October 29
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
“I love you, Lord, my strength.”
Readings
Reflection
Today’s readings focus on one of the most basic ideas that our faith brings to us; the concept that since we are followers of God, we should reflect that truth in the way we treat one another. It should not matter who we are or what kind of job we have or any other factor in our lives. We should treat everyone like the divine creature they are in God’s eyes. When we were created in the image and likeness of God, we were called "good." We should look for this goodness in each other so we can live lives that are worthy of our status as creations that are godlike in appearance and comprehension.
In our first reading from the Book of Exodus the Lord is telling the people how they should behave towards the poor and the stranger. If they are not honest and upright with the poor and less fortunate then the Lord will be angry because he hears the cry of the poor and will answer their cries for justice. In the gospel, the Pharisees are still trying to trick Jesus and yet again they fail. He answers their question regarding the greatest commandment and goes on to tell them that they must love their neighbor as themselves–something they were not happy to do because they saw themselves as being greater than the majority of their neighbors. These readings challenge us to look at ourselves and to see how we treat our neighbors, particularly the poor.
In the end, we need to evaluate the way we perceive others in our world. If we are like the Pharisees and see everyone as inferior to ourselves, then we need to seek a change in our thinking. God’s measuring stick is much higher than ours, but we still need to try to change our hearts if there is a need to do so. Jesus is God, and yet, for all of the thirty-three years that he walked the earth in a physical form, he never judged anyone except for those who saw themselves as superior to others and refused to accept them. We need to be as Jesus-like as we can possibly be. Let us love our God and one another.
Peace,
Deacon Dare
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