Where do you see room for growth?
The prophet
Jeremiah does not have an easy time of it.
The leaders of Judah try actively to put Jeremiah to death; they are stuck
in their own limited understanding of God and of the world. Trusting only in human beings, the leaders are like a barren bush in the desert – unable to grow or flourish, their hearts
have turned away from the Lord. Jeremiah knows, however, that only if one
trusts in the Lord can one enjoy the possibility of growth: Blessed
is the one who trusts… He is like a tree planted beside the waters that still bears fruit. Psalm 1 will reiterate the importance of
trust and hope in the Lord, calling blessed the man who delights in the law of the Lord – he, too, is like a tree… that yields its fruit in due season. Our life, both physical and spiritual, comes
only from our relationship with God, who created us out of love to be in relationship
with him. Only if we believe, if we have
faith, if we trust, can we open to that love and to that relationship – but we
have to be willing to grow.
Luke’s version of
Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain similarly focuses on who is (and is not) blessed. There are those, Jesus says, who live lives of
privilege in this world but will face trials in the world to come; likewise,
there are those who suffer in this world – from poverty, hunger, sorrow, and
hate – who will rejoice in heaven. Indeed, blessed are you when people hate you, Jesus tells the people who
have gathered: to be excluded and insulted in his name, to be persecuted for one’s faith, can be a
source of blessing. Life is not supposed
to be comfortable, Jesus suggests – life is an opportunity for ongoing growth,
and growth requires change. The
Beatitudes call us to move from where we are comfortable to where we are not,
even if pain is involved. If we are open
to the truth, we have to live it, actively – we have to be responsible for
living the way of Christ, dying and rising, again and again, with all the
constant change and growing pains that way
might require. Certain members of
the Corinthian community were not open to that truth, however: how can
some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead? Paul asks them. These Corinthians don’t have believe in one of the
most fundamental truths of the Christian faith, and are stuck in the lava waste Jeremiah mentions.
We are called to growth in the truth. If we believe, if we have faith, if we move
past what we know and allow ourselves to open to what we don’t know, then we
can grow to know God and recognize him as the center of our lives. Then we will, even in the midst of suffering,
be truly blessed, and will rejoice and leap for joy!
This post is based
on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com
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