Daily Reflection – 9/19/2023
Sacred Scripture
Soon afterward he went to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. As he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a large crowd from the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” And he came and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” And the dead man sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all; and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” And this report concerning him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country. (Luke 7: 11-17)
Reflection
When we are desperate, we turn to the Lord.
That’s part of the human condition. When we have no other options, when we have painted ourselves into a corner, when we are at our wits end, when we are confronting tragedy in our lives, we cry out to the Lord to help us.
But when things are running smoothly, when our finances and our relationships are healthy and productive, we congratulate ourselves on how our earnest efforts and wise decisions have led to our success.
Now, do not misunderstand me. There is nothing wrong with turning to the Lord when we are desperate. People in crisis continually approached Jesus throughout his public ministry. In today’s gospel, the widow was mourning her son’s death and as Jesus approached the funeral procession, his compassion and love moved him to effect a miracle. He raised the widow’s son from the funeral bier and brought him back to life.
This scripture reminds us that Jesus is Lord not only of the living but of the dead as well. When Jesus died on the cross for our sins he also triumphed over the grave when he rose again on the third day, just as he had promised his disciples. Jesus promises everyone who believes in him, that because he lives (and will never die again), we also shall have abundant life with and in him both now and forever (John 14:19).
We should never feel embarrassed or apologetic about coming to the Lord in a time of need. We should never hesitate to cry out to the Lord when we find ourselves in a crisis. In faith we believe that God will hear us and will act. But what a waste it is to wait until we are in crisis. What a waste it is to wait until we are desperate before we turn to the Lord. It is a waste because it is not what God wants. It is a waste because it is not what we need.
Now without a doubt God is our savior, our helper, and our healer. But God wants to be more to us than that. God has revealed God’s self as father, as mother, as lover, as friend. Why God loves us so, is a mystery, but that God loves us so, is the gospel. So we diminish our relationship with God when we approach God simply as a problem solver. We ignore what God wants when we approach God only as the “Mr. Fix-it” for our lives. It is a waste for us to approach God only as the healer of our ills. God wants more! God wants to share life with us. God wants our love. Approaching God only as a savior is not what God wants.
Neither is it what we need. How much richer our lives would be if we turned to God not only when we were desperate but every day of our lives. How much wealth and joy would we have in our lives if we turned to God not only when things were in crisis but when things were running smoothly, and blessings were overflowing.
If we could begin each day remembering God’s love, if we could be conscious of God’s presence as we face each event and each person, how much deeper, more thankful, more joyful our lives would be. That kind of living is exactly what we need. It is a waste when we only turn to God in crisis.
So if you are in dire need, if you are at your wit’s end, if you cannot find a parking place, then by all means call out to God for help. To believe that God will hear and help you is central to the gospel.
But don’t wait until you are in crisis before you turn to God. Take God with you to every moment of every day. God is loving you now. Claim that love today. That is what God wants. That is what we need.
Prayer of The Day
“Lord Jesus, your healing presence brings life and restores us to wholeness of mind, body, and spirit. Speak your word to me and give me renewed hope, strength, and courage to follow you in the midst of life’s sorrows and joys.”
Daily Note
The compassion of Jesus has no parallels because no one can ever done for us that which Jesus does. Born in love, he is love. Every moment of our lives, his love surrounds us. If we can just remember that. If we could simply bring ourselves to reach out for his love, then every day would be a true blessing. Reach out for his love, wait in silence for his answer and then walk out to the brightest day of your life
