Genesis 28:10-22
Matthew 9:18-26
In today’s first reading, Jacob has a visionary dream in which God promises to protect him, bring him back to his land, and multiply his descendants, assuring Jacob that he will do all that he says. Jacob is understandably ecstatic about this dream, and he dedicates the spot where it happened.
The vision of God to him was a reminder of God’s mission for him. To be the Father of the nation of Israel and yet, he made some conditional statements that if it happens then the Lord shall be his God. That doesn’t sound like he trusted God much!
Put differently is today’s gospel story.
The woman in today’s gospel who was healed of her haemorrhage. She was in pain and restless all through her life until she met Jesus and then the official who asked Jesus to lay his hands on his dead daughter so she could live. Think about how outrageous that request sounded to bystanders! But his trust in Jesus was so high that he risked looking like a fool, even when the crowds at his house ridiculed them as they arrived. The official persisted, and Jesus amazed them all by raising the girl. Can you imagine the joy the official felt?
Who do you place your trust in?
Where do you land on the spectrum of trust? Do you demand that God prove things to you first before you risk trusting? Are you willing to place your trust in God come what may, even if it seems foolish? Or are you somewhere in between? Despite how tempted we all are to imitate Jacob and go for certainty, perhaps we can pray and work to risk the kind of trust held by the official and the woman.
For us to find rest and peace for our soul, we must trust in the Lord. He is the only one who can heal us of our wounds and discomfort. He is the only one who can calm our fears and make us a living temple fit for Him.
Fr Joseph Osho
