July 30, 2009
Thursday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time
Then the cloud covered the meeting tent, and the glory of the LORD filled the Dwelling. Moses could not enter the meeting tent, because the cloud settled down upon it and the glory of the LORD filled the Dwelling. Exodus 40:34-35
And he replied, "Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old." When Jesus finished these parables, he went away from there. Matthew 13:52-53
Piety
Psalm 84:2-11
How lovely your dwelling, O LORD of hosts! My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the LORD. My heart and flesh cry out for the living God. As the sparrow finds a home and the swallow a nest to settle her young, My home is by your altars, LORD of hosts, my king and my God! Happy are those who dwell in your house! They never cease to praise you.
Happy are those who find refuge in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrim roads. As they pass through the Baca valley, they find spring water to drink. Also from pools the Lord provides water for those who lose their way. They pass through outer and inner wall and see the God of gods on Zion. LORD of hosts, hear my prayer; listen, God of Jacob.
O God, look kindly on our shield; look upon the face of your anointed. Better one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere. Better the threshold of the house of my God than a home in the tents of the wicked.
Study
Moses did as the Lord commanded. By carrying out the instructions from the Lord, Moses made room for the Lord to be present with the Israelites on their journey.
The disciples in Mark’s Gospel did as the Lord commanded. They, too, made room for the Lord in the minds of all the people that they taught. Through their teachings to both Jews and Gentiles, they merged the new lessons from Jesus’ direct teaching and his parables to light the way for the new Exodus – a trip away from the old law to the new law according to the carpenter from Nazareth.
Even though the “new” may have brought fear as the cloud of God descended on the tent, Moses welcomed the Lord. Even though the parables were hard to understand, the disciples worked at understanding them and passing them on. In both cases, the new challenged the comfortable existence of the past to create a new present in the presence of God.
Action
If only we were as obedient as Moses and the disciples. They were not afraid of messages that took them out of their comfort zone.
Instead, we seem to let our differences dictate. We let everything gravitate to a poll. The Universal Healthcare Poll. Sarah Palin for President in 2012 Poll. Would you vote for Barrack Obama Again Poll. Michael Jackson National Holiday Poll. “Should we legalize marijuana to balance the budget?” Poll. Should Brett Favre Retire Poll. Should Michael Phelps wear the new swimsuit to go faster Poll.
Instead of looking for common ground on issues where we might find mutually acceptable solutions, we want to throw out the opinions of those who don’t agree with us even though we will never agree on everything. How boring an existence that would be if we agreed on everything! Instead of accentuating our differences, let’s look for common ways to solve the tough problems.
