21 March 2013 - being, promised
I will maintain my covenant with you
and your descendants after you
throughout the ages as an everlasting pact,
to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
God wants us to trust in his promises. He promises a personal relationship to each one of us. He will be our God and we will be his people. This is an everlasting pact. He never for a moment forgets it. Yet, in the midst of circumstances we do. Hardship comes and we remember none of the great promises on which our hope is based. We can't see past the short term to imagine how it could even fit in with such a grandiose picture. And yet in those moments God has not forgotten his covenant. He wants us remember his promises especially in those times. Indeed, they are to be our strength in such times. When a trial comes let us think, 'LORD, I don't know why I have to face this but I believe in your promises. I know you are with me. I know you are working all things for my good. I know that your desire for me is to live forever with you. And I know it no matter what is happening right now. This will pass. Your promise remains.'
I will give to you
and to your descendants after you
the land in which you are now staying,
the whole land of Canaan, as a permanent possession;
and I will be their God.”
For Abraham, the circumstances don't look immediately great. The land is in the possession of Canaanites and his marriage is unfruitful. But God calls him to look not to these circumstances and instead to his eternal everlasting promise.
He remembers forever his covenant
But we forget. So how can we do better? We should call to mind and rejoice in his past fidelity.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.
Dwelling in his word will let his eternal truth shape our worldview "so that we may no longer be infants, tossed by waves and swept along by every wind" (cf Eph 4:14) of circumstance. And he himself is the fulfillment of every promise.
For however many are the promises of God, their Yes is in him (cf. 2 Cor 1:20).
"Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever keeps my word will never see death.”
Death is the ultimate champion of the temporary and the circumstantial. He comes as if to say, 'See, none of your effort matters in the least. It is more temporary than a sandcastle trampled on the beach of time.' But Jesus overcomes death for us. Trusting in his word will "free those who through fear of death had been subject to slavery all their life" (cf Heb 2:15).
This is intimately intertwined with the truth of who he is. He is permanent. He is "imperishable seed" (cf 1 Pet 1:23) whom God freed from death "because it was impossible for him to be held by it" (cf Acts 2:24).
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
before Abraham came to be, I AM.”
Knowing his identity will transform us to be like him. His own life will be the strength that allows us to rise above our circumstances. His promise will be the very life of our souls. May he be ever praised!
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
20 March 2013 - free to give everything
20 March 2013 - free to give everything
“If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
He doesn't say when you know my word you will know the truth. He says when you remain in my word you will know the truth. We must spend time in his word. We must make it our home. Only by doing so will its full truth be revealed to us. Only then will it have its full transformative power. And only then will it make us free.
Part of the problem is that our sense of freedom is broken.
They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham
and have never been enslaved to anyone.
We think of freedom in terms of whether we can do what we want to do when we want to do it. This is without regard to what we should do. We are drawn toward things we shouldn't do and say that it is not freedom unless we can do them. We are pulled from things we should do and so it isn't freedom if we must do them.
Even those of us who try to follow Jesus often do so grudgingly, secretly believing life would be better if we just kept our pet sin. But Jesus shows us, if we remain in his word, what it means to be truly free. It means to be perfectly obedient to the Father. It means not to be served but to serve and to give ones life for others. This is the freedom that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego know.
He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more than usual
and had some of the strongest men in his army
bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
and cast them into the white-hot furnace.
The three youths seem to be completely deprived of freedom. Even as Christians often understand freedom they do not seem to be free. But they are free indeed, in spite of the bindings and the flames.
“But,” he replied, “I see four men unfettered and unhurt,
walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God.”
Because God is the center of their lives they don't need to cling to even the most basic "freedoms" of the world as long as they cling to God.
If our God, whom we serve,
can save us from the white-hot furnace
and from your hands, O king, may he save us!
But even if he will not, know, O king,
that we will not serve your god
or worship the golden statue that you set up.”
And trusting, the are brought through it to rejoice.
“Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
We can't claim this truth by inheriting it.
Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children,
you would be doing the works of Abraham.
