Word to the Wise
Sunday, July 9, 2017 - 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time - A
[Zech 9:9-10; Rom 8:9, 11-13; Matt 11:25-30]SUNDAY, JULY 9, 2017 - FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME [Zechariah 9:9-10; Romans 8:9, 11-13; Matthew 11:25-30] "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." [Matthew] Despite Jesus' words in the beatitude, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth," and his invitation to learn from him to be meek and humble of heart, I don't think "meekness" would be at the top of the ten most admired qualities on our American cultural list. We tend to associate it with "docility" and "passivity" and other less aggressive traits. It is not what we associate with forcefulness, strength and action. Yet our scriptures for today clearly extol meekness as a quality that is divine. Therein lies a spiritual challenge. I think the quality of meekness invites us to consider the ability to listen and be attentive. Without this, we are not going to be receptive to what Jesus is telling us. I think it invites us to join with the blessed peacemakers from an additional beatitude to look for non-violent ways to deal with conflict. I think it invites us to look more closely at the example of Jesus in the face of his arrest, torture and crucifixion. I think it invites us to consider the force of integrity instead of the force of arms. I think it frees us from the yoke of cultural norms that extol acquisitiveness and ambition that leave us outside the preaching and teaching of Jesus. The gospel continually challenges us to look more closely at the way our culture preaches in contrast to the way Jesus preached. AMEN
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