The Gospel According to Matthew – 2017.07.09
The Way of Faith
The
teachings of Jesus cannot be treated like a shell game, though they are, and
have been since the beginning, as Matthew’s Gospel illustrates.
The
way of Jesus is not a long can, it is not a bait and switch, it is a simple
teaching that cannot be controlled or owned by any one group of people.
Be
mindful of the second paragraph in today’s reading there is truth, and the
first paragraph is the lie.
God,
the creator of the universe, God has hidden nothing. The truth is in the open
for anyone to see.
The
wise and the powerful, the learned and the clever, the weak and the meek,
everyone has access to the same truth, to the knowledge of God, of justice, of
hope, and love.
Who
are the wise and powerful, who are the learned and the clever, who are the faithful
and childlike. In every generation, you will see a new group labeling the elder
group as out of touch, blind, privileged, in the dark, corrupt.
It
is an endless cycle, and the truth remains the same; love justice, be merciful,
do good, serve God through the loving service you provide to one another: your
family, your friend, your neighbor, the stranger, even your enemy.
Just
because a person may be wise and powerful, learned and clever, or a child of the
church, does not mean they recognize the truth when they see it, or act upon
when they do.
It
is not your station in society, it is not how other people regard you, it is
not the titles you have earned, or the ways that you have been marginalized
that give us the tell on how you will fulfill the calling to follow Jesus. What
matters is what is in your heart, and your willingness to trust in the content
of your hope.
Come to me…
Jesus exclaimed, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and
of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing
them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do.
Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son
except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to
whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
‘Come to me, all you who labour and are
overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for
I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my
yoke is easy and my burden light.’
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
