Ephesians 3:14-21 / Luke 12:49-53
Paul talks about charity: Make love the root and foundation of life.
In his last speech before he was assassinated, Martin Luther King, as if he had a premonition of death, spoke about his funeral. He said: “If you get somebody to deliver the eulogy, tell him not to talk too long. Tell them not to mention that I have three or four hundred awards. That’s not important.
“Tell them . . . that Martin Luther King,
Jr., tried to love somebody. I want you to say on that day that I tried to love
and serve humanity.” What Martin Luther King was saying is what Paul is saying
in today’s reading. He is saying that he tried to make charity “the root and
foundation” of his life.
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To what extent can we say that charity, or
love, is “the root and foundation” of our life? “When the evening of life
comes, we will be judged by love.” John
of the Cross
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Very often when we want to settle a
problem quickly, we tend to look for compromising solutions or the easy way
out. So in order to handle a problematic child, we tend to give things and
money instead of spending time with the child and trying to understand the real
needs of the child. And when we see something not right being done, we tend to
look away and pretend not to see. We tend to play-safe and not to get involved,
as long as it does not concern us. Even if it does concern us, we will want to
protect ourselves first. But that was not what Jesus did. Jesus knew what His
Father wanted Him to do and say, and He was committed to His mission. Jesus did
not want to have conflicts. In fact, he came to gather people into the peace of
God's kingdom. But when conflicts and oppositions came, He refused to
compromise. For Jesus, there are no play-safe and guarded options or messages. He
was on fire for love and truth, for righteousness and justice. If we are to
follow Jesus, then we too must be prepared for conflicts and oppositions
whenever they arise. Yet the first conflict and opposition will come from
within ourselves. We have to be prepared to go through the fire that Jesus
brings so that we will burn away the option of compromising solutions and the
easy way out. Only then will we understand the freedom and peace of living in
the truth.
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Let us Pray: Lord our God, you have set us free in Christ,
free from our selfishness, free from shame and fear, free for life and service.
God, accept our thanks for this free gift. Give us the strength, day after day,
to grow in this liberty and to help our little or large world to attain the
same freedom from sin and its consequences: from injustice, suffering, and
oppression. One day may we be completely free in your eternal home, through
Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen