Co-workers in Truth November 18

Beloved, you are faithful in all you do for the brothers, especially for strangers; they have testified to your love before the church. Please help them in a way worthy of God to continue their journey. 3 John 5-6

But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? Luke 18:8

Piety

Let us pray. Jesus, help us to follow your instructions for being Christian and for having an active pray life and conversation with God. Supported by piety, study and action, help us be self-less co-workers in truth, following you and assisting others even if they are strangers to us. Deliver us from evil and grant us peace today so that we might do what pleases you. Amen.

Study
http://www.usccb.org/nab/111806.shtml

What will Jesus find when He returns? Co-workers in truth or hypocrites like the judge in Luke’s Gospel?

Today, we find a short instruction sheet by Jesus on why we should pray. Let’s not treat this passage like we do other instructions, tossing them aside and doing what we think is the right thing to do.

Jesus uses the hypocritical judge as a counter point to God. Faced with the persistence of the widow, the judge finally relents and grants the widow what she wants.

But why does he do so? Because he loves her? Hardly. Because she is right? No. He does it for fear that she might come back and turn against him. He is afraid that she might resort to violence against him and maybe give him a black eye either literally or give a black eye to his reputation in the community. The judge acts out of selfish reasons.

God on the other hand will grant to us what we pray for with persistence despite the fact that we do turn against him in sin repeatedly and with persistence. We not only give him a black eye but we turn against his Son whom God sent to save us. God forgives us and grants us what we seek out of self-less reasons.

God wants us to be co-workers in truth, not acting out of selfish reasons like the judge but acting out of faith – piety, study and action – like those who provide hospitality and material support to missionaries as did Gaius in the Third Letter of John.

Action

Will Jesus find selfish judges when he comes back to Virginia or will he find people supporting the mission of the Church?

For him to find co-workers in the truth, we would be well to consider some more of Arthur Simon’s suggestions (here is part four of his list):

9. Give wisely. At Christmas, we tend to give things not needed to people not in need. Exercise restraint. Keep the focus on Christ. Give at least as much to the poor as to the prosperous. Get personally involved with someone or some family in need.
10. Begin to see the world through the eyes of God. Practice relating to others through the heart and mind of Christ.
11. Turn off the TV.
12. Spend more time with family.