Can you remain faithful to God’s plan for you?
When, in the Book of Genesis, the Lord instructs Abram to go forth from the land of his kinsfolk and from his father’s house to a land that God will show him, Abram does not hesitate: Abram went as the Lord directed him. In exchange for his constant fidelity, God’s promise to Abram is extraordinary: I will make of you a great nation, and you will be a blessing, the Lord tells him; all the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you. Abram leaves everything, prioritizing his relationship with God. In so doing, Abram does not tell God his own plans or desires; he simply does as instructed and remains faithful. Centuries later, the Jewish people will struggle to be faithful to the Lord, and will pray, as in Psalm 33, Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you. In a sense, they are calling themselves to fidelity, recognizing their dependence on God to sustain them in everything, putting their hope in the Lord.
Jesus’ disciples have not quite reached the same level of trust that Abram had in God. When, in Matthew’s version of the Transfiguration, Jesus is revealed as the Son of God, God adds these important words: listen to him. Jesus has told them of his coming Passion and death and they do not want to listen. But if they are going to be faithful to God’s plan, they must listen to Jesus, and follow him. The Transfiguration is a promise of resurrection, a promise that Jesus’ life will end in glory, and that glory is something that Jesus wants to share. But first, his disciples must, as Paul tells Timothy, bear their share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God. Only with deep faith and an abiding trust in God’s promise will the disciples be able to fulfill God’s will for them.
It's right to trust the Lord because God will always be with us in times of difficulty – God is, after all, the source of all life. We can’t be sure what made Abram trust the Lord’s words and dedicate his whole existence to it; we know that the disciples will one day devote the whole of their lives to preach the good news. Over the course of our Lenten journey, God will no doubt lead us to a greater understanding of his love for us; our hope is grounded in our trust that the Lord will lead us, always, and that we can remain faithful to him and to his promise.
This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com
Image source: www.wordclouds.com
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