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TRUST IN PROVIDENCE - stephenkhoo - 02-21-2013 10:50 AM
Thursday, 21 February, 2013, 1st Week of Lent
TRUST IN PROVIDENCE
SCRIPTURE READINGS: ESTHER 12, 14-16, 23-25; MT 7:7-12
Reading today’s scripture passages raise an exegetical question, a theological and an existential question. Firstly, with regards to the exegetical question: Why does the gospel end with “Treat others the way you would have them treat you: this sums up the law and the prophets.” What has this concluding statement got to do with the lesson on persistence in prayer? Secondly, Queen Esther’s prayer in asking God to turn the heart of the King of Persia to hatred for her persecutors raises a theological question. How could God answer such a prayer, even though the Jews were the chosen people? It reminds me of a lady who said that fortunately the tree did not fall on her car but on the car in front of her’s.
Thirdly, is it really true in our own experience that whenever we ask, we receive, seek and then find, knock and it is opened to us? On the contrary, isn’t it more true to say that in life, the more we ask, the more we do not get (in fact we often have to modify our requests in the process); that the more we seek, especially God in our lives, the further He runs away from us; and of course, the door is not always opened to us when we knock. More often than not, we experience God as deaf and silent to our pleas and anguish. That is why, many give up praying to a God who seems so far and distant from them, indifferent to their cries and miseries.
These questions therefore make us wonder whether Jesus really meant what He said, or was He just teasing us? Perhaps, Jesus did not mean us to take His words literally. Why? Because Jesus also says that the Heavenly Father will give good things to those who asked of Him, implying that if we ask for bad things, you cannot expect Him to answer our prayers. Secondly, the last line of today’s gospel: “Treat others the way you would have them treat you: this sums up the law and the prophets”, implies that, according to the Torah and the prophets – in this context, what you pray for is what you get. But surely if Jesus were to teach something new, He would have gone beyond the humanistic thinking of the Laws and the Prophets.
What is wrong then, with seeking, asking and knocking? It is often said that the answer is found already in the question. The fact is that when we formulate a question, we already have some kind of answers before us. Similarly, when we ask, seek or knock, we already have an idea of what we want. Thus, we have determined to some extent the answer we expect from God. So in the end, even if God answers our prayers, we will get only what we ask because we have limited God’s freedom to respond!
Worst still is that often we pray for the wrong things in life because of our short-sightedness. We are like spoilt and ignorant children asking for things that could harm us, not realizing the dangers of those things or toys they are asking for. In the same way, if Jesus wants us to keep on asking, seeking and knocking, it is in order that we could purify our desires and our petitions, asking for those things that really benefit us in the immediate and long term. So often we mistake a stone for a loaf of bread, a snake for a fish (eel). But because we are unaware of the future ahead of us and the implications of what we ask, we will eventually destroy ourselves if God were to give us what we think is good for us. So if God wants us to keep on praying, it is but a pedagogical tool to help us come to terms with what are the things we really want in life and not those that seem to be good for us.
Indeed, the gospel points out that God wants to give us good things, and in another gospel, greater things than we can ask or think of. Perhaps, Jesus is actually telling us: do not ask, do not seek and do not find. It is only when we stop asking, seeking and knocking that we will be able to see what is already before us: His loving care and concern. Indeed, all that we need is right before us. Yes, this is the theme of today’s readings: the emphasis is not so much on prayer but on the providence of God. God always loves us regardless we are good or evil. Earlier on, Jesus taught, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you; in this way you will be sons of your Father in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on bad men as well as good, and his rain to fall on honest and dishonest man alike.” (Mt 5:45f)
And indeed, if we pray, it is in order to lead us to see that God always loves and cares for us beyond our imagination. And if Jesus tells us to ask, seek and knock, it is in order that we may come to a realization at the end of the day, when we find that everything is in vain, that we must surrender our lives to Him and trust Him in all things, for the heavenly Father gives good things to anyone who asks of Him! And the reason why we have to ask is in order that we may know that He has already given them to us.
The example of Queen Esther is very inspiring and exemplifies the kind of pray-er that Jesus would expect of us. She was in a dilemma. If she were to take the bold step of presenting herself before the king to petition on behalf of her fellow Jews who were being persecuted, she herself might face death. On the other hand, to remain silent and safe her own skin, she would have had to live in guilt for the rest of her life if all her people were annihilated. Even though she might be alive, she would never be able to forgive herself. In such a dilemma, Queen Esther was totally helpless. Whichever decision she took, the price would be costly. In such difficult and trying moments, she surrendered everything to the Lord and did the right thing, the heroic thing, namely to risk her life by appealing to the King against those court officials that were trying to plot against the Jews.
We too are often caught in such a situation as well. How often have we found ourselves in a dilemma too, for whichever way we take, it would be a costly decision, e.g. losing our job or the favour of our superiors because of a certain stand we take. Doing the right thing therefore is never easy because we are caught in a bind, especially when our interests are at stake and even that of the lives of our loved ones. When we feel totally crippled and paralyzed and no longer know what to do and how we should act, we are called to follow Queen Esther to turn to God. Such prayers that come from the depths of our hearts, in total surrender and trust will be heard by God. For God wants us to trust in Him and not in ourselves or in our ingenuity. He wants us to believe in Him as our Father knows what is best for us. God our creator and Father knows our future and He feels happy when we trust Him. No greater honour can we give to anyone than to trust a person. To trust is to surrender one’s entire life to that person, believing that the person will not harm us but will always do everything in our interest.
Furthermore, by not placing conditions on God’s power and delimiting His capacity to act, He would then be able to accomplish greater things in and for us than we can imagine. If miracles do not happen in our lives, it is because we hinder the power of God from acting in our lives. But when we surrender the outcome totally to the Lord, not knowing what will happen and how the problem would be resolved, then God will work a miracle for us. We will look back in hindsight and realize how stupid we were, for God in His wisdom and in His power will be able to go beyond human limitations and make the impossible possible.
Such was the faith of Esther, for her faith was founded not on her imagination or mere vain hope, but based on what God had done for Israel and for her forefathers. She said, “I have been taught from my earliest years, in the bosom of my family, that you, Lord, chose Israel out of all the nations and our ancestors out of all the people of old times to be your heritage for ever; and that you have treated them as you promised. Remember, Lord; reveal yourself in the time of our distress.” Hence, she knew that God would be able to work wonders again, as the responsorial psalm said, “Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.” We, too, in our distress must cry out to God saying, “Save us by your hand, and come to my help, for I am alone and have no one but you, Lord.”