Reflection for December 15
Andi, age 6
In today’s first reading from the Book of Numbers, we hear Balaam's prophecies foretelling Israel's power, prosperity, and eventual dominance over its enemies. Balaam proclaims himself as one “whose eye is true…who hears what God says…knows what the Most High knows…who sees what the Almighty sees.” Wow, this passage struck me! What must it be like to be so plugged in to the mind of God??? To be so certain and promotional about your wisdom and rightness? Turns out, the chapter concludes with Balaam leading Israel to a dark place of war and being killed for advising the enemies of Israel in exchange for personal gain. Go figure.
In stark contrast, we hear Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew with far greater humility and even being a bit oblique about his own power and knowledge. He defers answering about his authority to speak for God by instead asking a question, “Where does John’s baptism come from?”
With Jesus, the relationship between human and God remains a mystery, at least for now. “Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.” Rather than telling us, Jesus invites us to explore that mystery for ourselves. Many times in the gospel, Jesus uses questions rather than assertions to disarm and teach (rather than preach to) the members of his community, despite having full knowledge of God. He is leading us to the real answer of who holds authority, but we have to get there for ourselves.
Today, may we accept and even enjoy the unanswered questions about God’s love, authority, and power. And let us not be persuaded by those who proclaim their rightness and knowledge of God’s will without demonstrating the love that Jesus had for all.
Mary Kay Fenton