Praise be Jesus Christ, forever and ever.
This is Priesthood Sunday.
Those who have been called to be priests in Christ’s Holy Church are called to
a special place. A place of service to God. Truth is we are called to
priesthood.
God wants us to serve him;
but, not everyone wants to answer that call. Many want a God that serves them. It is the reality of most of the modern world’s
perception of God.
This world has led people
to create a god of human expectations. In those expectations, they treat their
god as a pet. It is kept in a box and taken out when needed or to show it off. Then
when they think they have gotten what they ask of their god, they put it back
in the box and back on the shelf, out of sight and out of mind.
Friends, if you think that
is God, you are wrong. God does not serve us. God is way bigger than anything
we can imagine and infinitely beyond anything we can control.
That is shown in today’s readings.
In the 1st reading, Moses is feeling the pressure and
responsibility of the role God has given to him. It is a hard and burdensome
role; so, God gives him help.
Moses calls 70 community leaders to the tent of
meeting and they receive the Spirit of God. Then the unexpected happens, two men (Eldad
and Medad) failed to come to the tent of meeting, yet they still received the
Spirit of God and prophesied. And Joshua was amazed, confused and probably a
little upset. Moses, my lord, stop them.
In the Gospel, the apostle John has a similar
experience. Like Joshua, John was amazed, confused, and probably a little
upset. “Master,
we saw a man casting out devils in your name; and because he was not one of us
we tried to stop him.”
The response of Joshua and John was a human response.
They were basically putting God in a box. They expected God to respond as they
would respond. They expected a human reality and were amazed and confused by the
action of God’s will.
God, our creator’s will does not depend on us. God is
absolutely free, God has His own logic of operation for his will and his plan
for creation. Psalms 115 says “Our God in heaven does whatever he wills.”
As God’s creatures we received our freedom, our free
will, from God. The problem is people want to use their free will to decide God’s
will by interpreting it with human conditions and expectations.
Our plans are usually biased by our limited nature
and understanding. No matter how hard
humanity tries, it cannot change God will based on human conditions and terms.
This is where people tend to their own personal
interpretation of god. They put that god in a box for their own purpose. Many
want a god for fine clothes, fancy cars, and wealth. None of this will bring
them true happiness.
It is their will not God’s will.
No matter what we say or what we think, God’s will is
infinitely mysterious and greater than our own. God’s will steers creation to the
place of His plan and purposes.
God sent his spirit upon Medad and Eldad to prophesize.
God’s will for the man John saw driving
our demons in Jesus’ name was to glorify him. God’s will for us is service.
People in the world tend to put their god in a box. That
opens them to sin. Jesus tells us the result of sin is the unquenchable fires
of Gehenna.
Father, we wish you a blessing and grace on this
Sunday that celebrates your priesthood. Those who have been called to be
priests in Christ’s Holy Church are called to a special place which is in the service
to God.
We are all called to be e good, be holy, and preach
the Gospel. Prophesy to others by the way you live your life and love one
another. Amen.
Praise be Jesus Christ, fore ever and ever. Amen.
