TUESDAY of 9th WEEK
“They sent to Jesus some Pharisees and some Herodians to catch him out in what he said.”
Jesus is the fairest of all children ever born! Saint Teresa of Avila expresses herself concerning the Man :-
“You were created out of Love. So Beautiful, Beautiful, this is why you are painted in my womb. If, o my loved one, you were to lose yourself, you would find yourself in me. For I know that in the depths of my heart you would find your portrait. It is painted in such a way that it resembles you, and in seeing it, you would rejoice to do so, to see yourself painted so beautifully.”
How can we understand the attitude the Pharisees and Herodians when this wounded man is cured? We would rather expect attention and joy but they send to Jesus men who want to catch him out, saying, ’Master, we know that all you say is true..’ This double language of those who come like this to Jesus saying these remarks is something quite unbearable.
“These came and said to him,” Master, we know that you are an honest man ,that you are not afraid of anyone, because human rank means nothing to you and that you teach the way of God in all honesty. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay or not?"
We know how Jesus replies! Knowing this, Jesus withdraws from there. We can understand very well how Jesus ’flees’! It is the only response that will make people think twice. These people are deceitful and faced with themselves.
We are built in God’s image. If we turn towards Him, we are situated in infinite Love. In mundane temptations and trials, we never give up, we remain in justice and truth, asking God to give us patience, gentleness ,humility ,perseverance, all
that is necessary to face up to trials. Gold is purified by fire : ’For I know you will find deep down in my heart your portrait.’ Trials allow us to fathom the depths of our hearts, to become whom we are.
“Recognising their hypocrisy he said to them, ’why are you putting me to the test? Hand me a denarius and let me see it. ’ They handed him one and they said to them, ’ Whose portrait is this?’ Whose title?’ They said to him, ’Caesar’s’. Jesus said to them’, Pay Caesar what belongs to Caesar, God what belongs to God.’ And they were amazed at him.”
And they were amazed at him. The first Word of the Father to the Son is so beautiful : ’Let us make man in our image and in our ressemblance.’ God modeled man according to God’s image, that is according to Christ.Many followed him and he healed them all, telling them not to make him known.This was so that the prophet Isaiah’s oracle would be accomplished. This silence that Jesus suggests makes people enter into the mystery of God’s salvation in an interior way. Jesus resists the trap he could have fallen into, by taking up God’s work. In his trial, God enveloped the One He sent in an infinite Tenderness, thus He dwelled in truth before God.