Saturday After Ash Wednesday 

THE CLARITY OF GOD’S COMMAND

Isaiah 58:9-14
Luke 5:27-32

Have you ever noticed how God gives us very clear instructions on how He would like us to act toward each other? It’s not like these instructions are hidden in some obscure, esoteric text, requiring years of study to just begin to understand them. No, it would be hard even for God to put His desires in plainer language than what we find in the reading from Isaiah today: ‘Stop harming each other, take care of those less fortunate.’

Somehow and sometimes, we interpret God’s word to mean we need to perform elaborate rituals, wear certain vestments, and say certain incantations to gain His favor. While these actions all help us to open to and receive God’s love, are they all that God desires? What does He say in return? Love one another, as I love you. He shows His love by sending His own Son, who continues to preach this simple message.

In the Gospel today, Jesus reminds us that he came to reach those who miss the mark. Another interpretation of the above quote could be, “I have not come to call those who already believe they are righteous, but to call those who know they need help.” While it might be hard to admit that we have failed in what God calls us to do, that is the first step in the repentance that Jesus preaches for he is the hope of all the ages. If the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees of Christ’s day was not sufficient then – it is still insufficient in our days too.

We too can be too critical of others who do not fall into our camp of “righteous ones”. We too sometimes give ourselves self-acclamation in our bible-clutching standards and attitude in observing God’s precept forgetting that He alone rewards us with eternal life and not by our self-justification.

We need to have a higher righteousness that exceeds human evaluation and standards like that of scribes and Pharisees’ of Jesus’ time. We need to go beyond our outward show because God sees the inside. We need to go the extra mile. This is what fulfillment is all about that is, doing the will of God. turn things around for good and make perfect love as God expects of us. This is the earnest wish of Christ.

PRAYER

My prayer today is that through the power of the Holy Spirit may we have the ears to hear God’s simple message and the will to carry it out. May God grant us the grace to look faithfully after what he has divinely, generously, and gracefully entrusted to our care. May be responsible for our responsibilities.
May God the Shepherd of our souls watch over us and bless us. Amen.

Fr Joseph Osho