Scripture Reflection for the 2nd Sunday of Lent
March 12, 2006
by Brandon Jubar
God Is On Our Side!
Sometimes life can be hard. For many people in the world today, life is always hard. Yet in the first lines of today's second reading from Romans, we hear St. Paul tell us, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" But if that's the case, why have Christians spent much of history being persecuted and discriminated against? It certainly doesn't always feel like God is on our side!
It All Starts With Belief
What would you do if a disembodied voice, claiming to be the messenger of the Lord, told you to sacrifice your child to God? It may sound pretty crazy, but that's what happens to Abraham in our first reading today. The Bible doesn't tell us what is going through Abraham's mind when he receives the instructions to kill his son, Isaac, but I have to believe it wasn't anything pleasant.
Sometimes we are called to do difficult things; we are called to sacrifice something that is extremely important to us. When this happens, do we respond like Abraham? Do we say, "Here I am" and then do as the Lord asks, or do we fail to respond? Perhaps we even argue or bargain with God in hopes of getting an easier deal.
It's not easy to believe unfailingly in God the way the Abraham did, but that's exactly what we're called to do. That belief is the start of it all. It's the foundation that we build our relationship with the Lord upon.
Listen to My Son
Abraham is not the only biblical character called upon to believe and trust this week. In the Gospel reading, we have Peter, James and John being told by God, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him." Little did they know, listening to Jesus would mean following his commands and living their lives as he instructed. And more often than not, it was not an easy thing to do.
And yet St. Paul is absolutely convinced that God is on our side. In spite of all the hardships that Christians may endure, we still have a reason to be supremely optimistic. For no matter what life throws at us -- no matter what hardships or evil we must endure -- we can find comfort in the fact that God loves us. No matter how it may otherwise appear, the Creator of the universe loves us and has said that we are very good.
That understanding, that knowledge, that belief, helps us persevere through tremendous hardships and difficult trials. It also provides us with a wonderful message to go out and share with the world:
God loves us and He is on our side! Listen to His son, Jesus, and he'll be on your side too!
Life Applications:
What have you suffered that has tested your faith in God?
How did you persevere and maintain your trust in God?
How does it feel to know that God is on your side?
Copyright 2006 by Brandon Jubar
All rights reserved.
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