Scripture Notes: Worry (Matthew 6)

“And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to the span of his life?” Jesus challenges every one of us with this question, especially those of us who are prone to letting our worries run away with us. Just before He speaks these words Jesus tells us not to be anxious about our lives, about what we should eat or drink or wear. There is simply more to life than these things. God knows that we need them, and He provides them. If He does this for the birds and the flowers, He will certainly do this for us. We are more important than birds and flowers, for we are God’s children.

But do we really believe this? We might claim to. We certainly want to. But do we live like we do? Do we actively fight against our worries? Do we place them in God’s hands, trusting that He really will care for us, just as He promised? The honest answer for most of us is “no,” for in our fallen nature, worry often overwhelms us, and our faith and trust slip.

There are many things in life that we cannot change, many things we do not understand. But God is in control over every single one of them. What He wills and allows is always for our good in some way. So what have we to worry about? As Jesus asks, can being anxious add even a minute to our lives? In other words, will it do any good? No.

So what should we do then? Jesus tells us, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.” Put God first. Focus on Him. Believe in Him; trust Him; love Him. Be right with Him. Cast our cares upon Him in trusting prayer, knowing that He cares for us more than we can imagine (1 Peter 5:7). And truly believe that He works all things for good for those of us who love Him (Romans 8:28).

Scripture Notes: A Day of Silence

Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus have wrapped the broken body of Jesus in linen cloths and placed it gently and reverently, with great love, in the tomb as the women watched. They could do no more, for the Sabbath was approaching. Now they and Jesus’ other disciples wait. They mourn. They have little hope, if any, at this point, for they do not understand Jesus’ proclamations that He would rise from the dead.

There is one exception. As the Blessed Virgin Mary grieves, she hopes. She knows her Son will rise, but she feels His absence. She mourns His suffering, even though she fully consented to His sacrifice. But she waits in faith and love, for she knows the story is not over.

On this Holy Saturday, we wait with the disciples and with our Lady, and we imitate Mary’s faith, hope, and love, preparing our hearts to receive the risen Jesus anew tomorrow on Easter Sunday.

Scripture Notes: A Challenge (Acts 13)

Paul and Barnabas are on the job. The church at Antioch has sent them out to spread the Gospel far and wide, but these Christians do not act on their own. They are guided by the Holy Spirit to set apart Paul and Barnabas for His work. Paul and Barnabas humbly obey.  Off to Cyprus they go!

The first thing Paul and Barnabas meet is a challenge, in the form of one Elymas Bar-Jesus, a magician who has the ear of the local leader, Sergius Paulus. Elymas Bar-Jesus is far from the “son” of Jesus, and far from being His follower, for he tries to turn Sergius away from Paul and Barnabas. He does not want Sergius to learn the truth, for that would deprive him of his favor and of the control he wants to have over other people through whatever “signs” or tricks he can conjure up.

Paul and Barnabas don’t hesitate for a moment. They recognize this guy for who he is, and Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, confronts him. “You son of the devil,” he declares (probably in a strong, ringing voice), “you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?” He knows full well that Elymas will not stop, for he is warped in his very soul, bent and crooked, and he wants to make others look just like him.

So Paul delivers God’s chastisement upon the magician, and at once Elymas becomes blind. His false power, whatever there was of it, is gone. He must rely on others to guide him physically. If he had done so spiritually, he would not now be in this state.

Sergius is properly impressed, and he puts his faith in Jesus, believing the message delivered by Paul and Barnabas. What happens to Elymas?  Does he come to faith and regain his sight?  Or does he remain stubborn in heart and dark in eyes?  We simply don’t know.  But he definitely lost his challenge against Paul and Barnabas.

Scripture Notes: Vocations (Sirach 38-39)

Sirach was a life-long seeker of wisdom. He studied. He taught. He traveled. He meditated. He threw his whole self into the role that God had given to him, focused always on giving back to God and outward to other people. But Sirach also recognized that not everyone has the same vocation. God has given different talents and skills to different people, and everyone is valuable. Everyone must work together to make the community flourish.

In chapters 38 and 39, Sirach reflects on these various vocations. The scribe, he says, the seeker of wisdom, must have the leisure to pursue the life of the mind. But others are not so inclined. The farmers and craftsmen, the smiths and potters, they may not be devoted to learning, but they practice their crafts with great attention and devotion, striving to produce the best possible products. They carry on the ancient handiwork of God, and “keep stable the fabric of the world” (Sir 38:34). Without them, society could not function.

And without the skilled workers, scribes/scholars could not practice their own God-given vocation. Seekers of wisdom, says Sirach, study God’s revelation. They discover wisdom in the writings of the past and present. They delve deeply into proverbs and parables, teasing out the hidden mysteries of difficult dilemmas. But they do not do this only for themselves. Part of learning is teaching. Wisdom is meant to be shared. And even more, learning and wisdom must lead to prayer and repentance and worship. They must lead to an ever-closer relationship with God. This is the highest joy of a scribe, finding and loving the Source of all wisdom.