samuel 22:40-41 (cf. Psalm 18:39-40)
subdued adversaries at my feet.
My foes you put to flight before me;
those who hated me I destroyed.
A Suffering Messiah
For the second time, Jesus warned the Twelve of his impending passion. “Let these words sink into your ears,” Jesus said, the literal translation behind the lectionary’s phrase, “Pay attention” (Luke 9:44). “For the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.”
The disciples did not recognize the suffering Messiah in the Davidic Psalms until after the resurrection. Remembering the cry of Jesus on the Cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” the evangelists recalled the words from Psalm 22:2 (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34).
A Discordant Note
During the height of Jesus’ preaching and healing ministry, nothing was further from the minds of the Twelve than the image of a Messiah crucified by the entire Jewish and Greco-Roman world. The Cross screeched like a discordant note amid a rising victory refrain. Disoriented by Jesus’ words, the disciples dared not inquire further.
With applause for Christ ringing in the ear,
Omens of betrayal the Twelve feared to hear.
Traditional Chinese Translation
《人子將被交在人的手裏》
給基督的掌聲猶在耳邊，
十二使徒怕聽到背叛的惡兆。
Dark clouds hung about,
dampening their joy.
Good News of light
blocked from shining out.
He’d be handed over to men
who’d fulfill the prophet’s pen.
Perhaps only the Blessed Mother had an inkling of the glory of the Passion?
Dear GMC, your reflection teaches us that if we listen to Jesus out of fear we will fail to hear Him and miss His point entirely. But if we listen with ears tuned to love, self sacrifice and self giving we may not think we heard him right, but we did. When our heart and mind and actions are in the right place there no longer is a failure to communicate. Actually, there’s a thriving conversation and discipleship. Thank you, GMC, for helping me tune my ear to listen and learn and follow what He says!