Who's directing your life, anyway?
When, in our reading from Wisdom this Sunday, the wicked beset the just one, they do
so because the prophet has taken them to task for failing to engage with God,
for failing in relationship. But when
they put the prophet to the test, they
are really testing God. Is relationship
worth it?, they seem to ask? Is it worth
it to follow God's law, to allow God to direct your life? Psalm 54 suggests that it is: The
Lord upholds my life, David prays.
In contrast to the ruthless,
the psalmist lives justly, setting God
before his eyes, and therefore trusts that God will save him, that
relationship will be his salvation.
In Mark's Gospel, Jesus similarly takes the disciples to task for losing sight
of God and God's direction when he realizes they have been discussing who is the greatest among them. Their human experience is rooted in
self-direction; Jesus wants to redirect their focus, calling them to the
humility that will allow them to submit to a God-directed, rather than a
self-directed life. Like children, who
are completely dependent, open to God, we need to remain focused, open to what
James calls the wisdom from above,
which is pure, peaceable, gentle, and
compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, so that our relationship with God
can direct our relationship with other.
How willing are we to let God direct our existence? We can answer this only insofar as we receive
others openly, in peace, as we
receive Jesus himself, our arms around
him, embracing the relationship he has to offer, trusting in his love and
mercy.
This post is based on Fr. Pat's Scripture class.
Image source: Wordle
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