Episode 505 - Let's seek beyond to see who Jesus is

<p><a href="https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2maccabees/6?18">2 Mc 6:18-31</a></p> <p>Eleazar, one of the foremost scribes,<br> a man of advanced age and noble appearance,<br> was being forced to open his mouth to eat pork.&nbsp;<br> But preferring a glorious death to a life of defilement,<br> he spat out the meat,<br> and went forward of his own accord to the instrument of torture,<br> as people ought to do who have the courage to reject the food<br> which it is unlawful to taste even for love of life.&nbsp;<br> Those in charge of that unlawful ritual meal took the man aside privately,<br> because of their long acquaintance with him,<br> and urged him to bring meat of his own providing,<br> such as he could legitimately eat,<br> and to pretend to be eating some of the meat of the sacrifice<br> prescribed by the king;<br> in this way he would escape the death penalty,<br> and be treated kindly because of their old friendship with him.<br> But Eleazar made up his mind in a noble manner,<br> worthy of his years, the dignity of his advanced age,<br> the merited distinction of his gray hair,<br> and of the admirable life he had lived from childhood;<br> and so he declared that above all<br> he would be loyal to the holy laws given by God.</p> <p>He told them to send him at once<br> to the abode of the dead, explaining:<br> “At our age it would be unbecoming to make such a pretense;<br> many young people would think the ninety-year-old Eleazar<br> had gone over to an alien religion.<br> Should I thus pretend for the sake of a brief moment of life,<br> they would be led astray by me,<br> while I would bring shame and dishonor on my old age.<br> Even if, for the time being, I avoid the punishment of men,Psalm <a href="https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/3?2">3:2-3, 4-5, 6-7</a></p> <p>R.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;(6b) <strong>The Lord upholds me.</strong><br> O LORD, how many are my adversaries!<br> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Many rise up against me!<br> Many are saying of me,<br> &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;“There is no salvation for him in God.