08-12-2013, 03:07 PM
Scripture Reflections
12 August 2013, Monday,19th Week, Ordinary Time
THE UNITY OF HUMANITY AS THE DIVINE PLAN OF GOD
SCRIPTURE READINGS: DT 10:12-22; MT 17:22-27
There is so much terrorism and discrimination in the world. Some countries are bigger, richer and more powerful than others whilst there are others who are starving and living in poverty. The disparity and division is due to the selfishness of man. Of course, this was never what God intended the world to be. When God created the earth, His vision is that all men would live in peace and love. Indeed, this is the central message of both scripture readings.
Both readings proclaim that God is the creator and Father of all. In the first reading from Deuteronomy, Moses told the people, “To the Lord your God belong indeed heaven and the heaven of heavens, and the earth and all it contains.” In the gospel, Jesus implied in His parable that in reality, the divine plan of God is that the whole of creation is given to His children. On that basis, there are no foreigners on earth since we are owners of the earth and therefore not required to pay taxes. But of course, because of men’s selfishness and fears, protectionism resulted in the world being divided among the peoples. Recognizing the limitations of men, Jesus said, “However, so as not to offend these people, go to the lake and cast a hook; take the first fish that bites, open its mouth and there you will find a shekel; take it and give it to them for me and for you.”
The world is indeed an imperfect place. Still, this hope for unity of the human race remains relevant. If God has chosen Israel, it was because she was meant to be a model nation of what the family of God should be like. Israel was chosen by God to be in communion with Him so that the people could live in love and unity. The covenantal laws given to the Israelites were guidelines on community living so that there will be equality, justice and peace. Unfortunately, they failed. They were not faithful to the covenant. Not only did they not follow the laws, they also did not show justice and compassion to the poor, the orphans and the widows. Division in the world therefore is caused by the sins of man manifested in irresponsibility, selfishness, greed and envy.
Still, God refused to give up on humanity. He sent us His Son, Jesus, to die for us and to teach us the meaning of unconditional love. This is implied in Jesus’ prophesy of His death when He said, “The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the power of men; they will put him to death, and on the third day he will be raised to life again.” Only the death of Jesus could convince man of his sins and selfishness. The Church therefore is now called to be the sign and sacrament of unity of the human race between God and man and among man.
How can we preserve the unity of the human race? Moses gives us the key. He said, “Only this: to fear the Lord our God, to follow all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul, to keep the commandments and laws of the Lord that for your good I lay down for you today.” Unless we have reverence for God, we will have no respect for the commandments of God. If the world is divided, it is because the world refuses to acknowledge God. When God is rejected, there is no basis for world unity. The unity of the world is built on some volatile common beliefs, which change according to the pragmatic needs of the nations. We also have no basis for morality since the rejection of God makes everything relative. Today, people have difficulty distinguishing right from wrong. We cannot agree on any set of moral norms. Morality, including marriage, is being redefined by us according to our convenience and likings. Once we recognize God, then we will realize that God is for justice, the poor, the orphans and the weak. Moses told the people, “The Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, triumphant and terrible, never partial, never to be bribed. It is he who sees justice done for the orphan and the widow, who loved the stranger and gives him food and clothing.” Only faith in God will enable us to recognize the wisdom and truth of His laws that have been given to us through divine revelation.
Secondly, unless we recognize God, we will not appreciate our position in the world. Quite often, we take our lives, food, jobs and comforts for granted. We forget that without the generosity of God, we are nobody. Therefore we should be grateful by sharing what we have with others. Unless we are conscious of God’s blessings and mercy for us, we cannot be merciful and compassionate to others. This was God’s reminder to the Israelites. They were then aliens and slaves in Egypt. But God in His mercy, chose them, liberated them and made them into a nation. Indeed, God reminded them, “Love the stranger then, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. It is the Lord your God you must fear and serve; you must cling to him; in his name take your oaths. He it is you must praise, he is your God: for you he has done these great and terrible things you have seen with your own eyes; and though your fathers numbered only seventy when they went down to Egypt, the Lord your God has made you as many as the stars of heaven.”
Thirdly, for us who are Christians, our faith is not just in the One God but in the Trinitarian God who is the Father who created us through Christ and sanctifies us in the Holy Spirit. Because God is the Father of us all, and through Christ, we are all called to be His adopted sons and daughters, we are to love our fellow beings as our brothers and sisters just as the Father loves all His children. If we have the courage to confess that God is Our Father, then accordingly, we must live as His children and accept others as members of the family of God. It would be a disgrace to His holy name if we were to act otherwise for His name is kept holy by the way we live our lives. Accordingly, confessing our faith in God as our Father, we seek to promote justice and compassion for all, regardless of race, language or religion. In this way, we share in the life of the Holy Trinity.
Yes, today, we are called to circumcise our hearts like the Israelites. For the Israelites, the external sign of being the covenantal people of God was circumcision. But for Moses, the external sign must be followed by the conversion of the heart as well. We too cannot simply rely on our baptism without a real conversion of heart. The water of baptism cannot save us unless we go down into the water and cleanse our hearts and minds of selfishness and sin.
The key to this circumcision of the heart remains in the discovery of the love of God. Like the psalmist, we must re-appropriate and remember the goodness of God towards us. He recounted, “Zion, praise your God! He has strengthened the bars of your gates. He has blessed the children within you. He established peace on your borders, he feeds you with finest wheat. He sends out his word to the earth and swiftly runs his command. He makes his word known to Jacob, to Israel his laws and decrees. He has not dealt thus with other nations; he has not taught them his decrees.” Only when we come to appreciate how much God loves us and counts us worthy of His love, will we work towards building a community of love.
