How do we realign
ourselves with God?
During the quest
to take possession of the land of Canaan, Joshua is instructed by God at Gilgal
to circumcise the male children born during their journey from Egypt. Once Joshua has done so, God says to him, Today I have removed the reproach of Egypt from
you. This act realigns the people of Israel with their God; they are no
longer slaves, dependent on Egypt, but can now eat of the produce of the land. It is God who brings about their
reconciliation, allowing the people to reclaim their identity and to live in
right relationship with God. No longer
will their faces blush with shame, as
Psalm 34 notes, for God has answered
the prayers of the people. Their sojourn
in Gilgal allows them to taste and see
the goodness of the Lord, redeemed by God’s action on their behalf.
In Luke’s Gospel,
Jesus recounts the parable of the prodigal son; his audience consists of
Pharisees and scribes who complain that Jesus welcomes sinners and eats with them. But Jesus’ story is meant to teach them that reconciliation
is God’s action and that forgiveness is for all – even the Pharisees and
scribes themselves. Like the father in the parable, who loves his sinner son as
completely as he loves his older, responsible son, God loves all, sinners and
the upright alike. God gives recklessly,
foolishly; God forgives where no one asks for forgiveness. How?
Paul tells the Corinthians that God
has reconciled us to himself through Christ. It is Christ’s redemptive sacrifice that
allows us – all of us – to be a new
creation, realigned with the Father, that we might, in turn, carry his message of reconciliation as ambassadors for Christ. Salvation is our goal, not only for
ourselves, but for the world. And once
we are in Christ, the celebration can begin!
This post is based
on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com
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