Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
It is a powerful story - the story of Saul and David we heard in today’s first reading (1 Sam 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23). Even though Saul, the first ever king of Israel anointed by God, he was also soon rejected by God. When David was chosen by God to be Saul’s successor, Saul sought to eliminate him. It so happened that, one night, David found Saul in the most vulnerable position, disarmed and asleep. One thrust of the spear and Saul would be done. But David refused to take advantage of Saul’s vulnerability and spared his life.
The story progresses in other directions later, but for today, this episode provides us many lessons. David himself provides the greatest of these lessons. At the end of this episode he says, “Just as I regarded your life as precious today, so may the Lord regard my life as precious and deliver me from all dangers” (1 Sam 26:24). One commentary I read emphasized that David, unlike Saul, knew his proper place before God and acted accordingly. And I like this perspective – that we know our proper place before God and act accordingly.
To Know Our Place Before God and Act Accordingly
In so many ways, today’s gospel reading is about this very same theme. I would like you to hear Jesus’ teaching in a very different format and I invite to evaluate it from the perspective of “knowing our place before God and acting accordingly.”
- Love your enemies.
- Do good to those who hate you.
- Bless those who curse you.
- Pray for those who mistreat you.
Reflect on these teachings of Jesus as “know your place before God and act accordingly.”
- Give to everyone who asks.
- Do unto others as you would have them do to you.
- Lend without expecting anything back.
Reflect on these teachings of Jesus as “know your place before God and act accordingly.”
- Be merciful just as your heavenly Father is merciful.
- Stop judging.
- Stop condemning.
Reflect on these teachings of Jesus as “know your place before God and act accordingly.”
- Forgive and you will be forgiven.
- Give and gifts will be given back to you.
Reflect on these teachings of Jesus as “know your place before God and act accordingly.”
The Jesus Movement
Jesus lived in a time when inhumanity was rife, both because of a ruthless empire and a religious system that doubled down on legalism. Into this reality came Jesus and began a movement. He rejected worldly power, wealth and fame and laid the foundation of a society and religiosity where human beings could both find and claim their true dignity as God’s children. It was a social system and a religious where people knew their place before God and acted accordingly. Some of the important tenets of the Jesus movement are found in our gospel reading today.
Jesus himself was the ideal representation of that movement. He knew his place before God (He was Son), and he acted accordingly. He loved his enemies, did good to those who hated him, blessed those who cursed him, and prayed for those who persecuted him. He did unto others what he would have them do to him. He gave to those who asked and was merciful as the heavenly Father is merciful. He forgave unconditionally even though he did not need to be forgiven.
Jesus called his disciples to join this movement. He taught them to know their place before God and act accordingly.
Catholicism – A Movement
Jesus’ teachings are very relevant today. But they are doubly relevant today because live in a time when making enemies is in vogue, when the most vulnerable are in greater danger, when giving is thought of as surrender, when judging and condemning others is considered heroic, when forgiving is understood as weakness, and being merciful is considered an affront. It seems that have forgotten their place before God and act accordingly.
It is in this context that this scripture reading is read in the universal Church. It is not merely a reading. It is a call. Jesus is inviting his followers to join his movement. He is calling us to know our place before God and act accordingly. Catholicism is not merely a religion. It is a movement – of people who love our enemies, do good to those who hate us, bless those who curse us and pray for those who mistreat us. We give to everyone who asks, do to others as we would have them do to us and lend without expecting anything back. We are merciful just as our heavenly Father is merciful. We don’t judge and condemn, rather, we forgive as we have been forgiven and we give because God has given us eternity itself.
The final thought I put before you is this – Are you in the Jesus movement? If you are, know your place before God and act accordingly.
- Fr. Satish Joseph