“For just as
a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” [James
2:14-26]
“Light
shines through the darkness for the upright; he is gracious and merciful and
just.” [Psalm 112:1-6]
“What profit
is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? What could one give in exchange for his life?”
[Mark 8:34-9:1]
As I reflect
on these Bible passages today, it seems we’re getting some advice as to what to
pay attention to in this world and what we’d be better off ignoring.
Saint James
reminds us to let good works accompany us on our Faith walk. The world surrounds us with many challenges
including ways to help a neighbor who has lost a loved one. Or the many people we don’t know living inside
and outside of our own communities who are facing economic loss and despair. With all of that need calling out around us,
it’s hard to imagine being able to ignore the cry and do good works. We know those needs never subside; Jesus said
the poor will be with us always [Mark 14:7, Matthew 26:11]. If we listened exclusively, we’d just be
overwhelmed, so it’s important to take these appeals to prayer; and ask God
what needs some of our attention today.
In Psalm
112, the psalmist calls us to praise God and to give God the glory for any good
we’ve experienced. “Well for the person who is gracious and
lends and who conducts his affairs with justice…Blessed is the person who
greatly delights in the Lord’s commands.” How often are
we grateful and daily praise God?
An almost
opposing look into what we receive from our world is presented in the Gospel. Jesus says to deny ourselves and take up our
cross and follow Him. For
what does it mean to gain the ‘whole world’ and lose our lives in the process? When my crosses get heavy (as they often do),
I look to the world to soothe the ache and many times that can include going
shopping (in stores or on online). Now if you’re a retailer, you’d say, what
would be wrong with that? With all that
advertising out there, it’s so easy to fall into the buying trap. But the over emphasis of materialism in our
culture is in stark contrast to helping those whose basic needs are not being
met. It seems to me as though we’re
being asked to look for our happiness by helping out others, instead of
drowning out our sorrows with whatever worldly means we use. Jesus says consider helping someone, do a good
work. That choice has great potential to
ease our pain too, because it will bring the type of happiness that has deep
roots. The two themes though different,
fit together nicely.
It’s easy to
desire to love and be loved, at least on a more superficial level. Hopefully, we all enjoy kind and caring
words, both giving them and receiving them.
But the true love of Christ, following His example of love, requires a
desire for selfless and sacrificial love.
This is the perfection of love!
We’re called, ultimately, to love without even considering the cost or
the demands that Christian love places upon us.
Or, to take it even further, we’re called to love even that which is
painful and difficult when it’s the will of God. His will most certainly includes acts of
sacrifice. True love, ultimately,
desires even this.
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