READINGS: 1st Reading: Deut. 10:12-22: The Lord your God is gods and Lord of lords.
Resp. Psalm 147:12-15;19-20: O praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
Gospel: Mathew: 17:22-27: They will put the Son of man to death.
REFLECTION
Every day, we need the wisdom of God just as we need His protection. After all, Proverbs 4:7 tells us that “wisdom is the principal thing,” and in all our getting, we need to get wisdom.In today’s gospel, we see Christ handling the confrontation from the tax collectors with great wisdom. Though, He is the Lord of lords yet He still paid his temple tax as an obedient citizen and today in a miraculous way, through the catch of fish as He commanded Peter to do. God provided in a way no one would have thought to pray for.
Likewise when we are praying for our finances we usually have a way we will do this in our minds but God has a wonderful way of confounding our reality and it’s thrilling to see. This also gives us such assurance to know that the Lord is God and He can deliver us from trouble. But do you know what’s better than being delivered from trouble? Not getting into trouble in the first place. That is why prevention is better than cure.
Dearly beloved, do not just seek miracles and protection from God without seeking the wisdom from Him to stay protected and out of trouble. There are times when the challenges we face are beyond our control. Scriptures tells us that Christ has become for us wisdom from God (1 Cor. 1:30). So what we really need is the Lord Jesus. We need to learn from Him and draw close to Him daily. He is our wisdom and only He can cause us to always be at the right place at the right time and to do the right thing at the right time.
Read More: Nineteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time Year B- 8/8/2021https://agnesisika.com/body-elijah-nineteenth-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-b-8-8-2021/
I believe that many troubles and dangerous situations can be completely avoided when we don’t depend on our own wisdom and planning, but involve the Lord in all that we do (Prov. 3:6). Oftentimes, wisdom and divine protection work hand in hand. Knowing that we can trust God for His protection certainly does not mean that we should willfully put ourselves in precarious situations. We are citizens of heaven and earth.
As we go about our task today, may we continue to experience God’s protection as we follow the Holy Spirit and lean on His wisdom when making decisions. Amen.
Best wishes of the day!
Fr. Osho.
