Thursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
When I read this Gospel, I immediately think - "Thank you God for the gift of parable and not taking this lesson of Christ's literally!" If I had to cut off my hand when it made me sin or pluck out my eye when I sin, I would surely be crippled and maimed. My sinfulness would be very evident. Thank goodness our God is a God of mercy.
But at the same time, if this were the result of my sinfulness, it would certainly get my attention. Would I be as sinful a person if I knew that this could be the result? I think often we have our "private sins", those sins we commit and think "no one else knows, so it's ok" and what would happen if instead we thought, "I can't read this or watch this or say this, because everyone will know. I will be maimed." Would the public shame change our actions?
And would that help us reach heaven? We are told it's better to enter the kingdom maimed and with one eye than to go into Gehenna whole. When thinking about this, I think it is important for us to remember that we need to admit that we are sinful people and to own the times when we are sinful. We don't have missing body parts and public shaming to hold us accountable but in our hearts, we know. We know those actions that are sinful. We know those things we do that lead us to sin. And we know that God knows too. God is the one person we cannot hide our sinfulness from.
I know that for me personally I would rather get to heaven and have God see my missing eye and the place where my tongue had been cut out than to go to hell, beautiful and whole.
And then in the end of this Gospel, we are asked the question - "Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid, with what will you restore its flavor?" In context of this reflection I think of this as, how will you regenerate those limbs? How will you stay faithful? What will you do to stay whole?
And on this I will reflect and pray today - what can I do to keep my flavor? What areas of my life do I need to adjust to restore the flavor of my salt? Where can I eliminate sinfulness from my life? Lord, show me the way to cut the sinfulness out of my life, without cutting off my limbs. Amen.
- Amanda Grimm