Daily Reflection – July 12, 2016

Tuesday 12 July 2016

First Reading: Isaiah 7:1-9
Responsorial Psalm:
God upholds his city for ever
Psalm 47(48):2-8
Gospel Reading: Matthew 11:20-24


Today’s Note: Tuesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel Reading:

Jesus began to reproach the towns
where most of his mighty deeds had been done,
since they had not repented.
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst
had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable
for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum:

Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the nether world.

For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom,
it would have remained until this day.
But I tell you, it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

Reflection:

Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm! (Isaiah 7:9)

Judah’s King Ahaz had reason to be afraid. Assyria was threatening every country in the Middle East. The northern kingdoms of Israel and Syria had invited Judah to join them in a military alliance, but Ahaz refused. He preferred to become a vassal of Assyria. So Israel and Syria besieged Jerusalem, intending to replace Ahaz with a non-Davidic ruler willing to join them. In the face of this threat, Ahaz and his people found their hearts trembling like leaves in the wind.

So God sent Isaiah to reassure Ahaz: “Remain tranquil and do not fear” (Isaiah 7:4). Trust in the Lord to deliver you, he said. If you have trouble trusting him, ask for a sign. But Ahaz chose to rely on Assyria rather than on the Lord. And in that choice, he showed that he preferred the security of a power he could see and feel over faith in an invisible God. Unable to follow Isaiah’s urging to stand firm, he gave in to his fears and asked a pagan king to protect him instead.

What makes you “tremble” today? Perhaps you are perplexed about how to resolve a complicated situation. Perhaps you’re aware of your inadequacies in dealing with a challenge. Perhaps you feel you’ve messed up so badly that it can’t be fixed.

These are good starting points, actually. It’s good to tremble every now and then. It’s one way to be reminded of your limitations and your need for God. But for heaven’s sake, don’t stay there. Move forward! When you find yourself lacking in wisdom, lean into God’s wisdom, and you’ll find strength you never knew you had. When you know you can’t do something, take a calming breath, and rejoice in God, who can do everything. When you are faced with your failures, thank the Lord that he is faithful to forgive and swift to cleanse your conscience.

Don’t be like Ahaz! God will win out. He has a good plan, far better than anything you can devise. So “remain tranquil and do not fear” (Isaiah 7:4).