Rebellion and Humility (Tuesday, Lent 2)

-

Isaiah primarily prophesied to the people of Judah. But in the first reading (cf. Isa. 1:10.16-20), it appears as if he was addressing the rulers and people of Sodom and Gomorrah. Gen. 18 and 19 tell the story of the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah and their total destruction by God’s judgment. In other words, by the time Isaiah prophesied, the two cities were no more. So, which Sodom and Gomorrah was Isaiah talking about? Isaiah, being a poet, employed the poetic devices (such as simile, metaphor and so on) in communicating his message. Because of the great atrocities attributed to the original cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, they became strong metaphors for evil and grave rebellion. In his prophecy then, Isaiah was obviously comparing Judah with Sodom and Gomorrah.


When we go back to Genesis and take a look at the conversation between God and Abraham as he negotiated and pleaded that God should spare Sodom and Gomorrah, we see how irredeemable the situation was that there was not even a single righteous person in those cities (cf. Gen. 18:23-33). From the young to the old, everyone of them was guilty of great rebellion against God. In comparing Judah with Sodom and Gomorrah, Isaiah indicated that the people of Judah had become greatly rebellious that there was an urgent need for them to come back to God, reason with Him, learn to do good and then avert any imminent disaster.  


Sin finds a comfortable harbor in a rebellious heart: a heart that does not obey instructions and accept corrections. Such a heart needs the medicine of humility in order to be free of the malady of rebellion. Humility quenches the fire of rebellion in our hearts. It helps us realize that we don’t know it all, we don’t have it all and that we are nothing. This awareness cannot but push us to submit to God and accept His instructions, corrections and direction.


Lack of humility fuels hypocrisy. Those who claim that they know it all, that they can do it all and that they have it all sometimes end up as hypocrites. A clear example is the scribes and Pharisees who were described as not doing what they preach (cf. Matt. 23:1-12). Lack of humility makes one have a false image of self: that is why the scribes and the Pharisees were so desirous for titles, special positions and recognition.


With the virtue of humility, we won’t be worried about titles, positions and recognition but will be much more worried about our need for God.


Prayer:

Lord, may you quench the fire of rebellion in my heart; and in humility, may I always submit to you and accept your instructions, corrections and direction, Amen!


Have a fruitful Lenten journey!



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Gifts versus the Giver (Monday, Week 20, Year II)

-
Image
A gift, by the virtue of what it is, is given. In other words, there must be a giver. Gift can come or be in the form of a good friendship or relationship, material thing, good job, personal talent, and so on. Every cherished gift is the delight of our eyes, the pride of our power and the desire of our souls. The gifts that we possess should then remind us of the giver. It smacks of arrogance and ingratitude when gifts are used without acknowledging or making reference to the giver. For the Jews, the Temple or Sanctuary was the delight of their eyes, the pride of their power and the desire of their souls. It was a precious gift which they jealously guarded. However, they adorned the Sanctuary but did not truly adore the One for whom the Sanctuary exists. They were too attached to the “gift” (sanctuary) but were completely detached from the Giver of the gift – from Yahweh. Ezekiel prophesied to them that this sanctuary which was their delight will be profaned and taken away from them. M
Read more

Persecution and Triumph, the Two Realities of Christian life (Saturday, Week 33, Year 2, The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

-
Image
The book of Revelation is full of symbols and imageries that need to be carefully interpreted for us to understand the message they communicate. In today’s first reading (cf. Rev. 11:4-12), John was told about two olive trees and two lamp stands serving as witnesses to the Holy One. Who or what do these two sets of witnesses (olive trees and lamp stand) stand for? When we read further in order to understand what happened to these two witnesses, it may be a bit clear to us that the “two witnesses” may be pointing to Moses and Elijah, judging from what they did on earth and what they stand for. Moses stands for the Law; and Elijah stands for the Prophet. Anyone who bears witness as Moses bore witness to the Law of God must be persecuted by the beast as the first reading (from the Book of Revelation) recounted. Anyone who bears witness to the messages of truth as Elijah and other prophets did must be persecuted just as the prophets were persecuted. Persecution is a fate that awaits every
Read more

Enkindle the Embers of Unity, Quench the Fire of Disunity (Wednesday, Week 22, Year A)

-
Image
For some time now, we have heard Paul talk about the spiritual and the unspiritual: what it means to live and operate on the level of the Spirit (the spiritual) and on the level of the flesh (the unspiritual). Paul was very emphatic about this topic possibly because he was addressing a group of people who were too intellectual and academic in their approach to the things of God and all of that. Remember that the Corinthians were Greek; and the ancient Greeks were known to be too particular and more interested in intellectualism, sophistry, philosophy and human wisdom. And we must not forget that Paul has been very suspicious of over-reliance on worldly/human wisdom in understanding and appreciating the things of the Spirit. To rely more on human/worldly wisdom is a sign that one may be operating on the level of the flesh; and to operate on the level of the flesh breeds a whole lot of vices such as division or sectionalism, hedonism, and so on. In today’s section of that letter to the C
Read more