"Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may seem them." Mt 6:1
Being seen is often important for celebrities. Living in the New York area, there are always reports about actors, business people and athletes at this or that event, with photographers recording their every move and word. Although many claim not to enjoy this part of celebrity, I am not so sure. Without all the photos, radio and TV appearances, their name and image would slip from public consciousness and their fame, which is already fleeting, might disappear completely. Celebrities need a kind of notoriety to get work and demand high salaries.
This is not the way Jesus envisions the lives of his disciples. In fact, he is clear: Do not let your right hand know what your left is doing. Don't prance about in public in order to be noticed. Do the right thing for the right reason, not to be seen but to promote God's reign.
Elisha remembered to wear the mantle of Elijah because it was Elijah's spirit that empowered him. When we remember that we are to wear the mantle of Jesus Christ, we will not worry about how we appear. Rather, we will live the gospel transparently, not for personal gain or even our salvation, but so that all might see in us the power of Jesus Christ.
Today, avoid the spotlight.
Whose life of simple, transparent faith most moves you to live the Gospel without concern for personal gain?
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Stealing
"Have you seen that Ahab has humbled himself before me? Since he has humbled himself before me,I will not bring the evil in his time." I Kgs 21:29
Jezebel's vulgarity stuns us. Wanting to please her husband, King Ahab, who is wild with anger because Naboth will not sell him his vineyard, Jezebel has Naboth proclaimed head of his people and then gets two "scoundrels" to accuse him of cursing God and her husband. Soon afterwards, the people drag Naboth out of the city and stone him to death allowing Ahab to take possession of Naboth's vineyard.
Initially, it seems that Jezebel's vengeance against Ahab will go unpunished, but God sends Elijah the prophet to confront Ahab about his sinful role in Naboth's death. Almost immediately, Ahab tears his clothes, dresses in sackcloth and fasts. God accepts Ahab's humble actions and decides not to punish him personally but promises to punish his son.
Unfortunately, most of us can identify with Jezebel. Hurt, angry or frustrated, we undermine the character of another by saying nothing when praise is called for, or too much when we would do better to be silent. Subtly but surely, we steal the power of others who need our support. More important, the life of the community, which is our life blood as a church, is damaged by our sin.
Today, ask to be free of anger.
How have you stolen the good name of another?
Jezebel's vulgarity stuns us. Wanting to please her husband, King Ahab, who is wild with anger because Naboth will not sell him his vineyard, Jezebel has Naboth proclaimed head of his people and then gets two "scoundrels" to accuse him of cursing God and her husband. Soon afterwards, the people drag Naboth out of the city and stone him to death allowing Ahab to take possession of Naboth's vineyard.
Initially, it seems that Jezebel's vengeance against Ahab will go unpunished, but God sends Elijah the prophet to confront Ahab about his sinful role in Naboth's death. Almost immediately, Ahab tears his clothes, dresses in sackcloth and fasts. God accepts Ahab's humble actions and decides not to punish him personally but promises to punish his son.
Unfortunately, most of us can identify with Jezebel. Hurt, angry or frustrated, we undermine the character of another by saying nothing when praise is called for, or too much when we would do better to be silent. Subtly but surely, we steal the power of others who need our support. More important, the life of the community, which is our life blood as a church, is damaged by our sin.
Today, ask to be free of anger.
How have you stolen the good name of another?
Monday, June 18, 2012
Resist Winning
"You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil." Mt 5:38
Today's scripture is what scholars call a "hard saying of Jesus." It would be unnatural not to resist it. There must be some way to understand, we reason, that will help us make sense of it, or ignore it, or dismiss entirely it as rabbinical hyperbole.
None of this will work, of course. We must face the implications of discipleship with and of Jesus. The gospels are demanding for very good reasons. The only way Jesus' first followers would be able to demonstrate their total dependence on God would be to respond to evil with kindness, to go beyond even what the law demanded. In Jesus' view, our refusal to be vengeful is not a sign of weakness, but of strength. Because we believe in the saving redemption of Jesus, we are strong enough to work for reconciliation despite the cost.
Today, pray to let go of unfettered competition and winning at all costs.
Do you think the gospel demands non-violence?
Today's scripture is what scholars call a "hard saying of Jesus." It would be unnatural not to resist it. There must be some way to understand, we reason, that will help us make sense of it, or ignore it, or dismiss entirely it as rabbinical hyperbole.
None of this will work, of course. We must face the implications of discipleship with and of Jesus. The gospels are demanding for very good reasons. The only way Jesus' first followers would be able to demonstrate their total dependence on God would be to respond to evil with kindness, to go beyond even what the law demanded. In Jesus' view, our refusal to be vengeful is not a sign of weakness, but of strength. Because we believe in the saving redemption of Jesus, we are strong enough to work for reconciliation despite the cost.
Today, pray to let go of unfettered competition and winning at all costs.
Do you think the gospel demands non-violence?
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Cedars and Seeds
"Thus says the Lord GOD: I, too, will take from the crest of
the cedar, from its topmost branches tear off a tender shoot, and plant it on a
high and lofty mountain; on the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it." Ez 17:22
It is difficult to overstate the importance of cedars in the bible. They are mentioned 75 times in the Hebrew bible in 18 different books, and always they are a symbol of all that is good about God's love for his people, even when God's people are unfaithful.
Ezekiel, the first of the prophets to be commissioned outside of Jerusalem, is particularly harsh in his condemnation of the Jewish nation, comparing her to a promiscuous woman and warning her that God's wrath will not easily be quieted. Still, he promises that Israel will rise again, but only because God will take a tender shoot from the topmost branches of the cedar and plant it on the highest point in Israel. Just as Israel reaches the point of despair, God responds and renews.
These images should be helpful to faith filled Catholics in the days of our diminishment, especially in the developed world. While it might take generations for us to recover from the scandal of sexual abuse and the failures of the church in the U.S., God will not be silenced. Even now Mark suggests, God is scattering "seed on the land," (4:26) that will "sprout and grow" in ways we cannot see or appreciate. It is this faith that we cling today as we enter more deeply into God's way of healing and hope.
Today, be sweet smelling cedar for others.
Is there a particular biblical image that fills you with hope?
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