Jesus shows us how following God’s will helps us move through the power of pain to the power of the resurrection
The Scripture readings for Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time remind us that we have choices to make. Instead of looking at life as random or as something that is pre-determined, the Scriptures remind us that God has given us direction on how to live and how the consequences of our choices determine what kind of life we will have.
The prophet Jeremiah compares one who trusts in God to a tree planted beside waters and one who does not trust in God to a barren bush in the desert. People sometimes get the wrong idea when they think of these images: If we do what God asks us to do, we will be richly blessed and without suffering pain, and if we don’t do what God wants, we will be deeply cursed and lacking in life.
But the Scriptures for this weekend don’t say that at all.
Jeremiah reminds us that the one who lives according to God’s will must still face a drought but doesn’t need to fear. Following God’s will does not exempt us from times of need and want. Following God’s will doesn’t shield us from suffering. We are promised that in the midst of any time of need, we will have all that is necessary as we remain faithful to God. But what does that mean?
In the Gospel, Luke shares the story of the Beatitudes. Not only do we read the blessing, but also the corresponding woe for those who do not do what God wants. Notice the groups of people called out as not following the will of God: the rich, those with full bellies, those unwilling to embrace suffering and pain and those who seek to look good and have a great reputation with everyone.Perhaps we need to examine our consciences to understand the implications of those states of life.
Choices come before us every moment we are awake. Some choices are incidental and have everything to do with the current moment — how we greet people, especially strangers, in our midst, how we use the Earth’s resources and how we treat our perceived enemies and those who hate us.
Some of the choices we face have long-term consequences. We hear about the generational consequences of abuse toward one another, the unconscionable amassing of wealth at the expense of those who are still hungry, the misuse of the Earth’s resources and the continuing misuse of power to favor the very few at the expense of the most vulnerable. Have we even taken the opportunity to understand our contribution to these choices that keep the grace of God from being more present in our time?
In questions of faith, it is important to turn to Jesus’ example. In the garden before His arrest, He made His choice known to the Father. He explained that He would rather not go through passion and death, but He would if that was His Father’s will. He stood on the promise that even in the face of death, the power of death would not overcome Him. He gave us that example so we might know and follow in His footsteps. Doing what God willed Him to do did not shield Him from pain, suffering or death. What it did allow Him to do was to move beyond the power of those things to the power of the resurrection.
Make good choices about how you spend your time!
Father Donald Wester is retired and serves as lecturer of homiletics at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary.
