A reflection on the Daily Lectionary readings for January 15. Please see the Daily page for tools to help you make daily prayer and scripture part of your rhythm.
How much energy to we each spend trying to ‘prove’ ourselves? In what ways do we attempt to earn other’s admiration and even their love? This past Sunday’s gospel reading had John the Baptizer pointing his own disciples to Jesus and letting them go to follow Jesus. John didn’t capitalize on his own renowned or compete with Jesus over the number of followers they each had, giving us the model of what it is to walk humbly with God.
In our Old Testament reading for today, the prophet Isaiah teaches that God’s power is not manifested through force and strength but by those who are willing to give themselves for others, lifting others up and enabling all to serve God’s Kingdom, too. Isaiah reminds God’s people, as do all of the prophets through time, that even as they keep forgetting who and Whose they are, seeking to be like earthly kingdoms instead of God’s people, God remains faithful.
In the letter to the Hebrews, the writer explains that if sacrifices settled the issue of our going against God’s Way, we wouldn’t need to repeat them over and over again. In our modern culture without animal sacrifices, think of this as the sacraments we do participate in. Our baptism doesn’t eliminate our tendency to go our way instead of God’s; it is our commitment to do our best with God’s help to be who God made and calls us to be. The Eucharist doesn’t perfect us but is a regular reminder of God’s unconditional love for us, God’s presence within us so that we are better equipped to go out into the world doing our best with God’s help to shine God’s love on others.
Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection reconcile us to God with the Good News that we don’t have to be perfect to be in relationship with God. We don’t have to prove ourselves to God. We cannot earn God’s love or favor. There is nothing we can do to make God love us any more or any less than God loves. When we participate in the sacraments, it is to remind us who and Whose we are. God already knows and doesn’t forget.
God does not delight when we go through the motions of being religious. God desires that we participate with God in nurturing a mutual relationship. God will never force this on us but is willing to give God’s life in order to show us in flesh and blood what life as God intends for us looks like, how it is lived, day in and day out. And regardless of our behaviors, God is always faithful and trustworthy to receive us when we return.
We cannot let the world’s ideas of strength and power mislead us. We cannot partake in the sacraments on Sunday and then spread words of hate and disdain against our fellow humans the rest of the week. The religious activities we engage in aren’t meant to prove our holiness, but to remind us of God’s Holiness and to equip us to share God’s Love with others in all that we think, say, and do.
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