Dear brothers and sisters, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).
The Wicked Continue to Plot Against the Upright
The righteous person listens to God’s word as his or her moral guide. He or she makes a diligent effort to follow God’s teachings and obey His commandments, ordinances, and precepts. He or she challenges themselves not to live according to their dictates and rules, but those of God’s. They live uprightly in honor and love of God, whom they recognize as their creator, protector, and provider. This kind of living is contradictory to the lives of the wicked and those who do not know or worship God. And thus, they plot against the righteous to pull him or her down.
This is the setting of the reading from the Book of Wisdom where the wicked continue to plot against the righteous and the upright person. One would have thought that the exemplary life of the righteous person would have challenged the wicked person to change his or her ways and follow the right path. No. Instead, it brought out the worst in them, a conspiracy against the upright person and a plot to pull him/her down. They say, “Let us lay traps for the upright person since he (she) annoys us and opposes our actions and way of life, reproaches us for transgressions of the Law, and accuses us of our sins against our upbringing or (charges us with violations of our training). We see him (her) as a reproof to our way of thinking, the very sight of him (her) weighs our spirits down” (Wis. 2:12-14).
Many who try to be righteous and upright are affected by this conspiratory act of the wicked. Some are so frightened by it that they succumb to the plot. Or, they are given in to being complacent to the evil and dangerous acts of the wicked. Thus, they lack the courage to be a witness to the truth and give corrections when there is a need for it for fear of being maligned. In situations like this, when we are at the receiving end of the plots of wicked people against our faith and standing for the truth, we should all turn to Jesus Christ and look up to him as our example.
Jesus Christ is Our Example
The Gospel reading from the Gospel of St. John presents us with the episode of the plot to kill Jesus Christ. John narrates that Jesus moved about within Galilee and did not wish to travel around Judea because the Jews were seeking and trying to kill Him. The question is, why were they plotting to kill him? What evil or atrocity did he commit? Jesus Christ was a righteous person and did not commit any evil. The reason why they wanted to kill Him was because His way of life was a reprimand to the evil ways of the world. Also, His teaching was revolutionary and challenged the prevalent teachings of the Scribes and Pharisees of His time. Thus, Jesus Christ told his brothers, “The world cannot hate you, but it does hate me because I give evidence that its ways are evil” (Jn. 7:7).
Despite the knowledge of the impending danger of going to the Feast of the Tabernacles, despite being aware of the plot to kill Him, Jesus courageously and bravely went to the feast. He did not just go. But He also taught publicly in the temple and with authority. Such that, the Jews were astonished and said, “How did he learn to read? He has not been educated” (Jn. 7:14-15). This courageous act of Jesus Christ is an example and inspiration for every Christian facing persecution, or at the receiving end of any plot or trap against his or her faith. Such bravery over adversity is capable of winning souls for Christ.
God Sees Us Through
Therefore, as Christians and Children of God, no matter how difficult the situation we find ourselves in, no matter how the wicked plots or conspires against us, God will always see us through to a glorious end. Our job is to continue to trust in Him. He, who is our creator, protector, and provider, and have the courage to follow His plan. If it isn’t God’s time, the wicked plot is in vain. When we are faced with adversity, let us realize that we have a fantastic opportunity to witness and glorify God.
Always remember that Jesus loves you!
