Monday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time
St. Paul promises us that, "All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Nowhere in those words does he promise that all Scripture will be easy to hear. Today's readings definitely fall into the category of being difficult to hear. The challenge they bring is a healthy and holy disruption to our illusion of self-reliance. Ironically, it is only by first disrupting our placid status quo that the Lord leads us to true peace. So let's contend with these readings.
In the first reading, we see the cheap placidity of those who are deceiving themselves into having quiet consciences. A friend of mine likes to describe the conscience as a triangle in a space that is too small. It that spins when we sin or witness injustice. That spin is uncomfortable and gets our attention. But every spin can wear a little of that triangle away. Unless we work to sharpen it, it can just spin ineffectively like a stripped screw. Isaiah also shows that we can dull our own conscience by creating our own standard of righteousness that is limited to merely religious observations.
To proceed with the triangle analogy, the sharpening of that triangle is all through today’s readings. God will correct us by presenting our sins to us. God will help that screw’s grooves grab again. This will disrupt our placidity. This will disrupt our self-reliant self-righteousness. This will challenge us to care for the vulnerable because we will become attentively aware of how vulnerable we really are. So when Jesus tells us that he came not to bring peace it is because he first has to break us of our status quo. He came to bring a sword… or a sharper triangle. That sharpening will allow us to offer the Lord true sacrifices that honor and glorify God for allowing us and empowering us to serve and care for our vulnerable brothers and sisters. Because we didn’t get where we are on our own.
- Spencer Hargdon