10-30-2013, 09:12 AM
Scripture Reflection
30 October 2013, Wednesday, 30th Week, Ordinary Time
SALVATION THROUGH GRACE, NOT HUMAN EFFORT
SCRIPTURE READINGS: ROM 8:26-30; LK 13:22-30
http://www.universalis.com/20131030/mass.htm
Jesus is a man of great paradox. Not that He is a confusing person, but He makes us rather confused. In the gospel we have a series of paradoxes today. The first paradox is Jesus’ response to a speculative theological question: Will many be saved? Jesus’ initial response seems to imply that very few would be saved. But this was not what Jesus meant because when we read further, He seems to contradict Himself by saying that people will come from everywhere, the four corners of the earth to the feast of the Kingdom of God. What Jesus was trying to avoid is intellectual speculation on how many will be in heaven. Indulging in theological speculation and splitting hairs over doctrines is but an attempt of man to face the more existential question of whether he himself is ready to enter the Kingdom of God. Instead of posing theological questions in the third person we should ask in the first person. In apparently contradicting Himself, Jesus was really saying that He was not interested in engaging in theological speculation. He was more concerned with whether the individual person would respond to the invitation to the Kingdom here and now. At any rate, the idea of salvation in the understanding of Jesus is not the same as that of the disciples.
This explains why Jesus did not bother to answer the question directly. Instead, Jesus responded with an ethical answer, itself equally paradoxical. After advising the people to enter by the narrow door, He added, “I tell you, many will try to enter and be unable.” If many will not be able to enter the narrow door, Jesus would not be offering us any good or useful advice either. What is the use of telling us the way and when we arrive, to be told that we cannot get in because the door is too narrow. And yet, Jesus tells us to ‘try’. The catch word is “TRY.”
What Jesus really meant is “do not try to enter through the narrow door.” But then if He tells us this, we will not believe in Him. To enter the narrow door is what we all believe to be the way. Entering the narrow door implies hard work and self-discipline. Trying requires effort and struggles. This was precisely what the Jews always wanted to cling to, their own strength. They wanted to attain justification and salvation by their own merit and not by the grace of God. Salvation for them was a question of whether one could fulfill the Law. They tried to obey and observe the commandments so that they could be justified before the Law. Their understanding of salvation was not by the grace of God but through their hard work. They wanted to claim credit for their salvation. They believed in justification by their good works, not by grace.
We too are just like the Jews who believe in salvation through the observance of the Law. We think that just because we have sacrificed so much for Him, observed all the precepts and commandments of the Church, we are worthy to come before God. Many of us Catholics, consciously or unconsciously, live under the notion that Christian perfection is but the work of man rather than the work of God. Jesus Christ is more like an exemplar who has taught us how to live a good life and we are called to imitate Him. So long as we do not commit sin and live a holy and righteous life, free from any blame whatsoever, we can be granted admittance to heaven. But the truth is, can anyone really perfect himself or herself in this life and become totally impeccable before God and man?
Precisely, none of us would qualify on this criterion to enter the Kingdom of God. This explains why Jesus remarked that many would try but few can succeed. In fact, the more we try, the more frustrated we become. And if ever we succeed in observing all the commandments, we would have become so proud of our achievements that we despise others and even have reasons to boast, not about God but to boast before Him, not about what He has done for us but what we have done for Him. It is all about me and nothing about Him. So, regardless whether we can fulfill the Law or otherwise, we will put ourselves out of the kingdom. Therefore, if Jesus asked them to “TRY”, He was telling them, “yes, keep on trying and you will realize one day that you will continue to fail, to fall below the mark – until you realize this, you will not learn humility and depend on the grace of God.”
Indeed, this is what the first reading from Paul is telling us. “It is the Spirit who helps us in our weakness. For when we cannot choose words in order to pray properly, the Spirit himself expresses our plea in a way that could never be put into words, and God who knows everything in our hearts knows perfectly well what he means, and that the pleas of the saints expressed by the Spirit are according to the mind of God.” Only when we realize that we are nothing, only when we realize that everything that we do and are is by the grace of God, then the Spirit of God can take over our life, live and rule in us. So often, we try so hard to make things work, especially to change difficult people around us. We seek to change the mindset of our spouse, children or siblings or in-laws. But the more we try to change their attitude and way of thinking, the more hostile and reactive they become. Rather than trying to change them from without, we must surrender ourselves to God and let God work from within them. This is what St Paul is inviting us to do. It is only when we realize our helplessness and surrender ourselves to God in trust that things begin to work.
This was also the experience of Jesus on the cross. He had worked hard in the mission, but the apparent success of His ministry had earned Him much hostility from the political and religious authorities. His mission would end in failure. Indeed, at the end of His life, hanging on the cross, only four disciples, three women and St John, were with Him at the foot of the cross. He, too, had to surrender everything to the Father. Not by His works, spectacular miracles and preaching, would the Kingdom be brought about except by His death. When He realized that death was the only way to reveal His Father’s love, not by might and power, but by humble service and human lowliness, Jesus commended His soul to the Father saying, “Your will be done not mine” (cf Lk 22:44) and “Into your hands, I commend my spirit.” (cf Lk 23:46) Only when He surrendered Himself to the Father and to the Spirit that God raised Him from the dead.