Only Jesus can bring it to us each individually because of his unique relationship to the Father.
I tell you what I have seen in the Father’s presence;
then do what you have heard from the Father.”
This is the truth that can make us free. It will make us free if we abide in his word and let it change us. We must cling to it and allow ourselves to surrender false truths about freedom as he shows us in what true freedom consists.
So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free.
“If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
He doesn't say when you know my word you will know the truth. He says when you remain in my word you will know the truth. We must spend time in his word. We must make it our home. Only by doing so will its full truth be revealed to us. Only then will it have its full transformative power. And only then will it make us free.
Part of the problem is that our sense of freedom is broken.
They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham
and have never been enslaved to anyone.
We think of freedom in terms of whether we can do what we want to do when we want to do it. This is without regard to what we should do. We are drawn toward things we shouldn't do and say that it is not freedom unless we can do them. We are pulled from things we should do and so it isn't freedom if we must do them.
Even those of us who try to follow Jesus often do so grudgingly, secretly believing life would be better if we just kept our pet sin. But Jesus shows us, if we remain in his word, what it means to be truly free. It means to be perfectly obedient to the Father. It means not to be served but to serve and to give ones life for others. This is the freedom that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego know.
He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more than usual
and had some of the strongest men in his army
bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
and cast them into the white-hot furnace.
The three youths seem to be completely deprived of freedom. Even as Christians often understand freedom they do not seem to be free. But they are free indeed, in spite of the bindings and the flames.
“But,” he replied, “I see four men unfettered and unhurt,
walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God.”
Because God is the center of their lives they don't need to cling to even the most basic "freedoms" of the world as long as they cling to God.
If our God, whom we serve,
can save us from the white-hot furnace
and from your hands, O king, may he save us!
But even if he will not, know, O king,
that we will not serve your god
or worship the golden statue that you set up.”
And trusting, the are brought through it to rejoice.
“Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
We can't claim this truth by inheriting it.
Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children,
you would be doing the works of Abraham.
Only Jesus can bring it to us each individually because of his unique relationship to the Father.
I tell you what I have seen in the Father’s presence;
then do what you have heard from the Father.”
This is the truth that can make us free. It will make us free if we abide in his word and let it change us. We must cling to it and allow ourselves to surrender false truths about freedom as he shows us in what true freedom consists.
So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
19 March 2013 - louder than words
19 March 2013 - louder than words
It was not through the law
that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants
that he would inherit the world,
but through the righteousness that comes from faith.
For this reason, it depends on faith,
so that it may be a gift,
God wants us to inherit the world. That is amazing. He wants so much for us. Why would we ever second guess an offer like that? Yet we find ourselves to be like the prodigal son who wants his inheritance apart from God. Living in the presence of God's awesome power is awe inspiring and perhaps sometimes terrifying. Imperfect creatures are tempted to run from his presence. That is normal. But there is nothing good or worthwhile without him.
Still, he honors our freedom and allows up to withdraw from his presence. All the goodness we then think to enjoy vanishes in dissipation. And this is why the only attitude befitting such an inheritance as he has planned for us is faith. Faith depends on God for everything from moment to moment. It never thinks itself to have attained something on its own. All is gift. All is blessing. It needn't run away, therefore, because of its own imperfection and lack of attainment.
Following the law is insufficient, because we can and do follow the law in a superficial way that does not depend on God for strength and transformation. This is a way we shield ourselves from the true radiance of divine light. When we follow the law this way, relying on our own strength, we cannot receive the true inheritance of the Holy Spirit, and eventually we end up tired and empty.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Joseph is seen to be a righteous man, but his plan still doesn't coincide immediately with God's plan. If he insists on his own agenda he will not be open to the blessings which God intends to give him. But Joseph relies on God moment to moment. He is ready for an about face when the angel intervenes.
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
Joseph is among the best examples in Scripture of the righteousness that comes by faith. And for this reason he is blessed to be the adoptive father of the savior of the world. In a unique way he is allowed to represent the eternal Father in the world. He is privileged to uniquely speak these same words that the Father in heaven also speaks.
