Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Have you ever been taught a lesson, only to have someone else come by a year or ten or twenty later and tell you the first lesson was incomplete or wrong? As human knowledge advances, this happens to us all. Sometimes, we later discover that the first lesson was actually the correct one, and that another motive was behind the dis-information we were fed. Something like that is happening with the Corinthians. Was Paul’s gospel incomplete? Was heresy being preached to them by false preachers trying to make a living by charging for the ‘word of God?’
A central question behind today’s readings is, ‘How do God and humanity talk to one another?’ Paul makes the point that God addresses us in a spirit of humility. So, God’s messengers don’t need an eloquent speech, and they don’t need to be paid to unlock the message. Like Paul, God’s messengers come in love. They demand nothing, and instead offer a free gift.
The same question is in today’s Gospel, as Jesus tells us how to talk to God. Our speech does not need to be fancy or eloquent. We don’t have to worry about saying the right things. We just need to remember who God is (our Father), look forward to God’s coming (thy Kingdom, thy will), and what we need (daily bread, forgiveness, help with forgiving others and avoiding more evil). It’s simple. It’s real. It is not formal. Praying as a community needs to be formal so that we can all participate, but praying as individuals to God is very simple.
In the same way, God speaks to us very simply. Our Father wants us to understand. He talks to us as parents communicate with young children; at their level. He leaves out the parts that we cannot yet understand. This is a sharp contrast to all the ‘other gospels’ of the world that are competing for our time and attention.
Will the gospel of politics save us? Of course not; it is complicated, full of anger (these days), and a lot of money seems to be involved. Will a newer car or a better house or more money or nicer clothes save us? The pleasure of all these things fades, and getting each of them is complicated and love-less. Will revenge against our enemies save us? No, forgiveness alone will free our hearts.
Today, let’s approach God as simply as we can. Our father is very close and already knows what we need. Let’s allow the Spirit of Love us shape us this day, to form us according to the pure gospel of Jesus. Amen.
-Chris Nieport