The associated reading for this reflection can be found in your Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal or online here.
“Don’t run in the street.”
“Clean up after yourself.”
“Say please and thank you.”
“Don’t touch that.”
“Go help your brother.”
I have seen and heard these phrases in my life and you probably have too. My parents were just trying to make me a better person. And no matter the number of times my mom and dad tried to help me, I would continuously be disobedient and do what I thought was better or more fun. And in turn, this lead to things like broken elbows and broken friendships. However, in the end, the intentions of my mom and dad are for the best interest of me and who I would later become.
And in a lot of ways, I treat the church the same way I treated my parents when I was younger. God gives you and me commands that will lead us and others closer to Christ. Time and time again, deep down inside, I don’t know if they are going to work! I mean, what if we get Christian scientists that prove God's existence to the unbelievers and talk people into knowing Jesus? Right? I would begin to think “this will work...” and God tells us that all that we have to do is love one another, and the world will believe. I have to do exactly what he is saying and love the same way Jesus loved. It is time to listen to Jesus and do what He is saying.
In the light of today’s first reading, God is calling for obedience. He is commanding the Israelites to be obedient and not add or remove anything that He is asking of them. The Israelites hear these commands from God and are actively being disobedient and pursuing their ideas. It can be difficult for me too whenever I read scripture or hear from God. I often think “okay... can I still carry on doing what I am already doing and be obedient to that passage? Can I still keep things the way things are or will this interrupt my plans?” And if you are listening to me, the answer is no! I cannot listen to what God is saying and do something different.
I can no longer allow fear to hold me back from whom God is calling me to be. Every time I put off holiness until tomorrow means that the devil has won today. My hope for you is this: listen to God, and stop trying to think that your strategic plan is better than God’s plan for you. You and I will never grow closer to Jesus by just aimlessly living life the way we want. You and I have to set ablaze our hearts and be a part of the wildfire God is starting in our hearts.
Jacob Bentzinger resides in Kansas City and has been an editorial and commercial photographer since 2016 and has been shooting for the Church since 2018. Jacob spends most of his time behind a camera or next to a cup of coffee...But not just any coffee — an iced americano. You can find him on Instagram or check out his website.