Word to the Wise
Sunday, July 28, 2013 - 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time - C
[Gen 18:20-32; Col 2:12-14; Luke 11:1-13]I tell you, if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.
Many parents know the experience of bargaining with a teenager about chores or social life, etc.. It is not just the relationship that is involved, it may very well be the persistence of the teen that will win the day since wise parents know that certain requests are not as "serious" as others! Wise teens know that certain things are negotiable and which ones are not. But there is always that dual dynamic of relationship and persistence! Knowing HOW and WHEN to ask is also important. The neighbor in need in today's gospel probably knows that by asking at an inconvenient time, he may more likely get his wish!
Abraham bargains with God over the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah. In the Middle East, haggling and negotiating are refined to an art! God knows that Abraham will both win and lose. He will win because God will agree to spare the city if even only 10 good people are found in it. God will win because God knows there AREN'T 10 good people in the city! Abraham can bargain with God because of the relationship he [Abraham] has with God. And Abraham persists in the dialogue till he gets what he wants - God's assurance that they have a "deal."
I suspect that many of us from time to time will "bargain" with God! I consider this to be the most "real" of all the different kinds of prayer! We go "face to face" with God about our needs. In today's gospel, Jesus doesn't promise the particular concrete result we want but rather that God will give us the help we need - the Holy Spirit to guide us in our necessity. By our persistence we strengthen our relationship to God and gain confidence in facing whatever challenges arise. Whether it is bread or the fate of a city, our faith in God and our persistence in prayer will sustain us through it all. AMEN