+- Luckymodena (http://lucky.myftp.org:8181/forum)
+-- Forum: Life Voyage : Life, experience and sharing (/forumdisplay.php?fid=10)
+--- Forum: Scripture readings (/forumdisplay.php?fid=12)
+--- Thread: IDOLATRY AS THE CAUSE OF UNBELIEF (/showthread.php?tid=2365)
IDOLATRY AS THE CAUSE OF UNBELIEF - stephenkhoo - 04-03-2014 02:50 PM
IDOLATRY AS THE CAUSE OF UNBELIEF
SCRIPTURE READINGS: EXODUS 32:7-14 JOHN 5:31-47
http://www.universalis.com/20140403/mass.htm
In the first three weeks of Lent the liturgy emphasised the penitential spirit of Lent. It stressed on the need for prayer, fasting and, most of all, living a life of justice, integrity and charity. As we enter the second half of Lent, the liturgy makes a subtle shift from focusing on our penitential exercises to faith in Jesus. Why is this shift necessary?
The danger for us is that we might have missed the whole point of the penitential exercises. The three pillars of the Lenten program, fasting, prayer and almsgiving are to enable us to come closer to the Lord by yearning for Him in our lives. They are not ends in themselves, but the means to encounter God’s love and mercy. In the final analysis, only God can save us, not our good works. Good works are only means to prepare and dispose us to faith in Christ. Only Christ can reconcile us with the Father. Good works are the means by which we keep ourselves in union with Christ. They are also an expression of our sincere desire for Him. Of course they are also means to express the love of Christ in us for others.
However, many of us can fall into legalism and idolatry, like the religious leaders and the Israelites. The greatest obstacle to faith in God and in Jesus is the worship of self. This is often manifested in the form of pride. In molding the golden calf, the Israelites were making their own god instead of worshipping the true God. Similarly, the Jews were more focused on observing the laws than having faith in the power of God. The downside to following the laws is that we become self-righteous like the Jews, proud that we have made it on our own, and hence have earned the rights to make demands on God. Not only does the ability to fulfill the laws make us proud, but it could also be used as a means for us to seek the approval of man. This was precisely the reason for Jesus castigating the Jews in today’s gospel. We can be “religious” in order to seek the praises of man’s commendation; and we might do good works, like some philanthropists, so that the whole world would acknowledge our generosity. So we can subtly use our good works to gain glory and honour for ourselves rather than for God and our fellowmen.
Consequently, proud people cannot acknowledge God. Many rich and so called ‘intelligent’ people in the world rely on themselves rather than on God. They do not give credit to God for what they have and what they are today. They deceive themselves into believing that their success and achievements are solely due to their hard work and ingenuity. That is why the Jews could not accept Jesus in spite of the fact that there were testimonies in His favour. John the Baptist, who was not the light but only “a lamp alight and shining”, gave testimony to Jesus. The Father endorsed Jesus’ message by performing wonders in and through Him. The scriptures also testified to Jesus and “yet you refuse to come to me for life!” Instead they accused Him of collaborating with Beelzebul, the prince of darkness.
The second form of idolatry is manifested in self-centeredness. Like the Israelites, we are always grumbling and complaining about our state of life. We are never satisfied with whatever we get and have. Like them, we are easily tempted by the things of this earth. Because of the pursuit of riches and power, we not only sacrifice our spiritual life but even our health to achieve our goals in life. The worship of self ultimately leads to our self-destruction. That was why the Israelites were punished for their greed and lack of trust in God’s divine providence in spite of the fact that they had seen the power of God at work in their lives. This was what the psalmist indicted the Israelites of, because “They forgot the God who had saved them, who had done great deeds in Egypt; wondrous deeds in the land of Ham, terrible things at the Red Sea.”
Nevertheless, God is always merciful. When Moses interceded for his people, God relented. And the reason given by Moses was that the Lord’s name must be glorified, otherwise the Egyptians might say, “Ah, it was in treachery that he brought them out, to do them to death in the mountains and wipe them off the face of the earth”. For Moses, it was clear that God must live up to His name and nature, which is one of compassion and forgiveness. Most likely, it was not so much God who was angry and wanted to take revenge on the people, but Moses’ helplessness before his people that made him project his own fears and frustrations on God.
Hence, the key to overcoming our pride and insecurity is to remember the deeds of the Lord. That is our response today: “Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people.” Instead of fear, we must have confidence in God who is our creator and our shepherd. He will somehow look after us. When we realize how merciful our God is and how great is His love for us, we can surrender our entire life to Him. He will look after us. All we need is to recall His love for us again and again. Isn’t this the reason why we celebrate the Eucharist daily, so that we can remember His death and resurrection? And remembering His paschal mystery gives us continued hope and strength to face the future confidently.
Written by The Most Rev Msgr William Goh