Today,
we contemplate Jesus addressing his speech to some towns of Galilee
where He had preached and carried out the works by his Father, and
that had been the cause of his preoccupation. Nowhere had He preached
and made miracles as He did in Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum. The
sowing had been plentiful, but the harvest had been meager. Not even
Jesus could persuade them...! What a mystery human freedom is! We can
say “no” to God... The evangelic message is not imposed
upon us by force: it is offered to me but I can refuse it; I can
accept it or reject it. Lord's respect for my freedom is total. What
a responsibility for me!
Jesus'
language: «Alas for you Chorazin! Alas for you Bethsaida!»
(Lk 10:13) when his apostolic mission was over, is more
indicative of suffering than of condemnation. The nearness of the
Kingdom of God was not a call for penance and conversion for those
towns. Jesus recognizes that Tyre and Sidon would have taken more
advantage of all the grace granted to the Galilees.
But
Jesus' frustration is even bigger when He refers to Capernaum. «Will
you be lifted up to heaven? You will be thrown down to the place of
the dead» (Lk 10:15). It was there where Peter had his
home and Jesus had centered his preaching. Once again, we can detect
in these words a feeling of sadness rather than a threat. We could,
just as well, say the same out of many cities and persons of our
time. They believe they are being lifted, but in fact, they are being
thrown down.
«Whoever
listens to you listens to me» (Lk 10:16). These words
ending today's Gospel are a call to conversion and are bearers of
hope. If we listen to Jesus' voice, we still have time. Conversion
happens when love can overrun selfishness from our life, which is a
permanent unfinished task. St. Maximus will tell us: «Nothing
is more pleasant and loved by God, than men convert to him with
sincere contrition».
