Reflection by Jeff Koch
Scripture: Proverbs 31:10-13,19-20,30-31; Psalm 128; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6; Matthew 25:14-30
“Lord said: I think thoughts of peace and not of affection. You will call upon me, and I will answer you, and I will lead back your captives from every place.”
What does God think of me and my life? What if I don’t do that thing that he wants me to do; will he be mad, will he be disappointed? How do I know what I need to do? We can get ourselves so up in the air and worried about things with these kind of thoughts. I believe sometime people have a wrong concept about God, it is almost as if they think He is like a pagan God. If something bad happens, it is because we have doing something wrong or missed something that He want us to do; and He will be out to get us. I am sure I have said this before, but Jesus, the Word made flesh, God with us; is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of the God’s essence. (Hebrews 1:3). He is the the fullness of deity in bodily form (Colossians 2:9). So, God is like Jesus, God has always been like Jesus, we didn’t always know this, but we do now. Jesus shows us the Father. In the Gospels the only time it shows Jesus being upset is when the religious leaders are condemning or judging people as unworthy of God’s love and forgiveness.
What does God want us to do? What I see in our passages, are people just going about every day life, doing what was before them to do. The woman, the wife and mother in Proverbs, seeking to keep her household going, doing the things that needed to be done. Caring for her husband and children, obtaining wool and making clothing. Reaching out to the poor and extend her arms to the needy. The writer speaking for God says, Give her the reward for her labors and let her works praise her. She was just doing what was before her, that needed to be done. And God was pleased!
The people of Thessalonica, were concerned about he coming the Lord. Lord, when would it be, would there loved one be a part of it, wold they be a part of it. Paul tells them to not live in darkness but to simply live as children in the light, children of the day. We don’t live in darkness, simply stay alert living as those children of the day and of the light. Let your light shine before all and when we do, Jesus says they will glorify our father who is in heaven.
Then Jesus tells of the business man who entrusted his employees with his wealth to invest as he would be gone on this long trip. In knowing the employees, he gave one 5, one 2 and another 1. They did what would come naturally for his employees, they invested as their boss would have. They did what was before them to do, well mostly. The one with 5 invested it and doubles his investment, the one with 2 did the same, but the one that was given one, was fearful that the boss would be mad if he did something wrong, so he did nothing, he hid what the boss gave him. When the business leader returned he settle accounts and those who simply did what you do with what you have been given, were praised, “Well done, my good and faithful servant; we all want to hear those words. And what they did was just to do what was before them to do. But the one who misunderstood the nature of the master, concerned with the fear of failing for the fear of not doing the right thing, because he saw the boss and hard demanding, did nothing, and in that buried that talent he had been given. It was his misunderstanding of the character of the Master, coupled with his fear that resulted in hiding what he was given.
In this last employee, we see those who spend their lives worrying and wondering about if they are doing enough, are they doing the right things making the right effort, rather than just doing what was before them to do, what they knew in the heart was the right things to do; to care for their families, clothe them and those who needed to be clothed around them, you know, like Jesus said, feed the hungry, cloth the naked, visit the prisoners. They lived as children the light, children of the day, investing the talents and things God had given them.
You see we need to realize that God knows us and he just wants us to be with him, to love him and others, and to love ourselves and to do what lies before us to do.
As the psalmist says to eat the fruit of our handiwork. Blessed are you and favored. But what would God say? I love this translation of the Proverbs in our entrance antiphon, “ the Lord said, I think thoughts of peace and not of affliction. Call on me and I will answer you and I will bring you home.” God is for us not against us. Relax, just love him, love others as you love yourself and just do what you see that lies before you to do and in that you will be called good and faithful and you can enter into the Fathers, joy!
Grant us, we pray, O Lord our God, the constant gladness of being devoted to you, for it is full and lasting happiness to serve with constancy the author of all that is good. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns wth you in the unity of the Holy Spirit. God, for ever and ever. Amen!”