Code-Breaking

34th Week in Ordinary Time - Monday (26 November 2018)

Revelation 14:1-5. Psalm 24:1-6. Luke 21:1-4.

“The redeemed has Christ and his Father's name written on their foreheads.”

When you think of spies and secret agents, you might think of lots of things: nifty gadgets, foreign travel, dangerous missiles, fast cars and being shaken but not stirred. You would also probably think of cracking codes and unravelling the true meaning of secret messages. Interestingly, the Bible too contains many codes in some places. To understand the deeper message one has to know how to break codes! Some biblical literature use veiled language; you need to go beyond the literal meaning for the text to reveal the true message. The Book of Revelation (Apocalypse) was a document written during time of persecution, many references in Revelation are expressed in a code which would only be understood by those within the persecuted community.

In today’s first reading, the followers of the Beast, who are branded with his name and number, are now contrasted with the followers of the Lamb marked with his name and the name of the Father. And just as there was a “remnant” of Israel that returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile, here we have the “remnant” of the new Israel, the faithful Christians who have survived persecution and who will begin the restoration of God’s kingdom once its enemies have been destroyed.

John has a vision of Mount Zion. Originally Mount Zion referred to the fortress of the pre-Israelite city of Jerusalem before it was taken over by David and made his capital. The term in time became synonymous with Jerusalem itself and, in Revelation, it refers to the “heavenly Jerusalem,” the place where God lives for ever with his people. At the end of Revelation, it comes down to the “new earth.”

Here John sees the Lamb with 144,000 faithful followers, all of whom have the name of the Lamb and of the Father on their foreheads, again as a sign of ownership. The number 144,000 is a multiple of the perfect and complete number 12. These are the ones who have not compromised their faith and have persevered through times of persecution by being ready to give their lives for their faith in Christ. They are the martyrs (a word which means “witness”), those who gave the ultimate witness of their faith. They are the nucleus of the Kingdom.

We too have been marked in baptism with God’s sign of ownership on us. But that still requires our total commitment and response to his call. Contradiction and opposition were certainly the lot of Jesus. As Jesus began to share his mission, he forewarned the first apostles that they too would have to face opposition, rejection and persecution. “You will be hated by all men and women on account of my name” (Matthew 10:22). “If they persecute me they will persecute you too” (John 15:10).

Growth in spirituality entails a foundational trust in the midst of suffering, some ability to bear darkness and uncertainty, and learning to be comfortable with paradox and mystery. Our Lord makes himself present in the midst of suffering and persecution. Perhaps to encounter him who is hidden in our lives we need to unveil messages that come to us every moment of our lives. It is also a code-breaking!

For a reflection on the gospel passage, please see “Bothersome Widows,” https://anthuvanmaria.blogspot.com/2018/11/bothersome-widows.html.