Gospel LK 12:54-59
Jesus said to the crowds,
“When you see a cloud rising in the west
you say immediately that it is going to rain–and so it does;
and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south
you say that it is going to be hot–and so it is.
You hypocrites!
You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky;
why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
“Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?
If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate,
make an effort to settle the matter on the way;
otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge,
and the judge hand you over to the constable,
and the constable throw you into prison.
I say to you, you will not be released
until you have paid the last penny.”
“When you see a cloud rising in the west
you say immediately that it is going to rain–and so it does;
and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south
you say that it is going to be hot–and so it is.
You hypocrites!
You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky;
why do you not know how to interpret the present time?
“Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?
If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate,
make an effort to settle the matter on the way;
otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge,
and the judge hand you over to the constable,
and the constable throw you into prison.
I say to you, you will not be released
until you have paid the last penny.”
Reflection
We tend to focus on things that don't really matter. Tomorrow we will celebrate the joint birthdays of my two daughters, Elizabeth and Catherine. The past few weeks and especially days have been intensely focused on party preparations - theme, food, decor, cleaning. Gathering supplies, completing household projects, and very little sleep have been the main ingredients of my life this past week.
The respective births of my two daughters were two of the most awesome and joy-filled days of my life. Unfortunately, because of the aforementioned long to-do list, my joy about the upcoming party and my joy throughout the process of preparation has been faint to non-existent.
Not only has my focus been off, but so has my heart. It gets like this a lot. I fall into the trap of begrudging tasks that I don't really want to do. Instead of adopting a servant's heart, bitterness swells, frustration mounts, and even the noblest of tasks are demeaned into annoyances.
Like the crowds of Jesus's time and our own, I can focus on and do things that don't really matter and neglect the things that do. I can do the things that do matter for the wrong reasons or with the wrong mindset. I can be such a hypocrite!
May God reorient my heart and my eyes toward His heart, toward things that bring Him glory, toward recognizing that every moment drips with His grace and as such should be met with humility, thanksgiving and reverence.
Every morning as I get out of bed I utter two short prayers. One, the Prayer of Release, challenges me to work as if things depend on me but pray because they depend on God. The other, a short request: "God, give me the strength to do the work You have set out for me today."
Perhaps these prayers need more air time throughout the course of my day. Maybe I should edit the words in the prayer of supplication to include "love" in addition to or instead of "strength".
Or, maybe I need to shift my focus from me - "Give me a faith...whatever I do...I've done all I can...give me the strength..set out for me" - and instead put it on Him.
GO: Serve.
GO: Serve.
Prayer
God, You are AMAZING. Thank You for the opportunity to serve You today.
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