Accordingly, St Paul tells us that “we know that by turning everything to their good God co-operates with all those who love him, with all those that he has called according to his purpose.” To cooperate with God is to be receptive to His grace, to stop struggling in wanting our will to be done and according to our way. It is to give up our will for His, our ways for His. The moment we stop fighting with God and just let go, of our past, our hurts, our brokenness, our anger and resentment against the injustices done to us, and of our ego and ambitions, then the Lord will work in and through us in His Spirit. So long as we struggle and try to enter by the narrow door, we will not make it. But if we stop struggling and allow the Lord to lead us and to carry us, then we will make it through Him. This is what it entails for the Holy Spirit to intercede for us, with sighs too deep in our hearts.
What is the basis for such confidence in Him granting our prayers? St Paul assures us that we are “the ones he chose specially long ago and intended to become true images of his Son, so that his Son might be the eldest of many brothers. He called those he intended for this; those he called he justified, and with those he justified he shared his glory.” Yes, we are to be molded in the image of Jesus who is the Son of God. We are called to be like Jesus who accepted everything from the hand of God. Like Him, we only need to do what we can but ultimately leave everything to Him in self-surrender. The only thing we need to do is to be submissive to His Spirit and His grace and let Him operate in us. When we do not put up any more obstacles, God will work wonders for us and in our lives. For St Paul, to cooperate with God would mean simply to respond to His grace.
Today’s message is beautifully captured in the last paradoxical statement of Jesus: “The first will be last and the last will be first.” The more we try to be first in the kingdom, the more we cannot enter, whereas those who thought that they are the ‘goners’ would find themselves first in the kingdom. Jesus warned His fellow Jews that they might find themselves outside the Kingdom although they possessed the Law and the means of salvation, whereas others from the “east and west, from north and south, will come to take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.” Only those who rely on the grace of God alone can get entry into heaven because they are the ones who are humble and repentant, unlike the self-righteous who boast of themselves, “we once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets.” Yes, some Catholics before God would like to boast of the works they do for Him, for the Church and the generosity they have towards the poor, etc. Well as Jesus would says, “They already have had their reward!” (cf Mt 6:2-6) Only the humble who feel unworthy can get to heaven, since it will be God who justifies them, not they themselves making God their debtor!
30 October 2013, Wednesday, 30th Week, Ordinary Time
SALVATION THROUGH GRACE, NOT HUMAN EFFORT
SCRIPTURE READINGS: ROM 8:26-30; LK 13:22-30
http://www.universalis.com/20131030/mass.htm
Jesus is a man of great paradox. Not that He is a confusing person, but He makes us rather confused. In the gospel we have a series of paradoxes today. The first paradox is Jesus’ response to a speculative theological question: Will many be saved? Jesus’ initial response seems to imply that very few would be saved. But this was not what Jesus meant because when we read further, He seems to contradict Himself by saying that people will come from everywhere, the four corners of the earth to the feast of the Kingdom of God. What Jesus was trying to avoid is intellectual speculation on how many will be in heaven. Indulging in theological speculation and splitting hairs over doctrines is but an attempt of man to face the more existential question of whether he himself is ready to enter the Kingdom of God. Instead of posing theological questions in the third person we should ask in the first person. In apparently contradicting Himself, Jesus was really saying that He was not interested in engaging in theological speculation. He was more concerned with whether the individual person would respond to the invitation to the Kingdom here and now. At any rate, the idea of salvation in the understanding of Jesus is not the same as that of the disciples.
This explains why Jesus did not bother to answer the question directly. Instead, Jesus responded with an ethical answer, itself equally paradoxical. After advising the people to enter by the narrow door, He added, “I tell you, many will try to enter and be unable.” If many will not be able to enter the narrow door, Jesus would not be offering us any good or useful advice either. What is the use of telling us the way and when we arrive, to be told that we cannot get in because the door is too narrow. And yet, Jesus tells us to ‘try’. The catch word is “TRY.”
What Jesus really meant is “do not try to enter through the narrow door.” But then if He tells us this, we will not believe in Him. To enter the narrow door is what we all believe to be the way. Entering the narrow door implies hard work and self-discipline. Trying requires effort and struggles. This was precisely what the Jews always wanted to cling to, their own strength. They wanted to attain justification and salvation by their own merit and not by the grace of God. Salvation for them was a question of whether one could fulfill the Law. They tried to obey and observe the commandments so that they could be justified before the Law. Their understanding of salvation was not by the grace of God but through their hard work. They wanted to claim credit for their salvation. They believed in justification by their good works, not by grace.