I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever.’”
And though he has no recorded words in Scripture he is content, through silence, to let Jesus be his one word just as he is the one Word of the Father.
Let us come to see the truth of the greatness of God's love for us just as St. Joseph sees it. In so doing we will be able to trust him with reckless abandon and have all our hopes and dreams fulfilled.
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
It was not through the law
that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants
that he would inherit the world,
but through the righteousness that comes from faith.
For this reason, it depends on faith,
so that it may be a gift,
God wants us to inherit the world. That is amazing. He wants so much for us. Why would we ever second guess an offer like that? Yet we find ourselves to be like the prodigal son who wants his inheritance apart from God. Living in the presence of God's awesome power is awe inspiring and perhaps sometimes terrifying. Imperfect creatures are tempted to run from his presence. That is normal. But there is nothing good or worthwhile without him.
Still, he honors our freedom and allows up to withdraw from his presence. All the goodness we then think to enjoy vanishes in dissipation. And this is why the only attitude befitting such an inheritance as he has planned for us is faith. Faith depends on God for everything from moment to moment. It never thinks itself to have attained something on its own. All is gift. All is blessing. It needn't run away, therefore, because of its own imperfection and lack of attainment.
Following the law is insufficient, because we can and do follow the law in a superficial way that does not depend on God for strength and transformation. This is a way we shield ourselves from the true radiance of divine light. When we follow the law this way, relying on our own strength, we cannot receive the true inheritance of the Holy Spirit, and eventually we end up tired and empty.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Joseph is seen to be a righteous man, but his plan still doesn't coincide immediately with God's plan. If he insists on his own agenda he will not be open to the blessings which God intends to give him. But Joseph relies on God moment to moment. He is ready for an about face when the angel intervenes.
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.
Joseph is among the best examples in Scripture of the righteousness that comes by faith. And for this reason he is blessed to be the adoptive father of the savior of the world. In a unique way he is allowed to represent the eternal Father in the world. He is privileged to uniquely speak these same words that the Father in heaven also speaks.
I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever.’”
And though he has no recorded words in Scripture he is content, through silence, to let Jesus be his one word just as he is the one Word of the Father.
Let us come to see the truth of the greatness of God's love for us just as St. Joseph sees it. In so doing we will be able to trust him with reckless abandon and have all our hopes and dreams fulfilled.
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
Monday, March 18, 2013
18 March 2013 - valley parking
18 March 2013 - valley parking
“Even if I do testify on my own behalf, my testimony can be verified,
because I know where I came from and where I am going.
Jesus is the only one who can say with absolute certainty that he knows where he is from and where he is going. We know these things about ourselves to the degree that his word is alive in us. This is the faith and the hope that he wants us to possess. He wants us to have great confidence that our origin and our destiny is the love of God. We are often blinded to this great truth. The world wants us to believe we are random, accidental, and without meaning. But testimony from such a one cannot be verified, for it has no access to truth, it is simply random words. It simply happened to arise, no more true or valuable than any other statement. Who knows where one would end if if they followed it since they have no idea why it exists to begin with.
You judge by appearances
Yes we do. Guilty as charged. We judge without reference to the plan and purpose of God. We are looking for distractions from the meaninglessness which we perceive instead of turning to the source of meaning. We settle for intensity instead of permanence. Being grounded in the source of meaning enables us to judge justly. Having a relationship with the Father and the Son allows us to know the true value of the passing circumstances of this world.
And even if I should judge, my judgment is valid,
because I am not alone,
but it is I and the Father who sent me.
But we are sheep. We aren't good at keeping the big picture in mind. We wander at the slightest provocation. But the one who knows our source and destiny is our shepherd. And when we can't keep those things in mind he calls to us. All we need to do is cling to the sound of his voice in the midst of confusion and we will not be lost.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
For sheep who don't know the shepherd the temptation is to forget that there is anything beyond the dark valley. We don't see far enough to know better. Trusting in the shepherd will allow us to keep our true home in mind even when the way is obscured.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
We will then be like Susanna, able to trust the eternal God who knows what is hidden. Even when there are details that are hidden from us without which we feel lost and endangered we are able to trust in the eternal God who knows what is hidden. And when the world calls us to judge in the baseless way it judges we will be like Daniel who, stirred up by the Holy Spirit says: “I will have no part in the death of this woman.”
