Losing One's Life for the Gospel

"Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Mt 10:38

Wise people remind us regularly that fame is fleeting. We lose our looks, our athletic ability, our fortune or our political power and people who could not get enough of us, forget our name and what we thought was a friendship. Fame that is based on our skills and appearance cannot last, but fame that is rooted in our honest other centeredness is something else altogether.

The fame that Jesus garnered and about which the evangelists write is often of a passing kind. His miracles especially attract those looking for a quick fix to their problems, but it is clear to those who read the Gospels as Good News that focusing on Jesus' miracles is fool's gold. Only our willingness to listen to his transforming message and be moved by it to conversion of life will last. Intriguingly, when those following him focus too intently on his miracles, Jesus leaves them, finds on mountain on which to pray, and moves onto another place and people. His mission is not about impressing people but offering them a gift that is beyond an healing they may be seeking.

Today, pray for the gift of authentic humility.

What famous person do you most admire for living the Gospel with joy?

Humility

 “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed." Mt 8:7

Most humble people have been humbled. Born into wealth or privilege, circumstances conspired against them and they lost everything. The proud complain or curse God; the humble realize that everything they had was a gift and not something they earned or deserved. The proud do almost anything to reclaim what they believe is theirs by divine right. The humble echo the Japanese proverb: When my house burned down, I could finally see the sunrise.

Remarkably, the centurion in the today's Gospel is not asking Jesus to help him but to heal his servant, and Jesus, obviously moved, is willing to respond to the centurion's request. But the centurion becomes an icon of humility for the ages when he acknowledges Jesus' power to heal without touch or physical presence. Not wanting Jesus to risk the condemnation of the rabbis for entering his house, the centurion asks Jesus only to speak a word of healing.

Today, be grateful for all of life no matter how humbling.

What keeps you from humbly acknowledging your weaknesses? 

Asking for Help

  "If you wish, you can make me clean." Mk 1:40

From time to time, all of us have to ask for help, even from those we don't like or admire. The man with leprosy asks Jesus to be made clean and as soon as he does, his life changes. Though Jesus does not want the leper to tell anyone who healed him, his excitement and gratitude spill out of him and soon everyone knows.

There is a simple lesson in this text for us. Though we may be reluctant to ask God for help, thinking our faith is not strong enough, we should not hesitate. We should always ask to be healed, and trust that healing comes in many forms. Sometimes God's healing allows us to accept the burden of a dark period in our lives, and while that might not be what we were praying for, it does allow us to move forward in faith .

When we trust God in this way everything changes. We obsess less about wanting to live on our own terms, and seek companions who will walk with us no matter what we are carrying. More important, allowing others to help us may lead to their healing. Sometimes when we ask people for help, they finally see themselves as worthwhile and their spirit opens to God in ways they thought could never again happen.

Today, ask God for healing and wait.

Have their been instances in your life when asking for help changed how you viewed the burdens you carry?

Jesus Our Rock

 "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock." Mt 7:24

What is the rock upon which we are to build our lives? God's fidelity is a good place to start. Though it seems natural to think about a sound financial footing and doing what we can do assure ourselves of good health, these are not the rocks about which Matthew speaks. God's living word must be the foundation of our lives, and God's word is true, lasting and clear.

When we listen and act on God's word, Matthew assures us that we are building on rock, not sand, but the struggle continues. At times, we interpret God's word in ways that do a disservice to the power of the word. When the gospel tells us to ask for whatever we want and need it will be given to us, we have to be cautious. Jesus is not frivolous. We cannot pray for a new car and expect it to be delivered the next day. Rather, the scripture demands that we pray for the strength to do whatever it is that will foster God's reign. When we pray to be strengthened for this role, we can be sure of a response.

Today, ask God to sustain you along the path of faith.

What gifts has God given you when you asked for help?

The Nativity of John the Baptist

  His mother replied: "He will be called John." But they answered her, "There is no one among your relatives who has this name." Lk I:59

What's in a name?  In the ancient world, everything. Names were given to children by their fathers to honor his ancestors and elders. Mothers had no role in this ritual, but Elizabeth does. Only when Zechariah writes the name John on a tablet is his "mouth opened and his tongue freed." Clearly, Elizabeth's child John would play an important role in salvation history. John, whose name means God is gracious, would usher in a new order and a new way of being in the world.

Unlike so many, John would have no doubts about his role. He knew he was not the Messiah, despite the desire of so many who accepted his baptism. Rather, his entire life would consist in pointing to Jesus, and announcing the coming of the Messiah. Admitting that he was not worthy to untie Jesus' sandal strap and that he needed to decrease and Christ increase, John becomes a symbol for every Christian. Our task as believers is not to posture or pretend that we are important, but to be grateful for the name Christian, recognize Christ in every person and prepare others to receive his Good News. 

Today, help someone find Christ.

What are the biggest obstacles we face in announcing the Good News?

Dogs and Swine

  "Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine." Mt 7:6

Not infrequently, gentiles and the poor were compared to dogs, people who did not appreciate the word of God, but Jesus turns this saying upside down, just as he does when he reminds us that the first will be last.

In Jesus preaching, the only criterion used to judge people was their openness to the fullness of God's word. In other words, the rich, the powerful, the interpreters of the law were all judging themselves if they refused to hear Jesus' call to reform their lives and return to the heart of the law.

For contemporary believers the same standard endures. Unless we are open to the transforming power of God's word, which is more inclusive than we often want to acknowledge, we are the dogs about whom the Gospel speaks. When we use the Good News as a hammer to exclude those who are racially, religiously, culturally and spiritually different from us, even when they are enemies, we judge ourselves.

Today, pray to be free of prejudice.

What practices help you not to judge others? 

Eye Splinters

"Remove the wooden beam from your eye first." Lk 6:41

It is a truism are angry or hurt. Wanting only to be rid of the feelings that disturb our peace, we blame others for how we feel.

Jesus knew this well. When he corrected the leaders of the Jewish community about laying heavy burdens on peoples shoulders while doing nothing to help them, he was calling them to transformation. While it was easy for the leaders to spot small infractions of the law, because they were concerned more with their own power than the spirit of the Torah, they found it difficult to celebrate the good they uncovered. The gospel challenges these destructive behaviors.

Life is very different when we look for the good in others rather than their faults. Full of compassion because we recognize our own weaknesses in others, we ask for the mercy of God to help all who suffer from the blindness of blaming others rather than working and living together for the good of all.

Today, notice the good in the lives of those closest to you.

What habits of others most annoy you, and how does the gospel help you respond?