Wag the Dog

 

So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. After the priests had assembled with the elders, they devised a plan to give a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, “You must say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story is still told among the Jews to this day.


Several years ago I watched a delightful (if slightly creepy) movie titled ‘Wag the Dog”. In it, a team of spin doctors are able to manipulate the truth so expertly, they can make the public swallow any lie. In our story today, we find the Jewish spin doctors at work, manipulating the events of Jesus’ death so expertly, Jews even today don’t believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead. 


This happens even in the church. Holy Spirit Interactive, the ministry that brings you these reflections (among several other things), is one of the most fruitful ministries the Catholic Church has seen in recent times. As just one example, there are now over one hundred Schools of Discipleship in fourteen countries. By teaching people the Catholic faith, these Schools not only have they served to stop the mass exodus that has been taking place to other churches, they are actually bringing people who have left back to the Catholic Church.


Our material has an imprimatur; priests teach at our Schools; bishops all around the world have endorsed them. Yet, there are people out there who will have you believe that I am a protestant in order to stop the work that we are doing. I have often wondered why they would do that. If they were interested in growing the Kingdom of God, as they claim they are, they would surely appreciate others who put their hands to the plow. So, why then?


There are two possible reasons that I can think of. One, that they are not interested in building the Kingdom of God, but their own little fiefdoms. Two, they believe they should be the only ones building the kingdom of God. Consequently, they will do whatever they can, spinning the truth however they wish, to stop others from interfering with their plans. Kinda like the Jews in today’s story.


"Why does a dog wag its tail?" spin doctor Brean, played by Robert De Niro in the movie, asks at one point. "Because the dog is smarter than the tail. If the tail was smarter, it would wag the dog." So, when the tail wags the dog, the inference is that the tail is smarter, and we Christians, who are invited to be the dog, are stupid.


Let us not let the tail wag the dog. Please do share these reflections, especially among those who are being wagged.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Let’s Get Healed - A Reflection on Matthew 18:21-19:1

Image
  Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me...
Read more

Patience - A Reflection on Luke 2:33-35.

Image
  And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”   This is probably the shortest passage that we have reflected upon this year. In it, we find a man named Simeon making a prophecy about three things. One, about Jesus. Two, about the people of Israel. And three, about the pain that Jesus’ mother Mary would go through. We have seen all his prophecies came true. But who is Simeon? And what can we learn from him? Ok. On the 40th day of his birth, Jesus is taken by Mary and Joseph to the temple to be officially inducted into the Jewish faith. When they were there, a man named Simeon came in to see them.   He is described as “righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Isr...
Read more

Dying and Killing

  The Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?” The Jews answered, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human being, are making yourself God.” Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? If those to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’—and the scripture cannot be annulled— can you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” Then they tried to arrest him again, but he escaped from their hands. He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earl...
Read more