"Safe is Death"
"So they said to Jesus in reply, 'We do not know.'” (Matthew 21:27)
"So they said to Jesus in reply, 'We do not know.'” (Matthew 21:27)
John Tortorella, en route to coaching the Tampa Bay Lightning to their first championship in 2004, had a famous saying: "Safe is death."
His mantra encouraged players not to cower on the sidelines.
Jesus' question to the chief priests and elders in our Gospel today invites them not to remain “on the sidelines” in their opinion of Him.
Jesus asks them if John the Baptist spoke with God’s inspiration or not. If they say yes, they must admit that Jesus is the Messiah (something John taught). But if they say no, they draw the ire of John's passionate followers.
So what do they do? They stay safe. "We do not know," they say. That's safe.
But following Jesus isn't safe. After all, only those willing to lose their lives for His sake will find it.
Jesus, when being your disciple isn't safe, give me courage. Amen.
Father Connor Penn is parochial vicar at St. Timothy Catholic Church in Lutz. Ordained in 2020, Fr. Penn briefly studied journalism before entering the seminary. Fr. Penn grew up in Temple Terrace, attending Corpus Christi Catholic School and later Jesuit High School.
