17 June 2013 - the time is now

17 June 2013 - the time is now

If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.

Jesus is calling us to forego our own rights and prerogatives for the sake of our brothers and sisters.

Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.

It isn't so much that he is calling us to suffer abuse without complaint.  That would be easier.  He is calling us to proactively give to others.  It isn't just acquiescing to their requests.  It is giving them what will be for their benefit even if they don't ask for enough.  This is somewhat terrifying.  Without trusting in God's help there is no way we can do this.

The world sees this in action and can only see what the people see in Paul.

We are treated as deceivers and yet are truthful;
as unrecognized and yet acknowledged;
as dying and behold we live;
as chastised and yet not put to death;
as sorrowful yet always rejoicing;
as poor yet enriching many;
as having nothing and yet possessing all things.

Our perceptions are like the rest of the world.  We're afraid of chastisement, dying, sorrow, and poverty.  We think this will be our lot if we don't put ourselves first and put our own interests ahead of our neighbors.  Yet we actually rejoice, enrich many, and possess all things!  If people take a closer look our lives will prove that God is at work:

by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness,
in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love, in truthful speech,
in the power of God;
with weapons of righteousness at the right and at the left;

But we aren't quite there yet, are we?  If we're honest we're somewhere in between.  Occasionally we can't say that we "cause no one to stumble in anything," even if it at other times we reveal the power of God in us.

These goals my seem so lofty that we want to put them off.  It may seem like they aren't realistic for us now so we should leave them for later in life or even in purgatory after we are finally prepared.  But that time will never quite come if we delay.  It is now or never.

Behold, now is a very acceptable time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.

The LORD's power working in us is the only thing that makes this possible!  So let us allow him to do all that he wants within us so that we can join with the psalmist in praise:

All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.