Vigils Reading

WHEN ALL WAS TO BE

PUT TO THE TEST

By Henri Daniel-Rops

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The day which followed the astonishing Sunday of the triumphal entry

was not so striking, but was nonetheless full of significance. Jesus entered

Jerusalem every day, went up to the Temple, and spoke to audiences which

listened to him with enthusiasm, while the chief priests and scribes sought

means to destroying him. To Jesus, the slightest incident was an occasion for a

lesson, which often took the form of a warning.

So it was all through the Monday. What precisely was the meaning of the

curious episode, uncharacteristic of Christ’s normally merciful manner, in

which he condemned a fig tree on which he found no figs to wither? And who is

the bad son who pretends to be submissive to his father’s will, but in reality

disobeys him? Or the rebellious wine dressers who kill their master’s servants

in order to seize the harvest? What is the name of the stone rejected by the

builders which will be the cornerstone of the new building? And do we not know

these guests invited to the royal feast who refuse to attend? One is almost afraid

to understand at whom these gestures, these parables are aimed. At this

moment, Israel’s refusal seems to haunt Jesus’ mind and to fill it with anguish.

We are hardly surprised to find that the leaders of the community sent

emissaries to ask Jesus with what right he was behaving as he was. He avoided

the question by himself asking them an embarrassing one concerning what kind

of a man was John, and they could not give him any answer. But we can hardly

be surprised that their anger grew, and that they were on the point of laying

hands on him. Jesus cast a real challenge at his adversaries at this moment

when he knew that all was to be put to the test.