Reflection on Today's Readings, Tuesday of 12th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1, June 22nd, 2021
Texts: Gen. 13:2.5-18; Ps. 15:2-5; Mtt. 7:6. 12-14
It is good to remind ourselves that Jesus is still on the mountain teaching us , giving us the rules of life; He is imparting divine wisdom on us. The first reading talks about the conflict resolution between Abram and Lot and their separation. Today we are reminded that good things are not easy to get and the need to preserve what we have. In today's gospel reading Jesus admonishes us not to throw what is holy to dog or give pearls to the swine. We have to learn how to give the right thing to the person.
What looks appeal today might not last. Many of the things that appeal to us, to our senses, have death in them. It happened to our first parent. It is said, _"The woman saw that the tree was good to eat and pleasing to the eye, and that it was enticing for the wisdom that it could give. So she took some of its fruits and ate it"_ (Gen. 3:6). Among these appealing things we have money, sex and food and drink. Money has led to the death of so many, so also sex. Some people have also been poisoned through food and drink. In today's first reading, Lot picked the portion of land that appealed to him. It is said, _"And Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw that the Jordan valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar; this was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan valley, and Lot journeyed east"_. The portion of land which appealed to his senses had death in it; it was later destroyed.
The reading teaches us to be wise in making choices; we should not consider the immidiate benefits alone but also the future. We are not to choose things because they appeal to our senses. In our choices, the interest should not be on the object but the love and the relationship we share with the other person. Our choice should be based on sound reason not only on emotion or appeal. Compassion and love should play out in our choices. Jesus Christ wants us to take this as principle: _"So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets."_ If we apply the principle we will be considerate in making choices and decisions. Jesus Christ also reminds us that all that glitters is not gold. He tells us about accepting the most difficult road in as much as it leads to life.
Evil has an appealing power and found easy to achieve. Good has no luring power; it is simple and found difficult to achieve. Hence, Jesus Christ says, _"Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”_ We should always be ready to pay the price for good, for it leads to life while evil leads to destruction. Let us be good, no matter what; it pays at the end.
The first reading also calls us to learn how to resolve our differences and disputes. Abram employed dialogue in solving the problem. We should always seek to solve our differences and disputes through dialogue, not through violence. Dialogue has always proved to be the right way to resolution of differences and disputes; it is the right way to peace.
Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for who You been to us, grant us the courage to go through the narrow gate. Amen.
Fr. Andrew Olowomuke
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