The Reaction

Many, however, did not accept what it was only in the power of Christ to offer. Blinded by greed and pride, and stirred to fury by His disruption of their conventional society and vested interests, they reacted violently against Him. How could our Lord respond to this gathering tide of hate and reactionary evil? There was only one way. Being perfect love He could not, even by power of miracle, force to accept His teaching those who had voluntarily neglected it; He could only suffer whatever they might choose to do to Him. As we know, this led to the death of Christ on the Cross, as He acted with perfect faith that even thus, though His death might seem to be the disastrous conquest of Holiness and Love, He would in fact overcome the power of the sin of the world. In the agony of His death He remained the unbroken manifestation of love as He prayed to God for His executioners, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do" (St. Luke. 23:24).