Destroy

Today’s Gospel Text:  But the Pharisees went out and took counsel against him, how to destroy him. 15 Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all, 16 and ordered them not to make him known. 17 This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: 18 "Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles. 19 He will not wrangle or cry aloud, nor will any one hear his voice in the streets; 20 he will not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick, till he brings justice to victory; 21 and in his name will the Gentiles hope." Matt 12:14-21

Reflection: I suppose that there is a difference between killing a person and destroying a person.  The Pharisees did not so much seek to kill but as to destroy Jesus (vs. 14) ( Gk.:.Apollumi = to destroy, annihilate, waste)    

One could kill a person and leave it at that; a mere killing causes death and the person is no more in pain or turmoil.  It is an action that is clear and one track, on target with intent to kill.

The reputation, the name, the lineage, may still remain intact.

But destroying could be a much more serious business and involves much more.

It could involve all sorts of torture with intent to annihilate all that a person is and has.

This could begin with the destruction of the reputation of the person and all that the person holds on to and may have now and may hold in the future, which also includes his lineage (that is, if Jesus were to be married) and may even involve cutting the person off from his roots.  

Hence it could be a process set in place to trouble, torture, persecute, despoil until it may finally leads to physical death or mental derangement, which is worse than mere physical death. 

As far as the law is concerned, there are many aspects of the process of destroying a person which can be beyond the reach of law.

The law may rarely look at the other forms of torture because, many a times, it is difficult to prove such crimes and in the process of being just could be more unjust.

In the gospel, we have the Pharisees taking counsel for the most heinous plot, which we see, could be much more serious than murder.

Such actions on the part of humans were not an isolated event but exists even in our days.

In such situations it would be unfortunate if Christian practice the same crime as the Pharisees, even after having seen such an injustice practiced on the very redeemer of theirs.

Prayer: Lord, be my help so that I may not be an instrument in any way that would bring about the total destruction of anyone.

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