Sunday Gospel Reflection, January 31, 2020: If today you hear his voice...

If today you hear his voice… 

How receptive are you to the Word of God? 

    By the time of Moses, the people of Israel fear direct communication with God; at Horeb they state categorically: Let us not hear the voice of the Lord, our God, lest we die. But, because he desires an ongoing relationship with his people, God devises a system of go-betweens to enable open communication, sending them prophets to deliver his messages to them. In the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses is the first prophet to bring the word of God to the people, and he promises more to come: A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you from among your own kin, he tells them. The people will need to learn to listen to the word of God, not blindly, but with discernment, opening their hearts, that they might hear without fear. Psalm 95 reminds them, If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Most of all, we need to recognize our need for God and our position before him: come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the Lord who made us. Rather than standing in our own arrogance, we must be receptive to the Lord, who guides us in all things, if only we can learn to listen. 

    In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus, himself the Word of God, enters the synagogue at Capernaum and casts out an unclean spirit. When he speaks, not only the spirit listens to him, but his words draw the people to him so that they identify him as one having authority. Jesus has the ability to open them, speaking through their fears, through their feelings of inadequacy, through any distance; as an authority, he speaks directly to their hearts. It is up to the people to open their ears (and hearts) to hear, to listen and obey. Paul likewise encourages the Corinthians to be sure to be focused on the things of the Lord, whether they be married or unmarried, for anxiety is not productive. We simply need to remain open: open to those with whom we have established relationships, within our families and communities, but most especially with God, listening, receptive, open to his will in all we do.  

This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class. 

Image source: www.wordclouds.com