Monday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Today's readings reminded me of a book I read several years ago. It was written by author and spiritual director William Barry, SJ and is entitled A Friendship like No Other. The title really says it all, bu how comfortable do we feel approaching Jesus in friendship. Do we see Jesus as our friend?
In the reading from Genesis the Lord decides to share with Abraham his plan to destroy Sodom. Abraham's conversation with God really shows the kind of relationship (friendship) they enjoy. Abraham is bold and really haggles with God over sparing Sodom if there are just ten innocent people there. Eventually, Abraham convinces God to change his mind. Their exchange is astonishing. Today's Gospel passage is placed between accounts healings and miracles performed by Jesus. The verbal exchanges between Jesus and two of his followers strongly suggest they don't really understand what following Jesus involves. He tells them in a direct way what they are committing themselves to. Friendship with Jesus means always hearing the truth from him. It also requires our truth-telling as well.
Friendship involves sacrifice and self-giving. But with Jesus it is even more than this. Jesus gave everything and following him demands the same from us. Fr. Barry says, "At times you may want to tell him things like "I can understand why so many of your disciples left you. You're too much. It would be absurd for me to try to live the way you lived." I think most of us have felt this way more than once; I wonder how many of us have actually said to Jesus. With friends we can be ourselves and we can tell them the truth. We can even be ignorant or weak or wrong and they will still love us. And so it is with Jesus. Today, let us reflect on our relationship with Jesus. Can we call it friendship? Let us tell Jesus what is on our hearts. And let us listen to what Jesus speaks to us as well.
Gail Lyman