Are You Constricting Gods Will?

View the readings for this Sunday.

Sunday, July 28, 2019, 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
•Gn 18:20-32
•Ps 138:1-2, 2-3, 6-7, 7-8
•Col 2:12-14
•Lk 11:1-13

By Marc Massery
In the Gospel reading for this Sunday, Jesus tells a parable about a man who has no bread to offer his newly arrived guests. So this man visits his friend's house in the cool of the night, knocks on the door, and asks for three loaves. From inside, the friend replies to his visitor that he and his family are already in bed with the doors locked and that he cannot give him any bread.

Jesus says, "I tell you, if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence" (Lk 11:8).

Through this parable, Jesus is not merely saying that we ought to weary God until He gives us what we want. Though persisting in prayer is important, this parable tells us something more.

We just need to keep reading in order to understand.

Jesus goes on to say, "What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?" (Lk 11:11-13).

These verses reveal that Jesus is contrasting the behavior of the man whose doors are locked to the behavior of God the Father. Christ is saying that if out of mere persistence one can coerce someone who is unwilling to give him what he needs, then God, our loving Father, would surely give us what we need without any hesitation.

He says, "And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you" (Lk 11:9).

God cannot be coerced. And we have no need to coerce Him. Despite how it may seem to us at times, He immediately opens the door and more than answers all of our prayers. Sometimes, however, His answer is "not yet" or even "no." Though sometimes He says "no" to what we want, He always gives us what we need. After all, the Lord knows that sometimes, what we want would harm us. Sometimes, in our confusion, we ask the Lord for the equivalent of a snake and a scorpion. Knowing far better than us, He refuses to give us something that would harm us, no matter how much we might ask Him for it.

In St. Faustina's Diary, Jesus says, "My daughter, imagine that you are the sovereign of all the world ... You have the power to do all the good you want, and suddenly a little child knocks on your door, all trembling and in tears and, trusting in your kindness, asks for a piece of bread lest he die of starvation. What would you do for this child? Answer Me, my daughter."

She responds, "Jesus, I would give the child all it asked and a thousand times more."

Jesus says, "That is how I am treating your soul" (229).

God provides. It's not in His nature to deprive us. We only need to patiently seek Him, asking for what we need.

BCBB

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