We too are just like the Jews who believe in salvation through the observance of the Law. We think that just because we have sacrificed so much for Him, observed all the precepts and commandments of the Church, we are worthy to come before God. Many of us Catholics, consciously or unconsciously, live under the notion that Christian perfection is but the work of man rather than the work of God. Jesus Christ is more like an exemplar who has taught us how to live a good life and we are called to imitate Him. So long as we do not commit sin and live a holy and righteous life, free from any blame whatsoever, we can be granted admittance to heaven. But the truth is, can anyone really perfect himself or herself in this life and become totally impeccable before God and man?
Precisely, none of us would qualify on this criterion to enter the Kingdom of God. This explains why Jesus remarked that many would try but few can succeed. In fact, the more we try, the more frustrated we become. And if ever we succeed in observing all the commandments, we would have become so proud of our achievements that we despise others and even have reasons to boast, not about God but to boast before Him, not about what He has done for us but what we have done for Him. It is all about me and nothing about Him. So, regardless whether we can fulfill the Law or otherwise, we will put ourselves out of the kingdom. Therefore, if Jesus asked them to “TRY”, He was telling them, “yes, keep on trying and you will realize one day that you will continue to fail, to fall below the mark – until you realize this, you will not learn humility and depend on the grace of God.”
Indeed, this is what the first reading from Paul is telling us. “It is the Spirit who helps us in our weakness. For when we cannot choose words in order to pray properly, the Spirit himself expresses our plea in a way that could never be put into words, and God who knows everything in our hearts knows perfectly well what he means, and that the pleas of the saints expressed by the Spirit are according to the mind of God.” Only when we realize that we are nothing, only when we realize that everything that we do and are is by the grace of God, then the Spirit of God can take over our life, live and rule in us. So often, we try so hard to make things work, especially to change difficult people around us. We seek to change the mindset of our spouse, children or siblings or in-laws. But the more we try to change their attitude and way of thinking, the more hostile and reactive they become. Rather than trying to change them from without, we must surrender ourselves to God and let God work from within them. This is what St Paul is inviting us to do. It is only when we realize our helplessness and surrender ourselves to God in trust that things begin to work.
This was also the experience of Jesus on the cross. He had worked hard in the mission, but the apparent success of His ministry had earned Him much hostility from the political and religious authorities. His mission would end in failure. Indeed, at the end of His life, hanging on the cross, only four disciples, three women and St John, were with Him at the foot of the cross. He, too, had to surrender everything to the Father. Not by His works, spectacular miracles and preaching, would the Kingdom be brought about except by His death. When He realized that death was the only way to reveal His Father’s love, not by might and power, but by humble service and human lowliness, Jesus commended His soul to the Father saying, “Your will be done not mine” (cf Lk 22:44) and “Into your hands, I commend my spirit.” (cf Lk 23:46) Only when He surrendered Himself to the Father and to the Spirit that God raised Him from the dead.
Accordingly, St Paul tells us that “we know that by turning everything to their good God co-operates with all those who love him, with all those that he has called according to his purpose.” To cooperate with God is to be receptive to His grace, to stop struggling in wanting our will to be done and according to our way. It is to give up our will for His, our ways for His. The moment we stop fighting with God and just let go, of our past, our hurts, our brokenness, our anger and resentment against the injustices done to us, and of our ego and ambitions, then the Lord will work in and through us in His Spirit. So long as we struggle and try to enter by the narrow door, we will not make it. But if we stop struggling and allow the Lord to lead us and to carry us, then we will make it through Him. This is what it entails for the Holy Spirit to intercede for us, with sighs too deep in our hearts.
What is the basis for such confidence in Him granting our prayers? St Paul assures us that we are “the ones he chose specially long ago and intended to become true images of his Son, so that his Son might be the eldest of many brothers. He called those he intended for this; those he called he justified, and with those he justified he shared his glory.” Yes, we are to be molded in the image of Jesus who is the Son of God. We are called to be like Jesus who accepted everything from the hand of God. Like Him, we only need to do what we can but ultimately leave everything to Him in self-surrender. The only thing we need to do is to be submissive to His Spirit and His grace and let Him operate in us. When we do not put up any more obstacles, God will work wonders for us and in our lives. For St Paul, to cooperate with God would mean simply to respond to His grace.
Today’s message is beautifully captured in the last paradoxical statement of Jesus: “The first will be last and the last will be first.” The more we try to be first in the kingdom, the more we cannot enter, whereas those who thought that they are the ‘goners’ would find themselves first in the kingdom. Jesus warned His fellow Jews that they might find themselves outside the Kingdom although they possessed the Law and the means of salvation, whereas others from the “east and west, from north and south, will come to take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.” Only those who rely on the grace of God alone can get entry into heaven because they are the ones who are humble and repentant, unlike the self-righteous who boast of themselves, “we once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets.” Yes, some Catholics before God would like to boast of the works they do for Him, for the Church and the generosity they have towards the poor, etc. Well as Jesus would says, “They already have had their reward!” (cf Mt 6:2-6) Only the humble who feel unworthy can get to heaven, since it will be God who justifies them, not they themselves making God their debtor!