Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Living a genuine Christian life, really taking the Gospel to heart, should be like living in a foreign land; it is difficult. It is a mix of trying to live the Gospel and trying to fit in. It's navigating the back and forth, the push and pull—the ongoing tension—of living with contradictions that is the challenge of discipleship.
In 2 Corinthians, Paul reminds us, with compelling rhetoric, how disciples of Jesus live: "We are treated as deceivers and yet are truthful; as unrecognized and yet acknowledged; as dying and behold we live; as chastised and yet not put to death; as sorrowful yet always rejoicing; as poor yet enriching many; as having nothing and yet possessing all things." St. Paul's words simultaneously penetrate our hearts and make us want to shrink away. But his words are meant to encourage as well as convict. In the passage from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks clearly and directly: "Offer no resistance to one who is evil…turn the other cheek, …" As children of God, Jesus tells us exactly what to do, however counterintuitive we find it to be. Jesus directs us to act as a child of the Kingdom while inhabiting a world where everything “human” calls for and justifies retaliation and idolizes self-interest. So often we find ourselves going against the grain, meeting resistance, and dealing with human feelings and emotions that beg us to react out of anger instead of love or respond in like manner rather than kindness and generosity. But for the grace of God, it's an impossible place to be.
The Lord said, “In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.” (Is 49:8) and Paul tells us "Behold, now is a very acceptable time. Behold, now is the time of salvation." (2 Cor 6:2) The contradictions will always be with us but becoming more aware and accepting of this reality can place the struggle in new perspective for us. We best allow God to help us! This day, may we ask for the grace of awareness and acceptance and graciously welcome the help of the Lord.
--Gail Lyman