A bit of frustration

 

As I continued reading Mark’s gospel today, I could feel the frustration of Jesus’ followers.  The frustration comes at the end of a series of questions and answers circling around the question of salvation.  Jesus’ followers wanted to know what they must do in order to be saved.  The dialogue back and forth between Jesus and His followers seemed to go round and round never quite getting to the answer—at least an answer His followers could understand.  A man must leave his parents and be joined to his wife, “what God has joined together, let no one separate.”  There must be no divorce or adultery.  “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.  And he took them (children) up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.”   To another, Jesus said that “you must keep the commandments.”  In addition to this “you must sell what you own, and give the money to the poor”.  In no uncertain terms, Jesus said, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God.”  In frustration His followers asked, “then who can be saved?”  Peter demanded an answer in his plea, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.”  Jesus’ final words seem to offer little or no comfort, “But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” [Mark 10]

As any parent learns, what is good for one child isn’t necessarily appropriate for another—even a sibling.  It’s in the intimacy of the parent-child relationship that trust, confidence, loyalty and love are experienced.  It’s in this intimate relationship that a parent is most effectively able to guide a child, even an adult child.  Jesus illustrates the desire of God to be in intimate relationship with God’s children in His taking up children in His arms, laying His hand on them and blessing them.  God wants to be intimate with us.

To be in an intimate relationship with God provides the opportunity for us to discern the gradual unfolding of God’s unique love, desire and vocation for us.  God reveals Himself to us in a personal way in the unique intimacy of our relationship.  Am I to leave family and home?  Am I called to live in the fullness of family?  How am I to cooperate with God’s desire for me?  What will lead me to my salvation may not necessarily be what will lead you to your salvation.  The universal invitation from God is to be in intimate relationship with God; that alone will lead each one of us to salvation.  In the empty fullness of our hearts we’ll be able to discern the voice of God.  The guilt, the “shoulds”, the “have tos” and the messages we tell ourselves when we compare ourselves to others are not the loving voice of God.  The gifts of the Holy Spirit are truer indications of the presence of God.

Lent begins tomorrow on Ash Wednesday.  Today is a good day to ask ourselves these questions:

How does God attempt to communicate Himself with me?

How does God get my attention? 

When God has my attention, how do I feel and how do I know that it is God? 

How do I feel when God takes me into His arms, holds me and blesses me?

Answering these questions may help us discern what direction our Lent leads us.