"I bless you Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children."
Gospel of Matthew
In order to have an understanding and appreciation of the above gospel passage from Matthew, one needs to have an understanding of humility.
Humility springs from the word "humus" which means; "from the soil or from the earth". We are from the earth. Humility, in its ordinary definition means; "not proud; having or showing a low or modest estimate of one's own self-importance. There's a meekness or mildness associated with humility, but it has nothing to do with being used as a door mat or putting oneself down. It has to do with seeing ourselves and our reality as they really are.
There are many many biblical references to humility. For example, in the beatitudes from Matthew chapter five we read: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."
In the canticle of Mary from the gospel of Luke, we read: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked with favor on His lowly servant." Mary acknowledges the gift of Grace given to one who is unworthy.
And in Luke, chapter 18, we have the story told by Jesus abut the Pharisee and the tax collector who went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee in his prayer uses the words: "God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves and rogues, and even like that tax collector over there. I fast twice a week, and give a tithe of my income." While the only words that could be heard from the tax collector were: "God, be merciful to me a sinner." Jesus would proclaim that it was only the tax collector that went home that day justified: "For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all those who humble themselves will be exalted."
When children were being turned away, Jesus, in Luke, declared: "Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them. It is to such as these that the Kingdom of God belongs".
Humility places us squarely into an experience of God being present with us, in the here and now; not a God in a far away place, but a God whose Spirit dwells within. When we let go of our puffed-up reasoning and rationalization, when we acknowledge the mystery that life brings to each of us, a mystery beyond intellectual understanding and conventional wisdom, then we discover that which Jesus calls "the Kingdom of God". In humility, we discover ourselves and our reality around us as being in right relationship with God.
So Jesus exclaims: "I bless you Father, Lord of heaven and 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." And if we let Him, Jesus will become the way to the Father. He will become the truth of our reality giving us the life beyond all explanation through His Spirit and through Grace. "No one knows the Father except the Son and those whom He chooses to reveal Him." By letting go of our own puffed up reasoning, our stance that leads to self-justification - look at me, I tithe, I fast twice a week - we discover the treasure hidden in the field for which we are willing to sell off all our other trappings in order to possess.
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Experiencing God - God's Tenderness 187
"Israel was a luxuriant vine, yielding plenty of fruit. But their heart is a divided heart".
Hosea
Hosea spoke to Israel during its long and violent struggle with Assyria who would later over run their little country, and send its people into exile. Hosea (750-725 BC) was one of the prophets who formed a bridge between the early prophets that we read about in the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings, and the later prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel.
Like Amos, Hosea saw the injustices, deceit, violence and cruelty that was common among the people of his time; but he spoke of it quite differently than the other prophets. He spoke about it by describing their lack of fidelity or faithfulness, their lack of tenderness towards each other, and their lack of knowledge of a God who wanted a loving relationship with them, a relationship as a father would have with a child.
Hosea is the prophet who describes Israel's relationship with God as being similar to his own painful experience of a marriage with his wife Gormer. They had made their pledge of love to each other - "you shall be my wife, you shall be my husband" - but Gormer would then repeatedly reject his love and go off with someone else. To Hosea, the people of Israel showed this same lack of fidelity, this same lack of tenderness that was meant to generate friendship, affection with a desire for union. A covenant with God would require Israel to grow in mutual trust, affectionate love, and tender admiration. It would express itself in mercy, kindness, tenderness, and so on; but this was sorely lacking in the hearts of the Israelite people.
Hosea gives the beautiful instruction: "Sow integrity for yourselves, reap a harvest of kindness. Break up your fallow ground. It is time to go seeking the Lord until He comes to rain salvation on you."
In the gospels, we discover this reformed image of the people of Israel in the person of Jesus whose faithfulness, gentleness, and tenderness is not only directed to the One He calls Father, but also directed to all those He meets. In the Gospel of Matthew, He calls forth His disciples to whom He is entrusting that same faithfulness to God, a faithfulness that will begin a new Kingdom, a new reign.
Jesus calls his disciples, not from the elite of society - those with power, education, or importance - but from the ordinary; those whose hearts can be molded through Grace and love of the Spirit.
In the same manner, He calls each of us to be His disciples, to be faithful in building of God's Kingdom, not for ourselves, but for the glory of God.
"Sow integrity", we hear Hosea saying. "Reap a harvest of kindness. Break up your fallow ground" - that part of you that lies dormant. "It is time for seeking the Lord until He comes to rain salvation on you".
Hosea
Hosea spoke to Israel during its long and violent struggle with Assyria who would later over run their little country, and send its people into exile. Hosea (750-725 BC) was one of the prophets who formed a bridge between the early prophets that we read about in the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings, and the later prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel.
Like Amos, Hosea saw the injustices, deceit, violence and cruelty that was common among the people of his time; but he spoke of it quite differently than the other prophets. He spoke about it by describing their lack of fidelity or faithfulness, their lack of tenderness towards each other, and their lack of knowledge of a God who wanted a loving relationship with them, a relationship as a father would have with a child.
Hosea is the prophet who describes Israel's relationship with God as being similar to his own painful experience of a marriage with his wife Gormer. They had made their pledge of love to each other - "you shall be my wife, you shall be my husband" - but Gormer would then repeatedly reject his love and go off with someone else. To Hosea, the people of Israel showed this same lack of fidelity, this same lack of tenderness that was meant to generate friendship, affection with a desire for union. A covenant with God would require Israel to grow in mutual trust, affectionate love, and tender admiration. It would express itself in mercy, kindness, tenderness, and so on; but this was sorely lacking in the hearts of the Israelite people.
Hosea gives the beautiful instruction: "Sow integrity for yourselves, reap a harvest of kindness. Break up your fallow ground. It is time to go seeking the Lord until He comes to rain salvation on you."
In the gospels, we discover this reformed image of the people of Israel in the person of Jesus whose faithfulness, gentleness, and tenderness is not only directed to the One He calls Father, but also directed to all those He meets. In the Gospel of Matthew, He calls forth His disciples to whom He is entrusting that same faithfulness to God, a faithfulness that will begin a new Kingdom, a new reign.
Jesus calls his disciples, not from the elite of society - those with power, education, or importance - but from the ordinary; those whose hearts can be molded through Grace and love of the Spirit.
In the same manner, He calls each of us to be His disciples, to be faithful in building of God's Kingdom, not for ourselves, but for the glory of God.
"Sow integrity", we hear Hosea saying. "Reap a harvest of kindness. Break up your fallow ground" - that part of you that lies dormant. "It is time for seeking the Lord until He comes to rain salvation on you".
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