Sunday, October 29, 2017

Humility Leads to True Wisdom

Luke 10:21-24: Humility Leads to True Wisdom


At that very moment Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. . .
Turning to the disciples in private, Jesus said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. . .”
I enjoy studying theology and church history. Now at first glance, most would say this is a healthy interest that would lead me to deeper satisfaction and happiness in my life. And in the beginning, this proved true. Everything I read drew me closer to knowledge about God and the church. Knowledge, at first, was attractive and renewing. But as I soon discovered, “knowledge” and “knowing” are oppositional.
Knowledge of religious practice and theology are helpful. But when we seek to satiate ourselves with this knowledge, it dominates our thinking and clouds the promptings of the Holy Spirit in us toward love of God and neighbor. Throughout Scripture, Jesus warns us of this. And in this section of Luke’s gospel, Jesus points out that too much self-serving knowledge blinds us to the mysteries of God’s love. Not only does Jesus address this to the disciples, but he also teaches it to the religious leaders that try to trap him in Luke 10:25-37. To illustrate this, Jesus tells the parable of the good Samaritan. It is through this parable, moreover, that we learn the true meaning of loving your neighbor, for it is the “enemy” Samaritan who comes to the aid of the victimized, half-dead Jewish man, a man left to perish on the side of the road by the legalistic priest and Levite. Too much “knowledge” jams up the mechanism of love inside of us.
Knowing someone is intimate and personal. We spend time with that person, intently listen to them, and open our deepest self to them. Knowing is about loving, caring, giving, nurturing, and receiving. To know Jesus and his church is to spend time with him in prayer, the sacraments, liturgy, community, service to others, and family. Knowing someone is to shun our arrogance in place of humility. Knowing is about love of the other. Knowledge, on the other hand, often leads to the love of self.
There is a beautiful passage in a favorite book of mine in which the author beautifully sums up Christ’s teaching on humility. And in this passage, the author echoes Jesus in Luke 10:22: “Although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.” Thomas รก Kempis writes:
Shun too great a desire for knowledge, for in it there is much fretting and delusion. Intellectuals like to appear learned and to be called wise. Yet there are many things the knowledge of which does little or no good to the soul, and he who concerns himself about other things than those which lead to salvation is very unwise.
Many words do not satisfy the soul; but a good life eases the mind and a clean conscience inspires great trust in God. (The Imitation of Christ)
In my arrogant quest for “knowledge” of God, I fall short every time. I get discouraged. I lack trust. I lack faith. My quest to know Jesus, however, humbly leads to a “good life,” a life with a mind at ease in the comfort of God’s grace and love.
Heavenly Father, we pray for to gift of knowing you through the life, love, suffering, death, and resurrection of your son, Jesus Christ. Please grant us the grace of being childlike in our approach to faith in you so that we can be vessels of your love in this world. And we pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Have a blessed week!

Stan

Sunday, October 22, 2017

We are Made in God’s Image and Likeness

Matthew 22: 20-21 (NRSV): We are Made in God’s Image and Likeness
Then [Jesus] said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” [The Pharisees] answered, “The emperor’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
Although originally intended for a group of self-righteous religious leaders, Jesus' message applies to each of us today. In a world driven by politics, economics, and technology, it is easy to forget who we are as children of God. Society too often equates a person’s worth with their status, the amount of zeros in their salary, the size of their house, the car they drive . . . and the list continues. In this passage, however, Jesus reminds us who we truly are by alluding to Genesis 1:27: “So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
We are made in God’s image and likeness. And since God is love (1 John 4:8), we are created for love. The coin, therefore, is a symbol of what we are not. Why, then, do people blindly step on others in order to accumulate more “coins”? Jesus implies the question and presents the following answer: We are children of God, and human life is a precious gift that belongs to God, not any institution or ideology.
Let us choose to live lives of love for one another, imitating the life Jesus models for us in his self-emptying example. St. Paul reminds us of this in 2 Corinthians 8:9: "For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich." It isn't about our wallets; it's about our hearts. Let us love others with the love we were given in our creation.
Heavenly Father, we offer ourselves to you and no other. You are the author of life and have made us in your image and likeness. Please grant us the grace to both recognize this in ourselves and in our brothers and sisters as we go out into the world to live the love you gave us. In Jesus Christ we pray, amen.
Have a blessed week.
Stan

