BELIEVE IN JESUS
“Why
have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert, where there is
no food or water? We are disgusted with this wretched food!” Thus says
our First Reading. The Israelites complain against God and Moses.
Perhaps we, too, complain immediately when things are not according to
our liking or when they are not up to our standards. Luckily, we don’t
get punished at all for our complaints. But we have to be aware of our
stubborn dissatisfaction. Only God satisfies — and we have no right to
complain about things here on earth.
Jesus in today’s Gospel reminds us: “You belong to what is
below, I belong to what is above.” If we remain stuck with the momentary
matters and affairs of this world, we will find it hard to be “lifted
up” to greater heights. Just like the Jews who seemed lost and unable to
figure out what Jesus was saying, we will also be incapable of grasping
the Lord’s message to us.
That would be pathetic, for there is already a finality in God’s
revelation to us in His Son Jesus. At the risk of being misunderstood or
accused of blasphemy, Jesus refers to Himself with the Hebrew title of
God, “I AM.” And as the concluding verse of the Gospel passage points
out, “Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him.”
Do we also believe in Jesus? Or do we continue complaining about the petty matters of this world? Fr. Martin Macasaet, SDB
REFLECTION QUESTION: Do you tend to complain to Jesus when things do not turn out the way you expect them to be?
Lord Jesus, tame my tongue and train my heart to be content whenever I start complaining.
|
||
No comments:
Post a Comment