Tuesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
If I ever meet someone who claims to be an angel of the Lord coming to give me an impossible-sounding mission, my first thought will probably be, “either I’m crazy, or this guy is…” So, we can hardly blame Gideon for wondering if the person standing before him was really an angel. After all, Gideon was from the biggest loser in a family of losers: “My family is the lowliest in Manasseh, and I am the most insignificant in my father’s house.” How could such a wimp take care of the biggest problem in the whole Kingdom of Israel at the time, the Midianites?
It illustrates a theological problem that many individuals (and whole churches) struggle with. God created the universe, Jesus works all sorts of miracles, the Holy Spirit is all-powerful… so what’s left for us to do? Has God done it all? Do our choices really matter, or has God set everything in motion like a long stack of dominos? And, why does God want us to accomplish good, when it would be so much easier if God just took care of it without us? Gideon himself asks the question, “Where are God’s wondrous deeds…Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?” All Israel was just waiting around, sitting on their hands, hoping God would just make it all go away.
For some reason, God wants us involved in our salvation. We do more than nothing. We don’t just sit around waiting for God to fix it. And yet, Gideon alone couldn’t save Israel. Jesus reminds us in today’s Gospel that we cannot save ourselves either. There seems to be a fine line to walk. As someone once said to me, God doesn’t need us. God wants us. Go wants a relationship. He wants us to be involved, to have a part to play in his mighty work. God is constantly reassuring Gideon and us; “I will be with you.”
What is your part in the Divine plan? Has God given you a mission that seems as impossible as Gideon’s? Don’t worry; God will be with you. Would completing it cost too much? Do not worry. God will repay a hundred times over. Are you sure you are not equipped to answer the call of the Lord? Well, you aren’t!!! But the Spirit will move through you; the mission will be accomplished.
The greatest roadblock to God’s mission in the world is not how woefully under-prepared we are… As Jesus said, being rich, or over-prepared, is the real problem. When I’m rich, I think I’ve got everything under control. I feel secure. Counting my dollars, I know just what I can and cannot accomplish. Having that attitude of pride is spiritually dangerous. But, Jesus warns, our wealth, our hard work, our education, and our careful planning will not save us. They won’t save you or I or anyone else. They will not!
What will?
Saying yes to God’s call for the sake of the Kingdom. Vaya con Dios (Go with God)!
-Chris Nieport