Thursday, May 30, 2019

Sunday Gospel Reflection, June 2, 2019: What is the surpassing greatness of his power...



  When, in the Acts of the Apostles, the apostles want to know if Jesus is going to restore the kingdom to Israel, Jesus tells them to focus their attention elsewhere:  It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established.  In fact, political dominion was never in the cards; Jesus wants Israel to be a strong spiritual entity, grounded in the power that is love, rather in any form of physical force to be reckoned with.  It surely is not what the apostles were expecting.

  The period between the Ascension of Christ and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost must have been a time of fear and expectation and much prayer for the apostles.  When Jesus ascends, he leaves them physically; now they must learn to rely on his spiritual presence with them.  Before ascending, as described in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus reminds the apostles that they are to preach repentance.  In order to do that, they must first turn to love and allow it to work in them; only then will they be able to preach to all the nations a universal call to repentance, so that his love can come to dwell in all people.  Only then will all be able, as Psalm 47 suggests, to shout to God with cries of gladness.

  If Jesus has his way, the Letter to the Ephesians suggests, the eyes of all hearts will be enlightened; eyes blind to the potential depth of love before the death of Jesus will now see the full measure of love to which they are called.  That love is what the letter calls the surpassing power for those who believe:  when Christ’s love for us enables us to open our eyes to see the love he has for everyone, and for all of creation.  It is this same love to which we are called, if only we can allow Christ to rule our hearts.  His power, that is, his love, is the power we need to share in, that we might see all things as he sees them, love them as he loves them, honor them as he honors them.  This is truly the only possible restoration of the kingdom Jesus imagines for his followers, and it is the kingdom he wishes for us.

This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source:  www.wordclouds.com

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