O Good Shepherd, refresh our souls by the restful waters that flow from your side. As we approach the table of the Eucharist let us drink deeply from this tranquil stream.
“Even if I do testify on my own behalf, my testimony can be verified,
because I know where I came from and where I am going.
Jesus is the only one who can say with absolute certainty that he knows where he is from and where he is going. We know these things about ourselves to the degree that his word is alive in us. This is the faith and the hope that he wants us to possess. He wants us to have great confidence that our origin and our destiny is the love of God. We are often blinded to this great truth. The world wants us to believe we are random, accidental, and without meaning. But testimony from such a one cannot be verified, for it has no access to truth, it is simply random words. It simply happened to arise, no more true or valuable than any other statement. Who knows where one would end if if they followed it since they have no idea why it exists to begin with.
You judge by appearances
Yes we do. Guilty as charged. We judge without reference to the plan and purpose of God. We are looking for distractions from the meaninglessness which we perceive instead of turning to the source of meaning. We settle for intensity instead of permanence. Being grounded in the source of meaning enables us to judge justly. Having a relationship with the Father and the Son allows us to know the true value of the passing circumstances of this world.
And even if I should judge, my judgment is valid,
because I am not alone,
but it is I and the Father who sent me.
But we are sheep. We aren't good at keeping the big picture in mind. We wander at the slightest provocation. But the one who knows our source and destiny is our shepherd. And when we can't keep those things in mind he calls to us. All we need to do is cling to the sound of his voice in the midst of confusion and we will not be lost.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
For sheep who don't know the shepherd the temptation is to forget that there is anything beyond the dark valley. We don't see far enough to know better. Trusting in the shepherd will allow us to keep our true home in mind even when the way is obscured.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
We will then be like Susanna, able to trust the eternal God who knows what is hidden. Even when there are details that are hidden from us without which we feel lost and endangered we are able to trust in the eternal God who knows what is hidden. And when the world calls us to judge in the baseless way it judges we will be like Daniel who, stirred up by the Holy Spirit says: “I will have no part in the death of this woman.”
O Good Shepherd, refresh our souls by the restful waters that flow from your side. As we approach the table of the Eucharist let us drink deeply from this tranquil stream.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
17 March 2013 - hope in the desert
17 March 2013 - hope in the desert
Remember not the events of the past,
the things of long ago consider not;
see, I am doing something new!
Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
In the desert I make a way,
in the wasteland, rivers.
The LORD doesn't want us to limit our view of him by what we have seen him do in the past. He does want us to remember his works with gratitude but even more than that he wants us to hope in what he has in store for us. It is more than we can ask for or even imagine (cf Ephesians 3:20).
He knows that our lives have their deserts of suffering. We become parched and quickly believe that there is just no water to be had. We accept that fear of the wild beasts round about is the norm. But the LORD is the one who makes rivers flow in the wasteland. In the wasteland of sin and suffering the water of life flows from the side of Jesus. This is something we wouldn't have dared to guess. Our lives should therefore be marked by a hope which profoundly and supernaturally motivates us.
Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind
but straining forward to what lies ahead,
I continue my pursuit toward the goal,
the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus.
The sins of yesterday need not keep us bound today. Perhaps our thoughts accuse us and tell us we cannot be free. Jesus wants to give us victory over such thoughts just as he set the adulterous woman free from her accusers. He will confound them. And as they go he will unite us more deeply to himself.
And in response, they went away one by one,
beginning with the elders.
He is the one who makes all things new. No matter where we are and no matter how we feel he has the power to fill our mouths with laughter and our tongues with rejoicing. We can limit his ability to work if we insist that he is bound to our past patterns of experience.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.
