Wednesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Parents, and anyone who remembers childhood, know this scene well - a child or even a young adult approaches a parent and simply says, “Say yes.”
“To what?”
“Just say yes!”
While most parents know better than to give a blanket, “yes,” Christ, our God Incarnate, is not like most parents. In fact, many scholars say that the parable we call “The Prodigal Son” might better be titled the “Prodigal Father” and is about the foolish Parent. Our God often acts in ways that our human nature sees as foolish and reckless. That reckless love is on full display in today’s gospel passage.
Christ says, “Yes, I will give you what you desire. Come, sit as close to me as you like.” Christ does ask a question, though. “Can you drink the cup I drink? Can you serve like I serve?”
Reckless love is on full display in this passage! It is not only God who has reckless love, but the disciples also have reckless love. They quickly and enthusiastically respond, “Yes! We drink your cup! Yes, we will serve like you!” They commit to giving their lives to Christ to be close now and for eternity, throwing caution to the wind and barely understanding the consequences.
The reckless love of God is a gift of abundant grace, of unearned love! The closer we draw to the reckless love of God in Christ, the more we practice a similar reckless love of neighbor and stranger. The more we practice this reckless love, the closer we draw to the reckless love of Christ. We become caught up in a cycle of reckless, abundant, overflowing love that catches us in a web of love for eternity!
Today, may we be bold disciples, asking to be as close to Christ as possible. May we respond to Christ’s yes with our own reckless ‘yes!’ and give our lives, moment by moment, over to God’s reckless love here and now and for eternity.
—Kelly Adamson