Year A
Memorial of Saint Wenceslas
Job 1:6-22
Psalm 17:1.2-3.6-7 (R. 6b)
Luke 9:46-50
Receive a little child in my name.
Yesterday we looked at the fact that Jesus Christ as God's knowledge of himself humbled himself to become man. We realized that when we humble ourselves our ideas and knowledge becomes practical or physical.
Today Jesus teaches us something that shows us that no matter the situation we are in God's plan. We just have to have faith and go about our responsibilities and works he has given us.
The statement that links the gospel and the first reading is what Jesus said about the child. "Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me; for he who is least among you all is the one who is great."
So Jesus Christ invites them to be humble by referencing child-likeness as the only thing that shows a person is great. But using a child Jesus Christ as the knowledge of God unlocks another mystery for us to understand that God's ways and thoughts are not ours.
Who is a child? Simply a child is an immature or irresponsible person. A child can do either a good or wrong deed without realizing them, unless they be reprimanded for doing the wrong thing and praised for doing the good thing. Yet Jesus Christ asks us to receive such in his name.
We may be able to receive the good in the name of God, but no body is prepared to encounter something he deems bad for him or her a yet alone believe that it is part of God's plan for him or her. I will admit, it is not easy to accept the fact that God who is all good allows something bad to happen to his children.
However this is what we see in the story of Job in the first reading today. The story even looks like God is gambling with Job's life. But as Albert Einstein said;
"God does not play dice with the Universe"
It means God who is all knowing, all powerful, and eternal has a plan of which Satan as a creature of God as the phrase "sons of God" implies does not either know of or understand. No creature can understand God.
Based on experience I have come to believe that God draws his close friends to the suffering of the Cross so that they will be burning with zeal to do their best to help sinners repent and they continue to live a holy life.
Looking at the things Job lost, we see God's plan. Firstly Oxen, donkeys and servants by the hands of the Sabeans, secondly Sheep and servants by the fire of God from heaven, thirdly camels and servants by the hands of the Chaldeans, and lastly his sons and daughters by a great wind.
One artificial cause follows by a natural course; Sabeans and God's fire from heaven, Chaldeans and a great wind. Even though Satan is our adversary and because of his maliciousness has left the gathering to prowl around on earth as a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (cf. 1 Peter 5:8), as a son of God, he also does the will of God regardless of whatever he destroys. He followed God's instructions to the last detail.
Job's name means hated, the land of Uz means wooded. Now the Sabeans who killed the Oxen, donkeys and servants name means oath and the the Chaldeans who killed the camels and servants name means the cold-breakers or the wisest.
Why will Oath kill oxen, donkeys those who look after them and the wise kill camels and those who look after them? Why will the fire from heaven consume the Sheep and the wind by destroying the building bury his sons and daughters?
The first has a link with the Sabbath law;
Exodus 23:12
For six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you must cease, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the son of your maidservant may be refreshed, as well as the foreign resident.
The second which fire from heaven is akin to Sacrifice we look at either Abraham's Sacrifice (cf. Genesis 15:17), or Elijah's conquer over the ba'al gods and priest (cf. 1 Kings 18:20-40).
The third which is the camels although they represent a sign of wealth, Jeremiah akin it to wayward Israelites (cf. Jeremiah 2:23). And the fourth leads us to recognize dust returning to dust. Thus as the language of death is strong in these four circumstances, Satan's point is that non-existence is better than entering into life.
But as Job as the righteous is hated according to the meaning of his name, and is in the land of Uz which means wooded. He pointed to the fact that Jesus Christ as the righteous one of God and God made flesh will come to lead us into life through the wood of the Cross.
By Sylvester Amakye-Quayson
Comments
Post a Comment