On God's Side

Aug 20: Memorial of Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church

Today’s readings consider our relationship with God, specifically how we can judge whether or not we’re in right relation to God or not.

Reading 1

Ez 28:1-10

The word of the LORD came to me:

Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre: Thus says the Lord GOD: Because you are haughty of heart, you say, “A god am I! I occupy a godly throne in the heart of the sea!”— And yet you are a man, and not a god, however you may think yourself like a god.

Oh yes, you are wiser than Daniel, there is no secret that is beyond you. By your wisdom and your intelligence you have made riches for yourself; You have put gold and silver into your treasuries. By your great wisdom applied to your trading you have heaped up your riches; your heart has grown haughty from your riches–therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have thought yourself to have the mind of a god, Therefore I will bring against you foreigners, the most barbarous of nations.

They shall draw their swords against your beauteous wisdom, they shall run them through your splendid apparel. They shall thrust you down to the pit, there to die a bloodied corpse, in the heart of the sea. Will you then say, “I am a god!” when you face your murderers? No, you are man, not a god, handed over to those who will slay you. You shall die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of foreigners, for I have spoken, says the Lord GOD.

Prosperity isn’t a sign that one has become a god. The prince of Tyre has made himself rich with great wisdom and intelligence. But notice that God doesn’t condemn him for that.

The condemnation comes when the prince becomes haughty and believes he has the mind of a god. That’s the real issue here.

Responsorial Psalm

Dt 32:26-27ab, 27cd-28, 30, 35cd-36ab

R. (39c)  It is I who deal death and give life.
“I would have said, ‘I will make an end of them
and blot out their name from men’s memories,’
Had I not feared the insolence of their enemies,
feared that these foes would mistakenly boast.”
R. It is I who deal death and give life.
“‘Our own hand won the victory;
the LORD had nothing to do with it.’”
For they are a people devoid of reason,
having no understanding.
R. It is I who deal death and give life.
“How could one man rout a thousand,
or two men put ten thousand to flight,
Unless it was because their Rock sold them
and the LORD delivered them up?”
R. It is I who deal death and give life.
Close at hand is the day of their disaster,
and their doom is rushing upon them!
Surely, the LORD shall do justice for his people;
on his servants he shall have pity.
R. It is I who deal death and give life.

Just like prosperity, victory in battle doesn’t mean God is on your side. If God were to abandon the Israelites, their enemies would believe they won based on their own skills.

God won’t allow the Israelites to be completely wiped out, but he may allow them to be reduced in numbers before delivering victory.

Alleluia

2 Cor 8:9

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich
so that by his poverty you might become rich.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

God didn’t have to become man, but he chose to, out of pure love for us.

Gospel

Mt 19:23-30

Jesus said to his disciples: "Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God."

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, "Who then can be saved?"

Jesus looked at them and said, "For men this is impossible, but for God all things are possible."

Then Peter said to him in reply, "We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?"

Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first."

There are a number of valid interpretations of the “eye of the needle” thing, but honestly, it’s not important. Take it literally, if you like. Many people do, in order to promote some political cause or other in the name of Christianity. But you can’t take that line out of context. Literally two verses later, Jesus says that it’s possible, for God.

But if you have given up everything for Jesus and the Gospel, like the apostles did and priests and nuns do now, you’ll be given a special place in heaven.

We have to sacrifice something. We aren’t perfect the way we are; in order to make God the center of our lives, something else is going to have to move out of the way.