A Different Way
Father Phil Paxton, CP
To All,
Over these past few weeks of Lent, our Scripture readings have brought home to me that God’s ways are not our ways. In a time when we are witnessing wars and violence and division, I can almost feel the Scriptures crying out to us to choose something different; to choose God’s ways over our ways. And I know I myself can sound like a broken record (Is there a 21st Century equivalent to a “broken record?”) as I keep hearing the same message and trying to share it as I receive it.
Maybe in that last sentence I was feeling a bit sorry for myself. But now is not the time for me to feel sorry for myself, or for us to feel sorry for ourselves. There are a lot of good people doing good work, working for justice, and helping to alleviate the sufferings of others. So, may we listen to God calling us to a way different from the ways of the world.
In our first reading for Sunday (Jeremiah 31:31-34), God speaks through the prophet: “…this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts. I will be their God, and they shall be my people… All, from least to greatest, shall know me, says the Lord, for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more.” Wow! Again, we are reminded of God’s mercy! This forgiveness that we hear is not something that we bought, but what God has granted us. What is our response?
In our second reading (Hebrews 5:7-9), the author writes about Jesus: “Son, though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” The way of the world is to run away from suffering, or to inflict suffering on others, trying to coerce “obedience.” But when we take up our crosses, we draw closer to God and to God’s love for us, and, instead of being forced, we willingly follow the will of the One who loves us so much.
In our Gospel reading (John 12:20-33), when Philip and Andrew come to tell Jesus that some Greeks want to see Him, He says, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” Later on, when Jesus admits feeling “troubled,” He also says, “Father, glorify your name.” And then a voice from heaven says, “I have glorified it and I will glorify it again.” The crowd hears the voice but do not recognize it as the voice of God. And then Jesus answers them and says, “This voice did not come for my sake but for yours. Now is the time of judgement on this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.”
The Father’s name is not glorified by conquest or domination, but by the sacrifice of the Son. The “ruler of this world” is not driven out by force, but by love. And on the Cross, Jesus draws everyone to Himself. And yet we’re still tempted to think that dominance over others is the answer. We still hope that enough violence will end violence. But this is insane thinking.
May the Cross of Christ open our minds to understand God’s ways of mercy and love, justice and peace. May the Cross of Christ, and the crosses we bear, open us to each other, and lead us to love, mercy, justice, and peace.
I welcome any comments or questions. Thanks for your time.
In Christ,
Phil, CP