Accept, Do Not Resist

 

Whatever we resist, continue to exist.

Reflection on Today’s Readings, 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A, November 19th, 2023
Texts: Proverbs 31:10-13.19-20.30-31; Psalm 128:1-5; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6; Matthew 25:14-30 

                                          Accept, do not resist

Today’s message is about life of resistance. What is life of resistance? Life of resistance involves struggling against a perceived threat or abuse. It is a life lived in reaction to someone or something.  We see this in the life of the third servant in Jesus’ parable of today. He lived his life resisting his master and perceived him as a threat to his life. He says, “Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not ow, and gathering where you did not winnow; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground.” 

Whoever lives life of resistance does not do things for their values but to fight someone or something. Such a life brings mental and physical stresses and break down of body system and unhappiness. It is a life lived in fear. Some of us live our lives resisting one thing or the other. We live our life resisting poverty. We look for money not for its value but fear that we might be poor. In this case we amass wealth because our lives depend on it. Some of us live life resisting failure. We work hard to succeed not because of the dignity of labour but to resist failure and poverty.  

The resistance turns parents to tyrants and abusers

Some of us live life resisting our parents. Those children wish that they had different parents. They become irresponsible to their parents and the society. They become deviant because they are used to disobeying their parents. Truancy in school and street life often mark their lives. Some parents live life resisting their children, wishing that they had different children. The resistance turns them to tyrants and abusers. They often curse and abuse their children. Can you imagine parents who love their children raining curse on them or abuse them? 

There are also husbands and wives living life of resistance. It could be one resisting the other or both resisting each other. They do what they do to avoid trouble. Some even go about it negatively. They do things to offend their partners. Whichever way, life of resistance is filled with negativity and tension. Do not let this surprise you that some people live resisting their works. They always wish they had something else doing. They are lazy about the work and do not do it properly. Resisting their work they make for themselves laziness and irresponsibility.  

And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness

Today, Jesus Christ calls our attention to the fact that life of resistance is not good. It makes us see life as a struggle and battle. Such life contains in itself its bad end. This is clear in what became the end of the servant. We read, “So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.”  

Resisting a situation does not take away the situation but perpetuate it. Whatever we resist, continue to exist. What should we do then? We are to accept rather than resist. We accept a situation when we acknowledge it, study it and live above it. That was what the other two servants did. Their master might be as the third servant said but they lived beyond it. They do what is their obligation as servants; they did not live life resisting their master and they enter into joy. That is the power of acceptance. We enter into joy immediately we accept a situation.  

Let us learn to accept our situation and live above it

Jesus Christ teaches us the virtue of acceptance when He says, “But his master answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where l have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming! should have received what was my own with interest.” This is like saying if you know me why do you not show it in your service as a servant. Let us learn to accept our situation and live above it. 

Prayer  

Grant us, we pray, O Lord our God, the constant gladness of being devoted to you, for it is full and lasting happiness to serve with constancy the author of all that is good. Amen 

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke