The sequence of sayings we are given today seems a little like those we encounter in the Sermon on the Mount. On this occasion they are prompted by a query from the disciples of John the Baptist so the teaching is indicative of what distinguishes disciples who follow The Way from the followers of John. Each of these tilt against negativity: "Do not stop him," "If any of you put a stumbling block" and "If your hand causes you to stumble." The focus is on the attitude of the disciple and not the worthiness or righteousness of the other who is to be received with graciousness and gratitude. John preached a judgement of fire; Jesus preaches a vindication of grace. It is incumbent on Jesus' disciples to get be an obstacle to the working out of grace which is the inbreaking of God's Kingdom through Jesus' person and preaching. This gives me pause for thought. In what ways have I been an obstacle to grace in my life? What can I do to better cooperate with grace in the moments of the everyday and my personal relationships? In order to do this we need to have a strong commitment to be disciples of the Lord who are positive and committed to acting in accordance with his purposes and not our own. Often this requires turning the other cheek, going the extra mile and forgiving others who sin against us from the heart. None of this is easier which is why we must be constantly attentive to the Word and pruned by it for: "... it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where the worm never dies and the fire is never quenched." (Mk 9: 47-48)
A couple of questions:
ReplyDeleteWould a person also need to have been on a path of self awareness in order to achieve and maintain the right attitude? One would need to know themselves fairly well and be able to adjust their attitude or take action to remove themselves from situations when they couldn’t maintain the right attitude for example when they are tired or frustrated.
Secondly where is the line (or isn’t there one) where turning the other cheek becomes enabling others to abuse or take advantage? What does God teach us about looking after / protecting self? How and when should we do this?
Hello again, thank you for your questions. I hope that others have similar things on their minds and can benefit from the answers or even join in the discussion.
Delete1. I think self-transcendence is an integral part of what it means to be human. Therefore, all people are are on a journey of sorts towards self-awareness and are open to an attitude that opens the person to living a life that experiences and lives out true and authentic humanity. The key to having such an atitude, whether you are religious/spiritual or not, is desire and discipline. Desire is located in the heart and it is to our hearts that we must go to identify who we are called to be. Discipline is a cognitive process by which the desire is directed towards fulfillment in action. Thus, with desire and discipline I can continue to establish a right attitude even when I am tired or frustrated. My deep desires, with discipline, mean that I can overcome destructive or negative shallow desires/temptations that will derail me. In doing so I will come to understand any tendency to self-sabotage or self-loathing.
2. The answer to your next question continues on what I have just said about desire and discipline. The key to avoiding co-dependency and niceness, which are both fraudulent forms of "love," is to be found in Jesus' summary of the law: "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself'." The key to protecting myself is found in the recognition of God's plan and God's gift located in my life. I do not have all the answers and, since I am prone to sin, I always need his grace to sustain and guide me in my actions. The key to cooperating with grace is found in prayer and this leads me to the need for prayer and reflection at the start and end of every day so that I touch base with the One who created, loves and guides me.
PS - it’s only been a week but so far the introduction of the daily framework we discussed from last week is going well. My apologies at the direct questions of this week - they have been questions I’ve always had in regard to Christian forgiving attitudes.
ReplyDeleteI am very happy that ,y advice has been of some benefit in your project of self-awareness, etc. I encourage you to continue in that using the wisdom of the Scriptures as a guide. God bless, M
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