But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.
(Luke 12:39)
 

Luke 12:32-48

Some of us are in the habit of bemoaning the fact (or is it only a perception?) that the world is more criminal than it has ever been before: “The world is going to the dogs since (name your least-favourite politician) came to power. Gangsterism, housebreaking, insecurity, murder, sexual violence, wars, rape, etc., were unheard of until recently, and are on the rise. How can ordinary people like you and me survive?”

We have only to consider a couple of Jesus’ parables to know that criminal violence has been around for thousands of years. In today’s excerpt, Jesus is talking about burglary. In the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10), he tells of a traveller who falls into the hands of bandits, and who is beaten, robbed and left for dead at the roadside. Shockingly, the indifference of the passers-by reflects the fear that people have nowadays of “getting involved.” During Jesus’ lifetime, the Roman Province of Judea was collapsing into chaos, and you can be sure that the Roman soldiers were not models of continence, good governance, and Western-style democracy. Jesus himself was put to death by a terrible miscarriage of justice at the highest levels of government. And maybe ten years later, the apostle James was beheaded in Jerusalem at the order of Herod Agrippa. This might not have been extraordinary, and Christians were certainly not the only victims of institutionalised violence in the First Century. 

However, Jesus’ warning is not about us being on our guard against becoming victims of violence. Instead, he is inviting us to be prepared for his epiphany, his visitation. Instead of having our defences up in fear, we need to allow ourselves to be open and vulnerable to the penetrating love of God. We want to be alert to Christ coming to us in various ways, through an unexpected encounter with another person, or through a health crisis, a joyful piece of music, or a liturgical celebration. Let us prepare ourselves for the good times with our God while, at the same time, guarding against any unwanted disturbance to our consolation. 

What scares me most at the moment? How can I be more open to God’s love? 

Reflections by Peter Knox SJ

Lord Jesus, 
Protect us from harm. You come to us in so many ways, amid so many mixed experiences. 
Help me to recognise and welcome you 
when you come knocking at my door.
Amen.

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