by Frank Savadera SJ
In our Gospel today, Jesus asked the scribes and
elders one trick question: "Was John’s
baptism of heavenly or of human origin?"
If they say from HEAVEN, then people will say: Why did you not believe him then? If they say of HUMAN ORIGIN, then people will
sneer at them since most if not everyone, thought of John as a prophet. So how did the scribes and elders answer
Jesus’ question? They say simply: WE DO NOT
KNOW! ... a SAFE or if we must say an
ESCAPIST kind of an answer! We do not
know!
I remember one seminar I took on customer service
when I was still working in the world. A
customer asks: When will my new van be delivered? And the person on the other line says: Gee, sir ... I don’t know? Ah ... Oh so with whom do I inquire about its
insurance or warranties? The staff answers: Oh I don’t know
sir, I’m not in-charge! The customer asks again: What about the
car plate ... who can I ask about it?
The person on the other line says:
Sir, why do you ask a lot of questions!
I don’t know! I don’t know! I don’t know! I JUST WORK HERE!
In Tagalog, this sounds even worst: HINDI KO ALAM! HINDI KO ALAM? Upon hearing his staff, a supervisor once got so irked by such
a response. You don’t know! Hindi mo alam! Eh ... kung hindi mo alam ... bakit ka pa
nandito! If you don’t know then why are
you here! KUNG HINDI MO ALAM, ALAMIN
MO! IF YOU DON’T KNOW, THEN KNOW FOR
YOURSELF! NOW!
Remember that UP Law student who drove his car into
a flooded road? What happened to his
car? The car "sunk" into the flooded road, of course! When he was being interviewed on TV, he was
just so angry at people around him.
EVERYTHING was wrong! EVERYONE
was wrong! He blurts out: "I did not know about how deep
the flood was, he said! NO ONE TOLD
ME. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOLD."
The worst thing about the scribes and the elders is
that ... it is not so much that they do not have the capacity to know ... THEY
JUST DON’T WANT TO KNOW. Why? Because the reality of Jesus ... the
authority of Jesus INTRUDES into their FIXED WAY of believing and of doing
things! And so ... this is how it
is! Nothing else can make me believe
otherwise! Eto na yun!
Friends as we go on with our lives, we will need to constantly ask ourselves: What
new things have I learned? Or to what
direction is this event leading me? The
worst answer that I can give myself is … guess what: I DON’T KNOW! Friends, we wish to always challenge ourselves …
SEEK TO KNOW. Seek to know a new
person each day. Seek to know
their stories. Do I wish to know? Much like the scribes and Pharisees, BE ON
GUARD AGAINST UNMINDFULLNESS … the SAFE and almost ESCAPIST I DON’T CARE TO
KNOW ATTITUDE. God reveals to us new
things everyday … how can we even know the will of God for us … if we choose to
be CLOSED and UNMINDFUL of things around us.
This is why, I also like very much the message from
the first reading today: "When I was
young and innocent, I sought wisdom openly in my prayer ... I will seek her until the end ... she
flourished as a grape soon ripe." My heart delighted in WISDOM. Everyday is an opportunity to learn new things. May we tell ourselves always: I seek wisdom! MY HEART DELIGHTS
in wisdom! This experience is
something new! I’m learning! I’m growing in wisdom!
GUARD AGAINST UNMINDFULLNESS … the SAFE and almost
ESCAPIST I DON’T CARE TO KNOW ATTITUDE.
MY HEART DELIGHTS in wisdom!
