17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A (July 24, 2011)
My brothers and sisters in Christ,
In our first reading today we heard about a man who made a good start toward the kingdom. His name was Solomon and ruled Israel after David. In a dream Solomon was offered anything he desired. He could have asked for wealth or triumph over his enemies, but he did not. He asked God for an understanding heart to judge his people and to distinguish right from wrong. It was a beautiful desire and it pleased God.
Solomon, however, was not able to carry on till the end. He got involved in lustful practices and he allowed foreign gods into Jerusalem. Solomon began a process of decline that required prophets to get them back on the right track. So, we can see in Solomon a man given the gift of wisdom, but then not carrying through to the end.
The second reading for today speaks about predestination. Predestination is not understood as like a god who predestined Solomon to sin and eventually would perish to hell. God could not be good and at the same time predestine some people to sin and hell. In our Catechism of the Catholic Church 1037 we read: "God predestines no one to go to hell; for this, a willful turning away from God (a mortal sin) is necessary, and persistence in it until the end.” It is truly not correct to think that we cannot choose good or evil; this has been chosen for us. Like Solomon, we cannot go around blaming the things that happen in our life to fate. Nor can we blame the devil as in “The devil made me do it". We have to take responsibility for our own actions. Even if something negative happens to us beyond our control, like sickness, we have the ability to use this situation to progress ourselves in virtue and glorify the Lord. As St. Paul tells to the Romans, “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Though it is also true that we have the ability to allow a difficult situation to destroy us but if we choose what is true and good then we are allowing God's predestination to take its effect among us.
Predestination is God's choice to share his love with us. St. Paul tells the Romans that we are called to share the image of God's Son. By sharing this image we are justified from our sinfulness, raised up to the life of God, and glorified with Him. To put all this simply: we are predestined to share God's goodness, but we have the freedom to reject this goodness.
Three aspects of God's kingdom are highlighted in today’s Gospel reading: the necessity of recognizing its ultimate value, the necessity of responding with total commitment, and the possibility of rejecting the gift of eternal life that it brings. Though we are predestined to share God’s goodness but if we fail to recognize its value and to respond with total commitment, we will soon suffer the pain of its loss.
Jesus offers us hidden treasure: his very self. We may have made a down payment on the hidden treasure, but what had happened to Solomon can possibly happen to us because unlike St. Francis or Mother Teresa, we have not yet sold all. Still, it is good to make the down payment…for if we trust in Jesus, he will help us complete the purchase. Make no mistake, the price is everything.
Puji Tuhan! Alleluia.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
Matthew 5: 43 - 48. LOVE.
Matthew 5: 43 - 48. LOVE. 22 June 2011
1. The Gospel open with this verse
[43] "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
That is something that just come naturally to us. Those that are close to us, those that are like us, they are the ones we love. But our enemies - our natural response is to hate them.
Enemy is someone Who is Not Worthy of Our Love?
By human standards, there are some people who are just not worthy of our love. They don’t deserve it, and so they don’t get. That’s the way it works.
2. But Jesus has a different approach
[44] But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
God’s standard is different from human standards. Instead of asking, “Who is not worthy of your love?” God asks, “Who do you love who’s not worthy?” An enemy does not deserve your love, but God says to love him anyway.
Just what does it mean to love your enemy? These days love often gets defined as just an emotion, a feeling. But love in the Bible goes well beyond how you feel about something. It is a decision, sometimes a decision to do something opposite to what you feel like doing.
3. I’d like you to listen to the words of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 which we often hear in the context of loving people who we want to love. Tonight, I’d like you to hear these words and think about how they apply to your enemies.
So pick one or two of your enemies: someone who’s done you wrong. Think about that person and listen to how Jesus would have you treat them.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. [5] It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
[6] Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. [7] It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. [8] Love never fails.
4. WHY?
Why should we love them? If we’re going to pursue something so contrary to our nature and our desires, we ought to have a good reason for doing so. Jesus tells us in verse 45 why we need to love our enemies:
[45] that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.
There’s only one reason to love your enemies. You should do it because it’s just what your Dad would do. That’s just the way God treats them. When we love our enemies, we demonstrate that we are God’s children. We prove our relationship with him. Jesus gives two examples.
A)He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good,
B) and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
5. God’s Love is Based on Grace
God’s love is one sided. It’s non-reciprocal. You don’t have to do anything to earn God’s love, to deserve God’s love. You just get it.
6. Man’s Love is Based on Merit
human beings love on the basis of reciprocal relationships.
Our love is given in return for something else. In other words, I’ll love you because you’ve earned my love or because you’re entitled to my love. You love me. So I’ll love you back.
7. Jesus says, anyone can do that. But you can do better.
[46] If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
[47] And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
8. [48] Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
It sounds like Jesus is setting a standard we cannot possibly achieve. The word perfect here means complete or thorough. 4
Jesus is talking about the way we ought to love. Loving only our friends and our family is an incomplete love that any human being can do. But loving your enemy—loving those that hate you and those that hate God—that kind of love is mature. That is true love. Complete. Perfect.
1. The Gospel open with this verse
[43] "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
That is something that just come naturally to us. Those that are close to us, those that are like us, they are the ones we love. But our enemies - our natural response is to hate them.
Enemy is someone Who is Not Worthy of Our Love?
By human standards, there are some people who are just not worthy of our love. They don’t deserve it, and so they don’t get. That’s the way it works.
2. But Jesus has a different approach
[44] But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
God’s standard is different from human standards. Instead of asking, “Who is not worthy of your love?” God asks, “Who do you love who’s not worthy?” An enemy does not deserve your love, but God says to love him anyway.
Just what does it mean to love your enemy? These days love often gets defined as just an emotion, a feeling. But love in the Bible goes well beyond how you feel about something. It is a decision, sometimes a decision to do something opposite to what you feel like doing.
3. I’d like you to listen to the words of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 which we often hear in the context of loving people who we want to love. Tonight, I’d like you to hear these words and think about how they apply to your enemies.
So pick one or two of your enemies: someone who’s done you wrong. Think about that person and listen to how Jesus would have you treat them.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. [5] It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
[6] Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. [7] It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. [8] Love never fails.
4. WHY?
Why should we love them? If we’re going to pursue something so contrary to our nature and our desires, we ought to have a good reason for doing so. Jesus tells us in verse 45 why we need to love our enemies:
[45] that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.
There’s only one reason to love your enemies. You should do it because it’s just what your Dad would do. That’s just the way God treats them. When we love our enemies, we demonstrate that we are God’s children. We prove our relationship with him. Jesus gives two examples.
A)He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good,
B) and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
5. God’s Love is Based on Grace
God’s love is one sided. It’s non-reciprocal. You don’t have to do anything to earn God’s love, to deserve God’s love. You just get it.
6. Man’s Love is Based on Merit
human beings love on the basis of reciprocal relationships.
Our love is given in return for something else. In other words, I’ll love you because you’ve earned my love or because you’re entitled to my love. You love me. So I’ll love you back.
7. Jesus says, anyone can do that. But you can do better.
[46] If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
[47] And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
8. [48] Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
It sounds like Jesus is setting a standard we cannot possibly achieve. The word perfect here means complete or thorough. 4
Jesus is talking about the way we ought to love. Loving only our friends and our family is an incomplete love that any human being can do. But loving your enemy—loving those that hate you and those that hate God—that kind of love is mature. That is true love. Complete. Perfect.
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