Luke 18:35-43

1 Maccabees 1:10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-63

Psalm 119:53, 61, 134, 150, 155, 158

Luke 18:35-43

As Jesus approached Jericho

a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging,

and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening.

They told him,

“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”

He shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!”

The people walking in front rebuked him,

telling him to be silent,

but he kept calling out all the more,

"Son of David, have pity on me!"

Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him;

and when he came near, Jesus asked him,

"What do you want me to do for you?"

He replied, "Lord, please let me see."

Jesus told him, "Have sight; your faith has saved you."

He immediately received his sight

and followed him, giving glory to God.

When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, as you pass by before me, take pity on me. Let me see with the spiritual eyes of faith. Cure the blindness caused by sin. Fill me with your Spirit so that I may praise you, thank you, and give you glory.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Your Faith has Saved You: The Gospel of Luke records two stories in Jericho, one involving a poor man (Luke 18:35-43) and another involving a rich man (Luke 19:1-10). There are many parallels between the two stories, and they mutually illuminate each other. In both stories, Jesus, like the Lord God in the Old Testament, is said to be “passing by.” The poor man was blind and was begging for alms “as Jesus was passing by.” The rich man was a chief tax collector and climbed a sycamore tree “as Jesus was passing by.” Both stories are about salvation. Both stories show that Jesus seeks out what was lost. In the first story, faith saves the poor man. He begs the Son of David for mercy, and he receives not only physical sight but also the spiritual vision of faith. Once he was cured, he followed Jesus on the way to Jerusalem. In the second story, which we will hear tomorrow, repentance, faith, and works of charity lead the rich man to salvation. In both stories, we see the beginnings and seeds of salvation. The poor man, having made an act of faith in Jesus, needs to follow Jesus on the way to Jerusalem; the rich man, having welcomed Jesus into his home, needs to be reconciled with those he has possibly extorted unjustly.

2. First and Second Maccabees: The first readings during weekday mass will be taken this week from First and Second Maccabees and next week from the Book of Daniel. First and Second Maccabees record the history of the Jewish people during the second century B.C. The Book of Daniel has prophecies about the unfolding of history from the time of the Babylonian Exile to the coming of the Son of Man and Messiah, who will establish the Kingdom of God. First Maccabees was written between 104 and 63 B.C. and emphasizes how God chose the Hasmonean family to save Israel. It records the revolt led by Mattathias against Antiochus (1:1-2:70) and then the successive campaigns and leadership of Judas “the Hammer” (3:1-9:22), Jonathan (9:23-12), and Simon (13:1-16:24). It also records the succession of Simon’s son, John Hyrcanus. “Beginning with John, the Hasmonean dynasty acquired the features of a Hellenistic regime. This could already be seen in John’s taking of a Greek regnal name, Hyrcanus (Hykanos). With the gradual Hellenization under John and his successors, Jews who were zealous for Torah observance fell out of favor with the Hasmonean priest-kings. Tensions began to mount between the Pharisaic movement, made up of precisely this kind of Jewish believer, and the Hasmonean rulers, who favored a movement of Hellenizing Jews known as the Sadducees” (Gray and Cavins, Walking with God, 241). By reading First and Second Maccabees at the end of the liturgical year, we are preparing ourselves for Advent and Christmas, in which we remember the first coming of the Messiah at the fullness of time in humility and look forward to his second coming at the end of time in glory. 

3. The Abomination of Antiochus IV: The First Reading, from First Maccabees, opens with a reference to Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.). Alexander defeated Darius III, the King of Persia, in 331 B.C., and this brought Palestine under Greek rule. When Alexander died, his empire was divided among his four generals. The region of Judea became an area of conflict between the rulers of the Euphrates (Seleucid dynasty) and the rulers of the Nile valley (Ptolemaic empire). Eventually, in 198 B.C., the Seleucids gained control of Judea. Under the rule of the Ptolemaic empire, the Jews in Palestine were free to continue their religious practices. But under the Seleucids, things changed: “The Seleucid king [Antiochus IV] desecrated the Temple and demanded that the Jews forsake their belief in the one true God, worship pagan gods, and eat foods forbidden by the Torah” (Gray and Cavins, Walking with God, 232). When Antiochus Epiphanes desecrated the Temple, he plundered its silver and gold and erected an altar to the god Zeus in its precincts. This was the “horrible abomination” mentioned in the First Reading. Antiochus also destroyed any copies of the Torah and put to death anyone who had a copy of the Torah. Anyone who observed the Sabbath rest was put to death (2 Maccabees 6:11). Antiochus also tore down the walls of Jerusalem. “In doing these things the Seleucid king attacked the three central symbols of Judah’s return to the land: the Temple that had been rebuilt under Zerubbabel, the Torah that had been the focus of Ezra’s ministry, and the walls that had been reconstructed under Nehemiah. All this was part of the king’s program to obliterate Jewish distinctiveness and assimilate the people of Judah into the unified dynasty for which Antiochus Epiphanes longed. Thus, the considerable religious freedom the Jews found under the Ptolemies disappeared under the Seleucid’s aggressive promotion of Hellenistic culture as a means of unifying their diverse subjects. The resulting clash with the traditional symbols of Jewish identity created a volatile atmosphere ripe for revolt” (Gray and Cavins, Walking with God, 235-236).

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, by the gift of your grace, I am a temple of the Holy Spirit. Do not let me profane this temple through sin. You have given me the New Torah of Charity. Empower me with your Spirit to fulfill this new law. May I be an evangelizer of my culture!

Living the Word of God: The blind man in today’s Gospel persevered through many decades of trial. And when he was shown mercy, he glorified God, followed Jesus, and led others to praise God. Revelation offers us the promise and blessing of eternal life to those who persevere through trial, overcome temptation, and renew their love for God. What do I need to do to rekindle my first love for God and persevere in that love with God’s grace?