Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Whether it is in others or in ourselves, it is not uncommon for us to notice certain discrepancies. As parents we might notice that children don’t always live up to the expectations we have of them. Our superiors and coworkers may not live up to the expectations we have of them. Even our religious leaders might fall short. For that matter, we might disappoint ourselves with the discrepancies we see in our own attitudes and conduct. There is always the ideal, and then there is the reality.
The people of God were not immune to the discrepancy between ‘the ideal’ and ‘the reality.’ The entire prophetic literature through prophets like Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekeil, Hosea and others all addressed this discrepancy. On the one hand there was God’s call to Israel to be the glory of God to the nations and on the other was Israel’s wanton infidelity to the call.
The prophet Hosea, from whose writings we have today’s first reading (Hos 10:1-3,7-8, 12) lent a unique bent to the discrepancy between God’s call the Israel’s conduct. He used the imagery of spousal love to make the point. Just as married couples are called to steadfast love and fidelity, God called Israel to the same expectation. Isreal is called to love God deeply and fiercely be faithful to the Covenant they made with God. However, this was the precise place where the discrepancy existed. God, whose love was steadfast and fidelity fierce, was constantly met with spiritual tepidity and violation of the need to create a just a righteous nation. This often showed up in insincere worship at the temple (the victim is God) and gross injustices in society (the victims are the poor and powerless of the land). As Hosea would say, “Their heart is false” (10:2).
But God presents a way out. Through Hosea, God says, “Sow for yourselves justice, reap the fruit of piety” (10:12). The solution is simple. The religious and social discrepancy can be overcome by true piety (genuine love of God) and socially just practices (sincere love of neighbor).
When the prophetic call went unheeded, God sent Jesus. In today’s gospel, his message is clear – “The kingdom of God is at hand” (Mt 10:7). Throughout his ministry Jesus would call God’s people to genuine love of God and sincere love of neighbor.
There are many discrepancies to which we can point out today in our political, church, and perhaps in our familial lives. But, just today, let us look within. If we find discrepancies between God’s call and our conduct, our practices, our words, our attitudes, our relationships, let us heed Jesus’ call, “The kingdom of God is at hand.” May our hearts not be false. Let us “sow for ourselves justice, and reap the fruit of piety.” May we bridge the gap between the ideal and the reality.
- Fr. Satish Joseph