Embraced by your Father's approval

My audio of this reflection is podcast at:http://gnm.org/DailyReflections/podcasts/
Good News ReflectionThursday of the Fifth Week in LentApril 2, 2009
Today's Readings:Genesis 17:3-9Ps 105:4-9John 8:51-59http://www.usccb.org/nab/readings/040209.shtmlAudio:http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/09_04_02.mp3
Embraced by your Father's approval
"Who do you think you are?" Has anyone ever said that to you? In today's Gospel passage, Jesus was confronted with this same implied accusation of being arrogant and false. It was asked by people who did not want to accept that the long-awaited Messiah had finally arrived as a non-military, "love-your-enemy", poor carpenter from a small hick town in Galilee — especially because he challenged them on so many issues.
"Who do you think you are?" is the cry of those who don't want to believe that you are more qualified than they are to do a service for God or company or community. It's the complaint of those who feel inadequate. It's the challenge of those who feel challenged by what you're doing as they desperately try to make their lives easier by getting rid of your influence.
When my daughter was in college, she risked her job at a bookstore by secretly trashing the Satanic Bible into the garbage so she wouldn't have to sell it. If the manager had caught her, he might have said: "Who do you think you are to throw away store property just because you don't like the book's content?"
What risks do you take for Christ?
My husband once got in trouble for teaching a Confirmation class with the textbook closed. When the book didn't reach the kids' hearts, he reached them by sharing from his personal faith life and real world experiences. He got reprimanded for not following normal procedure; the message was: "Who do you think you are to over-ride the director's authority?" Yet his class was the only full class to come back for more after Confirmation.
And there was the time when I got into trouble by praying the Rosary daily for the end of abuses at a parish. The man at the center of the problems, as well as those who didn't want to believe that the problems existed, challenged me to stop praying. I risked my reputation (locally) when a newspaper published a photo of me doing the prayer, but the abuses ceased and the parish experienced healing and new growth.
Whenever we earn the "who do you think you are" question, if we're motivated by love and a concern for others and a desire to do God's will, we are being like Jesus: Our authority comes from the Father. But be careful! As Jesus pointed out, if we glorify ourselves by defending ourselves, such glory comes to nothing. The one who glorifies us is the Father, and that's what really counts.
Those who listen to God will know that he approves of us. Those who don't, well, they cannot be convinced by any means.
God your Father wants to embrace you with his approval. To enter into the experience, examine your desire to serve his kingdom and to give his love to others. Do you care enough to withstand the disapproval of those who don't like what you do?
Today's step on the Lenten journey: Ask Jesus to give you the strength and courage to go to the cross for your faith. And ask the Holy Spirit to help you hear the Father glorifying you.
© 2009 by Terry A. ModicaFor PERMISSION to copy any of my reflections, go to:http://gogoodnews.net/DailyReflections/copyrights-DR.htm
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