20 August 2019 - go with the strength you have

Today's Readings

(Audio)

"For men this is impossible,
but for God all things are possible."

Jesus reminds us, "apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). Walking in faith may feel like persistence at times. And Jesus also says, "he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (see Matthew 24:13). Yet nothing means nothing. Even our endurance and persistence must come from God.

"Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich
to enter the Kingdom of heaven.
Again I say to you,
it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God."

The first thing we are tempted to do when we hear this passage is to get rid of our excess possessions, perhaps to give to the poor. These are good impulses. But they ought not be our first impulse. First we should turn to the LORD.

Gideon answered him, "If I find favor with you,
give me a sign that you are speaking with me.
Do not depart from here, I pray you, until I come back to you
and bring out my offering and set it before you."

Gideon knows that he can't pull off God's plan on his own. He knows that he might be wrong about what the next move is. And so he brings his own understanding and subjugates it to the revelation to him from the angel. The LORD gives Gideon confidence to persist and endure by the power of his word.

The LORD turned to him and said, "Go with the strength you have
and save Israel from the power of Midian.
It is I who send you."

It was faith in that word rather than any strength of his own that brought Gideon success. So too with us. Before we starting giving anything away let us listen for the LORD's word. We may well have excess to give to others. But let us wait for the LORD to guide us and give us strength to respond to his word to us. This must be qualified, because we may not feel strong even after having waited. Even so, if we turn to the LORD we know we can count on him to give us the grace we need to love just as he would love, to give as he would give.

The LORD himself will give his benefits;
our land shall yield its increase.
Justice shall walk before him,
and salvation, along the way of his steps.

When we give without grace we find ourselves empty and wanting. But when we wait and move at God's touch we find ourselves with more real and lasting possessions.

And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters
or father or mother or children or lands
for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more,
and will inherit eternal life.

These riches are real even here and now in the Church. They don't keep us from the Kingdom. They are found within.