God Just Can't Quit Us

Preparing for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, One Day Before Sunday (Year C)

Scripture

Psalter: Psalm 138

Old Testament: Judges 3:7-11

Gospel: Luke 4:42-44

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Prayer

God of every land and nation, you have created all people and you dwell among us in Jesus Christ. Listen to the cries of those who pray to you, and grant that, as we proclaim the greatness of your name, all people will know the power of love at work in the world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Reflection

Human beings are predictable. We see this clearly in the Book of Judges. Indeed, when one reads the book it feels like second verse same as the first. The cycle throughout Judges repeats itself several times as follows:

The people disobey God and do what is “right in their own eyes.”

The Israelites are oppressed.

God raises a judge (deliverer) to free the people.

The land has rest.

The people disobey God and do what is “right in their own eyes.”

The Israelites are oppressed.

And here we go again.

Throughout the Bible, God is portrayed as patient beyond human reason. In fact, while we do read in some places that God gets angry, those times in Israel’s history are few and far between. Most of the time God is sorry or sad at the behavior of his people.

The people of Israel whine and accuse God and Moses throughout the Sinai journey and most of the time we are told that God gives them what they want with no commentary on how God feels about the situation. God acts in Israel’s best interest even when Israel has no idea what is best for them.

During the time of the Judges, the Monarchy, and the Divided Kingdoms the leaders of God’s people, political and religious often fall into idolatry and corruption. There are consequences to be had for sure, but God does not give up. God continues to strive with his people and even when he pronounces impending judgment, it is offered within the context of repentance and much patience throughout the decades.

The Prophets of Israel offer a new start if they will only heed the word of the Lord and return to the worship of Yahweh and obey once again the divine law. God sends prophet after prophet, and for the most part their word is rejected in favor of false prophets who offer the message the people want to hear—you’re doing fine as you are.

From Genesis to Revelation, one theme becomes clear—God loves God’s people, God loves all people, God loves all creation—God can’t quit us. When many of us mere mortals would have given up generations ago, God presses on, keeps on keeping on in his effort to reconcile us to him.

Jesus is the decisive and most full revelation of that plan of reconciliation. As St. Paul writes, “in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us” (2 Corinthians 5:19)

In Jesus Christ, God can’t quit us; and as Christ’s ambassadors entrusted with the word of reconciliation, we cannot quit on others. The world is our parish, said John Wesley. We can no more give up on offering Christ to the world, as often as necessary, than God can give up on Israel, the ancient church, and the world today.

We do not decide when the mission of the gospel is over. We leave that to the one who called us and appointed us his ambassadors.

God can’t quit us. We, therefore, cannot quit on others.

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