Released in.to the hands of the people

And when they wondered every one that Jesus did, he said unto his disciples, hear well, and remember what I say unto you, The Son of man shall be delivered into the hand of men. And they understood not that saying, and they were veiled, that they should not understand it: to ask him the word.

When we listen to Christ’s prediction that he will be given into the hands of men, we think: of course, into the hands of the evil Jews, into the hands of the elders, the high priests, and the scribes. But when will we finally realize that Jesus was delivered into the hands of all people, into our hands, into the hands present here, into the hands of each of us ?! The chief priests and the scribes, Caiaphas, Pilate, and others — were, of course, guilty of the Lord’s immediate suffering and death. But that suffering and death were caused by each of us and needed by each of us as the only way to forgive God’s justice for our guilt. Christ’s suffering – that immense act of our injustice – has been planned, intended, anticipated from the ages – about us.

Through every human sin, Christ the Lord is given into our hands – to atone for our sin on the cross; it is we who sacrifice it as satisfaction for our unfaithfulness; it was we who caused his suffering first, and then the lawyers. As St. Peter in the first sermon: we nailed Jesus to the cross with the wicked’s hands and murdered them (Acts 2: 22-23). As we walk around the cross, do we realize that it is our business that Christ is betrayed into our hands?

Christ is delivered into our hands, not only as a begging sacrifice. Through our saving word, it is given to us, with which we can do what we please: accept it or reject it. Christ is given into human hands in the sacrament of the Eucharist, where he becomes the basis of our building of the kingdom of God, the forerunner of our life in the kingdom of heaven. And on this occasion, let us realize that each of us, whether he wants to or not, is handed over to the people he served by his work and willingness and – like Christ – by his suffering, which we sacrifice for the needs of the world.

Today it was our turn. After listening, sending, and proclaiming, Jesus asks each of us, “And who do you consider me to be?” (Lk 9:20). Everything in our daily lives is based on the answer we give to this question. Do I accept it only? as a man, and therefore, I take his words only with human faith, I keep a certain reserve and have my own opinions on some things, or I accept him as the God-man, the word of God and therefore with the certainty of faith. “Is Christ truly a sufficient answer to my problems and the problems of humanity? Jesus shows the way to salvation. He himself is the way, the truth, and the life. In his parables, he reveals the image of a God other than the God of our human ideas and assumptions. He cannot know the true God or the perfect man. Jesus reveals the true God throughout his life and deeds but meanwhile shows the ideal man He overturns our values ​​What is right in the world very often does not apply to God, even the world that in each of us, whether we want it or not, leaves its mark – standing in hostility to God. St. Johan writes that we should not love the world or what is in the world. For him, that love the world is not the love of the Father in him. To love means to identify, to transform into what I love. St. Bonaventure says: “By the power of love, you will be transformed into the one you love.”

Not only our time wants patterns and idols. This was also the case in the time of Jesus. However, we cannot look at Jesus as a hero. Jesus did not desire human glory, power, titles. When Jesus wanted to make people king after the multiplication of bread and fish, Jesus himself fell silent. To Pilate’s question, “Are you the King of the Jews?” We feel our responsibility for the salvation of our souls, but also the souls of the brothers and sisters entrusted to us. Let us not be afraid to ask Jesus about everything.