11 July 2017 - keep on

Today's Readings

Then some man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.

Jacob is bold in his pursuit of a blessing.

But Jacob said, "I will not let you go until you bless me."

There is much in Scripture that recommends persistence. Jesus says that he who endures to the end will be saved (see Matthew 24:13). The psalmist says that God will save him because he clings to him in love (see Psalm 91:14). Jesus gives us the Parable of the Unjust Judge (also could the Parable of the Persistent Widow) and the Parable of the Friend at Night. Sure, we may well think, persistence is one thing. But it is not really the violence Jacob displays.

From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force (see Matthew 11:12).

When Jesus tells us that the gates of hell will not prevail against his Church we need to remember that gates are a defensive formation. We're on the offensive according to that image.

Yet we're content with a much weaker sort of prayer. We're quick to surrender our desires when we don't meet immediate success. And we wonder why miracles seem so few and far between in our world compared to when Jesus walked the earth.

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,
teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness.

But when Jesus tells us to ask, to seek, and to knock, the words mean to ask and keep asking, to seek and continue seeking, to knock and to keep knocking. If we do this we discover that Jesus really does want to work in our day as much as in his own. He wants to be as present to us as to anyone else. He wants us to experience the same wonder before his power that the people of Israel experience.

"Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel."

These readings today are about an encounter with God. It is an encounter which can be rough for us at times as our desires are purified and transformed. But it is an encounter on which we must not give up too easily.

Hide me in the shadow of your wings.
I in justice shall behold your face;
on waking, I shall be content in your presence. 

If we find ourselves wrestling with God this morning let us keep wrestling. Let us not surrender until we receive a blessing. Laborers for the harvest are a great blessing. We need more people like Saint Benedict who take Jesus at his word and help others to experience his presence. Let's persist in praying for more laborers for the harvest to transform our world.

"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.