The Rejection Of the The Messiah: How?

 Reflection on Today's Readings, Tuesday of 15th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1, July 13th, 2021
Texts: Ex. 2:1-15a; Ps. 69:3.14.30-31.33-34; Mtt. 11:20-24
Today we are reminded of the danger to reject the Saviour. In the first reading, Moses came to see his people and to defend them. When he saw that his people were oppressed, he killed their oppressor. When he came, he also attempted to reconcile them with one another. He did all this, and yet his people refused to see in him the Messiah. They rather implicated him Instead of seeing Messiah in him. Moses became a fugitive because of his people; he ran away.
We may ask: "What blinded the one who implicated Moses?" What blinded him was hatred for the truth. It is said, _"and he said to the man that did the wrong, 'Why do you strike your fellow?' He answered, 'Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?'”_ The world rejects the Messiah because it hates the truth. Until we are ready to accept the truth, the Messiah will continue to elude us; we will not be able to accommodate the Messiah. The Messiah has come to set us free by leading us to the truth. He says, "you will come to know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32). If we need freedom, we need to accept the truth. He Himself is the truth, so leading us to the truth is the revelation of Himself to us. Our refusal to accept the truth drives away the Messiah. Whenever we reject the truth, we reject the Messiah.
Jesus Christ, in the gospel reading, rebuke where He had made known the truth and yet they did not recognise Him. It is said, " _Jesus began to upbraid the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent."_  By His works He made known the truth but they did not accept the truth. They rejected the truth and they rejected Him. The same experience of our Lord Jesus Christ has not changed  till date. Despite the word of God we hear everyday, every Sunday, we refuse to repent, our lives remain the same. This is the time to examine our lives to know how far the word of God we have heard has influenced us. Do we actually live according to the word of God? Do we even grow in the knowledge of God? We have, today, another opportunity to hear the word and to repent, let us make use of the opportunity.

Lord Jesus Christ, give us the grace to accept the truth and live by it, that we might enjoy the true freedom. Amen.

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke