This was according to the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness of speech and confidence of access through faith in him. Ephesians 3:12
“Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.” Luke 12:48
Piety
God’s Grandeur by Gerard Manley Hopkins, SJ[1]
THE WORLD is charged with the grandeur of God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
And wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.
And for all this, nature is never spent;
There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And though the last lights off the black West went
Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs—
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.
Study
http://www.usccb.org/nab/102506.shtml
Access. Confidence. Boldness.
Who are we to do God’s work or to even to claim to do God’s work? That statement alone sounds bold and brash. Why are we chosen over our neighbor?
Paul, in writing to the Ephesians, realizes that the audience is likely wondering exactly this point about himself. In humility, Paul presents himself as the least of all holy ones to do this task.
To me, the very least of all the holy ones, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the inscrutable riches of Christ, and to bring to light [for all] what is the plan of the mystery hidden from ages past in God who created all things, so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the principalities and authorities in the heavens. (Ephesians 3:8-10)
Therefore, it is only through faith that any of us have access to God and the message to be preached. Once we, like Paul, have been shown the way of the Lord, then it behooves us to do that task.
Today we have lobbyists and public relations staff to announce our stories to the world. These women and men will boast of their access to the work of Congress or other government leaders. They will try to shape, cajole and convince the rest of us that the client-friendly (i.e. corporate message) also good for the rest of society whether we know it or not.
But today, Paul turns the tables. He preaches a message about the “riches of Christ” that is authentically good and important to the Jews and the Gentiles. He does so because Paul has “access through faith” to Christ. This access also comes along with special gifts of the Holy Spirit that include the boldness of speech.
Peter then poses the question on everyone’s mind: “Surely you don’t mean this message for me alone? You mean this for everyone right Lord?”
But the ever-vigilant servant awaiting the Master’s return has no choice except to preach the Good News – “of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.” Luke 12:48
We might be able to close our eyes to what God shows us. By doing so, we can claim that we do not see the Grandeur of God.
We might also be able to close our mouths to what God wants us to say. By doping so we can flood the airways with trivial messages about sport scores and headlines and trivial pursuits.
But, did you ever try to close your ears. Putting your hands over them won’t work because sound still creeps in. Filling your ears with headphones and earbuds from your I-pod or CD player or radio won’t do the trick either because other sounds inevitably seep in. We can not close our ears. The message comes to us no matter how distracted we might claim to be.
Action
You do not have to look around to long or too far to realize that we have been granted much in the way of worldly treasures in addition to the riches of Christ.
If we “know the Masters’ will,” and do not complete the task, then we will be beaten severely. So taking action in the world is NOT AN OPTION. It’s too late to hold our hands over our eyes, ears and mouth.
What message is Christ trying to get across to you today? Perhaps he wants you to hear more about the witness of people who have seen his work surrounding the death penalty. That message will be particularly evident tonight when the Journey of Hope comes to Northern Virginia to speak out.
The Journey of Hope includes witness from persons of all faiths who victims of the death penalty including a person who has lost loved ones by murder; a person who had been wrongly accused and freed; and a person who is a loved one of someone on death row.
As a caring person, what do you know and how do you feel about the death penalty? Come at 7:30 p.m. and open your mind and heart to these story tellers who know far too well the damage, abuse, inhumanity and suffering that the death penalty causes. Tonight’s event is held at St. Mary of Sorrows, 5222 Sideburn Road, Fairfax, VA just off Braddock Road, about six miles west of the Beltway.
Or maybe you need to hear more about affordable housing here in the wealthy suburbs? Or how to advocate for free and fair trade with people from depressed societies? God is preaching in the world on all these subjects. Will you listen?
[1] http://www.bartleby.com/122/7.html
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