Sunday, October 15, 2017

When Listening is Not Enough

Luke 6:46-49 (NRSV): When Listening is Not Enough
[Jesus said,] “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of that house.”
Some proclaim Jesus as Lord but do not act on His teachings. It is an easy thing to do. We can profess ourselves as followers of Christ, but when it comes time to love -- that which Jesus says is our identifier in the world -- we gossip, judge, and ostracize. But Jesus calls us to something much greater than the habits of sin. He calls us to Himself, to follow His way, and to build the foundation of our character on Him.
To illustrate true faith, a faith that is lived out in Christian love, Jesus presents the parable of a house builder. The builder who digs deeply and constructs his house on a foundation of solid rock -- Jesus and His teachings -- builds a house that is unshakable against the floods of hardship. But Jesus warns His would-be followers who live lives of inaction:
But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of that house.
Being a Christian means putting Jesus at the center, heart, and foundation of our lives. More than this, however, Jesus calls us to not only listen but act. For disciples are agents of loving action in the world. Our discipleship is to follow the way of the Master, the way of love and mercy toward all people.
Heavenly Father, please give us the grace to place Your Son at the foundation of our lives. In doing this, strengthen us to become agents of Christ’s love in the world. We ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.  
Have a blessed week!

Stan

Sunday, October 8, 2017

When we Persist in Prayer

Luke 18:1-8 (CEV): When we Persist in Prayer
1 Jesus told his disciples a story about how they should keep on praying and never give up . . . The Lord said: “Won’t God protect his chosen ones who pray to him day and night? Won’t he be concerned for them? He will surely hurry and help them. . .”
I find comfort in prayer. Peace and calm accompany calling God to mind and offering myself to Him -- my celebrations, my struggles, my faults. But often, I wonder if my prayers are heard. This happens especially when I struggle with a decision or problem. Trust in God and persistence, however, are key when it comes to prayer.
In commenting on the above passage, the writer David McCasland reminds us what prayer is and is not:
Prayer is not a means of coercing God to do what we want. It is a process of recognizing His power and plan for our lives. In prayer we yield our lives and circumstances to the Lord and trust Him to act in His time and in His way.
The lesson Jesus teaches us in this parable is to keep at it. Prayer requires tenacity and trust. We are to abandon ourselves to God’s will and care, knowing that His time and ours are not the same.
O God, may we all feel Your presence and blessings in our lives, knowing that in our persistent prayer we are to trust and yield, not coerce. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Have a blessed week!

Stan

Sunday, October 1, 2017

Happiness Comes From the Joy of Others

Philippians 2:3-8 (CEB): Happiness Comes From the Joy of Others
Don’t do anything for selfish purposes, but with humility think of others as better than yourselves. Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others. Adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus:
. . .  he emptied himself
. . .  he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Being others-focused brings me peace. Focusing on myself, however, does the opposite. As a husband and father, I confront my own selfish behavior on a daily basis. Both Paul’s advice and Jesus’ example are perfect reminders for us all -- “Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others.”
As Paul points out in his letter to the church at Philippi, there has been disunity among the early Christian faithful. Why? Because people have been putting themselves first. As a prescribed antidote, Paul points to the humility and self giving of Jesus: “[Jesus] humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
As twenty-first century Americans, we are programmed to self satisfy. And when we look around our culture, more people are dissatisfied than ever. Therefore, let’s take Paul’s advice to “watch out for what is better for others” and “adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus.”
Heavenly Father, guide us to live lives of humility and love for others. In Jesus Christ’s name we pray, amen.
Have a blessed week!

Stan