They got rid of the prophets, and you build monuments to them!” For that reason the
Wisdom of God also said: “I will send prophets and apostles and this people will kill and
persecute some of them. But the present generation will have to answer for the blood
of all the prophets that has been shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood
of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was murdered between the altar and the sanctuary.
Yes, I tell you, the people of this time will have to answer for them all. A curse is on you,
teachers of the Law, for you have taken the key of knowledge. You yourselves have not
entered, and you prevented others from entering.”
As Jesus left that place, the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees began to harass him,
asking him endless questions, setting traps to catch him in something he might say.
Reflect
You can summarize the first reading in three words: unity in faith. Paul is very clear that
faith in Christ brings us together as one family, with God as our Father. There is no longer
distinction between gentile and Jew, wise and foolish, rich and poor. We are all redeemed
sinners, made holy by the grace of God.
But how do we love this unity day by day? So much of the world seems to be focused on
how to divide people, highlighting and exacerbating our differences. Social media and other
modern means of communication and information sharing allow us to exist in niches where
everyone we interact with looks like us and thinks like us. But that is not God’s way.
Let’s be clear: we are not united in God because we are all the same. Rather, God unites
us precisely in our diversity so that we can share our diverse gifts for the building up of the
Body of Christ. As forgiven sinners, God’s grace makes us one, pilgrims on the journey
to heaven.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023