Philippians 1:1-11 / Luke
14:1-6
God is at work in our lives: He’ll finish what he
began in us.
A group of people was touring a factory where expensive pianos were made. First, the guide showed the people a large room where workers were sawing and shaping rough wood. Next, the guide took them to a room where workers were working on frames. Then, the guide took them to a room where metal strings and ivory keys were being assembled inside the frames of the pianos.
Next, they visited a room where the pianos were being sanded and varnished. Finally, the people were led into the showroom, where a musician was seated at a piano, bringing forth beautiful music from it.****
Do we truly believe that God is
working in our lives and will someday bring forth music from us? “Please be
patient; God isn’t finished with me yet.” Anonymous
****
Although writing from prison, Paul’s letter to the
Philippians, which begins today, overflows with warmth and joy. The Christians
of Philippi are a good community. Yet Paul prays that, by the grace of God,
their love may continue to grow toward the perfect goodness found in Christ.
****
Something of what this goodness means is shown in practice.
When eating at the house of a prominent man on a Sabbath, Jesus cures there
someone who suffers, even on a Sabbath. Love is the reason and inspiration of
the Christian Law. Is it in our lives, in our Christian community?
A telescope, as we know, gives an enlarged view of a
distant object. But that depends on which end of the telescope we are looking
through. Because looking through the wrong end would greatly reduce the size of
the object. Hence, the two different ends of the telescope give two completely
opposite views of reality.
In the gospel, the Pharisees seemed to have looked through the wrong end of the
telescope and they only saw a narrow, restrictive picture of reality. They were
like saying: To heal is to work, and to work is to violate the Sabbath. See for
yourself, look through our telescope! But when Jesus offers them a view from
the other end of the same telescope, they were reluctant to see it; they were
silent, because for them there was only one way of looking through the
telescope, there was only one way of looking at things and it was their way.
So we can imagine how frustrated and annoyed Jesus was with the Pharisees, to
say the least. Surely Jesus was anguished to see their obstinacy. Our obstinacy
will also cause frustration and anguish and even sorrow in others. All because
we stubbornly refuse to look at things from another point of view. We only have
to let go and ask God to help us see wider and clearer; then we will become
wiser.
****
Prayer
God of all grace and peace, you have chosen us to be your
kingdom of peace and love. But we have to acknowledge with shame that there is
still much room for growth. Make our love richer, more sensitive, complete the
work you have begun in us, that we may have a permanent place in your heart and
reflect the perfect goodness of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