He wants to free our hearts for rejoicing and to satisfy our thirst with the water of life.
The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Remember not the events of the past,
the things of long ago consider not;
see, I am doing something new!
Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
In the desert I make a way,
in the wasteland, rivers.
The LORD doesn't want us to limit our view of him by what we have seen him do in the past. He does want us to remember his works with gratitude but even more than that he wants us to hope in what he has in store for us. It is more than we can ask for or even imagine (cf Ephesians 3:20).
He knows that our lives have their deserts of suffering. We become parched and quickly believe that there is just no water to be had. We accept that fear of the wild beasts round about is the norm. But the LORD is the one who makes rivers flow in the wasteland. In the wasteland of sin and suffering the water of life flows from the side of Jesus. This is something we wouldn't have dared to guess. Our lives should therefore be marked by a hope which profoundly and supernaturally motivates us.
Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind
but straining forward to what lies ahead,
I continue my pursuit toward the goal,
the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus.
The sins of yesterday need not keep us bound today. Perhaps our thoughts accuse us and tell us we cannot be free. Jesus wants to give us victory over such thoughts just as he set the adulterous woman free from her accusers. He will confound them. And as they go he will unite us more deeply to himself.
And in response, they went away one by one,
beginning with the elders.
He is the one who makes all things new. No matter where we are and no matter how we feel he has the power to fill our mouths with laughter and our tongues with rejoicing. We can limit his ability to work if we insist that he is bound to our past patterns of experience.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the torrents in the southern desert.
Those that sow in tears
shall reap rejoicing.
He wants to free our hearts for rejoicing and to satisfy our thirst with the water of life.
The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
16 March 2013 - word of power
16 March 2013 - word of power
“Never before has anyone spoken like this man.”
His words are like no other words which we hear. And yet we treat them so cheaply. We don't give them due attention. We superficially acknowledge their importance, yet by how we dispose ourselves to them we implicitly deny their transformative power.
A shield before me is God,
who saves the upright of heart;
We want to take refuge in him because our lives are not always easy. There is pain, sometimes, and sorrow. We know that he saves the upright of heart. So we set ourselves to become upright and yet continue to fall. But he invites us to let his word transform us so that he himself becomes our righteousness (wherein we will be up-right). His life comes to us through his words, including the words he speaks through his sacraments. It is his life in us that makes us just and no effort apart from him can help. This is how we experience his saving help, not on our own, but as he becomes the center of our lives.
But, you, O LORD of hosts, O just Judge,
searcher of mind and heart,
Let me witness the vengeance you take on them,
for to you I have entrusted my cause!
With Jesus at the center of our lives we can experience the full vengeance of God against the enemies we really face: sin and death. We can entrust our cause to him without reserve. We will hold nothing back, trusting completely, not clinging to the false hope of this fading world. With nothing held back we give God the freedom to move in power.
O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.
There are many hardships, sufferings, and trials that may come in this life. None of them have any power over us when our lives are given over to Jesus. True, they often come even when Jesus is at the center. But now they don't have the power to touch our truest self, to disturb our peace, or to limit our freedom. In fact, they are now opportunities to love and to be transformed still more.
“Never before has anyone spoken like this man.”
His words are like no other words which we hear. And yet we treat them so cheaply. We don't give them due attention. We superficially acknowledge their importance, yet by how we dispose ourselves to them we implicitly deny their transformative power.
A shield before me is God,
who saves the upright of heart;
We want to take refuge in him because our lives are not always easy. There is pain, sometimes, and sorrow. We know that he saves the upright of heart. So we set ourselves to become upright and yet continue to fall. But he invites us to let his word transform us so that he himself becomes our righteousness (wherein we will be up-right). His life comes to us through his words, including the words he speaks through his sacraments. It is his life in us that makes us just and no effort apart from him can help. This is how we experience his saving help, not on our own, but as he becomes the center of our lives.
But, you, O LORD of hosts, O just Judge,
searcher of mind and heart,
Let me witness the vengeance you take on them,
for to you I have entrusted my cause!
With Jesus at the center of our lives we can experience the full vengeance of God against the enemies we really face: sin and death. We can entrust our cause to him without reserve. We will hold nothing back, trusting completely, not clinging to the false hope of this fading world. With nothing held back we give God the freedom to move in power.
O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge.
There are many hardships, sufferings, and trials that may come in this life. None of them have any power over us when our lives are given over to Jesus. True, they often come even when Jesus is at the center. But now they don't have the power to touch our truest self, to disturb our peace, or to limit our freedom. In fact, they are now opportunities to love and to be transformed still more.
Friday, March 15, 2013
15 March 2013 - just in time
15 March 2013 - just in time
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
The LORD wants to draw near to us with his saving power. He wants to touch us with his healing hand. But oftentimes we cannot abide this presence. For the nearness of the LORD necessarily calls us on to greater holiness. It is necessarily a reproach for the sin in which we live.
“Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings,
Reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our training.
But the reason he comes is not to accuse. He comes to seek and save the lost. He comes for the sick who need a doctor. He comes to set the captives free. When Jesus tells us that we do not know him or the father this is what he means. He see him as an accuser rather than a savior.
Yet I did not come on my own,
but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true.
We see accusation when Jesus holds out a healing hand. Accused, we become defensive. What does he presume to give us that we don't already have? It is our nature as humans to fluctuate between feeling worthless and undeserving and feeling a defensiveness which asserts that we need nothing and no one. We don't experience these emotions as strongly as the people in scripture. We experience them just enough to prevent us from pressing in to God. They can be the subtle feelings that keeps us from, say, spending time before the Blessed Sacrament or in personal unstructured prayer.
He judges us debased;
he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure.
He calls blest the destiny of the just
and boasts that God is his Father.
It feels like judgment to us because we don't really know him. It is painful, but it is an invitation. The destiny of the just is indeed blessed. He has come to share that destiny with us by bringing us into his family so that God can be our father as well. His goal is not condemnation. His goal is to give life.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
If we can only accept his love for us and let him draw near then all the promises of the just will be for us as well. As we are more united to him we begin to experience the same types of persecution that he experienced. We can rely on the same promises on which he relied.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
for according to his own words, God will take care of him.”
We can now trust him unreservedly, come what may.
Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him.
Jesus is trying to show us who he really is. LORD, give us eyes to see and ears to hear.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
The LORD wants to draw near to us with his saving power. He wants to touch us with his healing hand. But oftentimes we cannot abide this presence. For the nearness of the LORD necessarily calls us on to greater holiness. It is necessarily a reproach for the sin in which we live.
“Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings,
Reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our training.
But the reason he comes is not to accuse. He comes to seek and save the lost. He comes for the sick who need a doctor. He comes to set the captives free. When Jesus tells us that we do not know him or the father this is what he means. He see him as an accuser rather than a savior.
Yet I did not come on my own,
but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true.
We see accusation when Jesus holds out a healing hand. Accused, we become defensive. What does he presume to give us that we don't already have? It is our nature as humans to fluctuate between feeling worthless and undeserving and feeling a defensiveness which asserts that we need nothing and no one. We don't experience these emotions as strongly as the people in scripture. We experience them just enough to prevent us from pressing in to God. They can be the subtle feelings that keeps us from, say, spending time before the Blessed Sacrament or in personal unstructured prayer.
He judges us debased;
he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure.
He calls blest the destiny of the just
and boasts that God is his Father.
It feels like judgment to us because we don't really know him. It is painful, but it is an invitation. The destiny of the just is indeed blessed. He has come to share that destiny with us by bringing us into his family so that God can be our father as well. His goal is not condemnation. His goal is to give life.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
If we can only accept his love for us and let him draw near then all the promises of the just will be for us as well. As we are more united to him we begin to experience the same types of persecution that he experienced. We can rely on the same promises on which he relied.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
for according to his own words, God will take care of him.”
We can now trust him unreservedly, come what may.
Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him.
Jesus is trying to show us who he really is. LORD, give us eyes to see and ears to hear.
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