12 August 2013, Monday,19th Week, Ordinary Time
THE UNITY OF HUMANITY AS THE DIVINE PLAN OF GOD
SCRIPTURE READINGS: DT 10:12-22; MT 17:22-27
There is so much terrorism and discrimination in the world. Some countries are bigger, richer and more powerful than others whilst there are others who are starving and living in poverty. The disparity and division is due to the selfishness of man. Of course, this was never what God intended the world to be. When God created the earth, His vision is that all men would live in peace and love. Indeed, this is the central message of both scripture readings.
Both readings proclaim that God is the creator and Father of all. In the first reading from Deuteronomy, Moses told the people, “To the Lord your God belong indeed heaven and the heaven of heavens, and the earth and all it contains.” In the gospel, Jesus implied in His parable that in reality, the divine plan of God is that the whole of creation is given to His children. On that basis, there are no foreigners on earth since we are owners of the earth and therefore not required to pay taxes. But of course, because of men’s selfishness and fears, protectionism resulted in the world being divided among the peoples. Recognizing the limitations of men, Jesus said, “However, so as not to offend these people, go to the lake and cast a hook; take the first fish that bites, open its mouth and there you will find a shekel; take it and give it to them for me and for you.”
The world is indeed an imperfect place. Still, this hope for unity of the human race remains relevant. If God has chosen Israel, it was because she was meant to be a model nation of what the family of God should be like. Israel was chosen by God to be in communion with Him so that the people could live in love and unity. The covenantal laws given to the Israelites were guidelines on community living so that there will be equality, justice and peace. Unfortunately, they failed. They were not faithful to the covenant. Not only did they not follow the laws, they also did not show justice and compassion to the poor, the orphans and the widows. Division in the world therefore is caused by the sins of man manifested in irresponsibility, selfishness, greed and envy.
Still, God refused to give up on humanity. He sent us His Son, Jesus, to die for us and to teach us the meaning of unconditional love. This is implied in Jesus’ prophesy of His death when He said, “The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the power of men; they will put him to death, and on the third day he will be raised to life again.” Only the death of Jesus could convince man of his sins and selfishness. The Church therefore is now called to be the sign and sacrament of unity of the human race between God and man and among man.
How can we preserve the unity of the human race? Moses gives us the key. He said, “Only this: to fear the Lord our God, to follow all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul, to keep the commandments and laws of the Lord that for your good I lay down for you today.” Unless we have reverence for God, we will have no respect for the commandments of God. If the world is divided, it is because the world refuses to acknowledge God. When God is rejected, there is no basis for world unity. The unity of the world is built on some volatile common beliefs, which change according to the pragmatic needs of the nations. We also have no basis for morality since the rejection of God makes everything relative. Today, people have difficulty distinguishing right from wrong. We cannot agree on any set of moral norms. Morality, including marriage, is being redefined by us according to our convenience and likings. Once we recognize God, then we will realize that God is for justice, the poor, the orphans and the weak. Moses told the people, “The Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, triumphant and terrible, never partial, never to be bribed. It is he who sees justice done for the orphan and the widow, who loved the stranger and gives him food and clothing.” Only faith in God will enable us to recognize the wisdom and truth of His laws that have been given to us through divine revelation.
Secondly, unless we recognize God, we will not appreciate our position in the world. Quite often, we take our lives, food, jobs and comforts for granted. We forget that without the generosity of God, we are nobody. Therefore we should be grateful by sharing what we have with others. Unless we are conscious of God’s blessings and mercy for us, we cannot be merciful and compassionate to others. This was God’s reminder to the Israelites. They were then aliens and slaves in Egypt. But God in His mercy, chose them, liberated them and made them into a nation. Indeed, God reminded them, “Love the stranger then, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. It is the Lord your God you must fear and serve; you must cling to him; in his name take your oaths. He it is you must praise, he is your God: for you he has done these great and terrible things you have seen with your own eyes; and though your fathers numbered only seventy when they went down to Egypt, the Lord your God has made you as many as the stars of heaven.”
Thirdly, for us who are Christians, our faith is not just in the One God but in the Trinitarian God who is the Father who created us through Christ and sanctifies us in the Holy Spirit. Because God is the Father of us all, and through Christ, we are all called to be His adopted sons and daughters, we are to love our fellow beings as our brothers and sisters just as the Father loves all His children. If we have the courage to confess that God is Our Father, then accordingly, we must live as His children and accept others as members of the family of God. It would be a disgrace to His holy name if we were to act otherwise for His name is kept holy by the way we live our lives. Accordingly, confessing our faith in God as our Father, we seek to promote justice and compassion for all, regardless of race, language or religion. In this way, we share in the life of the Holy Trinity.
Yes, today, we are called to circumcise our hearts like the Israelites. For the Israelites, the external sign of being the covenantal people of God was circumcision. But for Moses, the external sign must be followed by the conversion of the heart as well. We too cannot simply rely on our baptism without a real conversion of heart. The water of baptism cannot save us unless we go down into the water and cleanse our hearts and minds of selfishness and sin.
The key to this circumcision of the heart remains in the discovery of the love of God. Like the psalmist, we must re-appropriate and remember the goodness of God towards us. He recounted, “Zion, praise your God! He has strengthened the bars of your gates. He has blessed the children within you. He established peace on your borders, he feeds you with finest wheat. He sends out his word to the earth and swiftly runs his command. He makes his word known to Jacob, to Israel his laws and decrees. He has not dealt thus with other nations; he has not taught them his decrees.” Only when we come to appreciate how much God loves us and counts us worthy of His love, will we work towards building a community of love.