PLEASE, 🙏 BLAME GOD AS YOU LIKE, BUT...
Tuesday, March 28, 2023
Weekday of Lent (5)
Psalm. 102: 1 -2, 15-20 (R. 1)
Gospel. John 8: 21-30
TOPIC FOR REFLECTION
SHOULD WE BLAME GOD?
When we were young, we pray and wish we become old; after becoming old, we would now wish we are young.
Invariably, the young wish to get old, while the old wish to get young.
Huh!!!
What an irony of life!
Should we blame God for allowing us to get old?
If we are poor, we cry, lament, and sometimes blame God for being poor.
At this point, HUMILITY IS OUR FRIEND. However, if God decides to make us rich, He (God) will be the least to be remembered to partake in our joy, rather most of us would first declare with our friends and others before going to God.
On the contrary, some will become arrogant, and everybody including God will become nobody.
At this point, PRIDE BECOMES OUR FRIEND
Should we blame God for giving us wealth?
When we are in difficult situations, the Church becomes our home and will not allow God to rest, but when our problem disappears, we vacate the Church and say bye-bye to God.
This means God is a problem solver or solution provider.
Should we blame God for solving our problems?
When we were slaves and in bondage, we cried to God, but after God granted us the freedom we prayed for, we in turn enslaved God by our way of life and any other person, and deny them freedom
So, should we blame God for setting us free?
This is what happened to the Israelites in today's first reading. When they were in Egypt, they cried to God for freedom, now God granted them the freedom they prayed for, and suddenly turned against the God who save and delivered them from slavery.
Therefore, they suddenly became impatient on the way. And the people spoke against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?
Can we imagine such a stupid query in the form of questions? Although, this is how most of us are in our attitudes to God.
They complain further that there was no food and no water, and loathe this worthless food.”
Now, should we blame God for setting the Israelites free?
Then, as a lesson, the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people so that many people among them died. And the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and you; pray to the Lord, that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it up as a sign; and everyone who is bitten when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent, and set it up as a sign; and if a serpent bit any man, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.
Now, should we blame God for sending the serpent to bite them as a lesson for them?
I guess we all know that the serpent was a corrective measure, yet He, (God) heal their wounds.
This is to show us that our God does not punish eternally, in His justice abounds endless mercy.
In the Gospel, Jesus told the Pharisees who are part of the Israelites that if they fail to repent, they would die of their sins.
They could not believe Him when He said He is the Son of God. He said He is from above, while they were from the earth below.
So, Jesus told them that when the "Son of man is lifted, then they will know that "I am He", and that I do nothing on my authority but speak thus as the Father taught me. And He who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to Him.” As he spoke thus, many believed in Him.
I guess no one can blame God for the Pharisees' stubbornness.
In summary, it will be good to know that the bronze serpent Moses raised in the wilderness is a prefigure of Jesus being raised in the new testament.
Those bitten by the serpent were healed when they looked at the calved bronze serpent
Similarly, any wounded person who looks at Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament would be healed.
Finally, let us learn to appreciate God once He answers our prayer request.
Peace ✌️ be with you.
Rev. Fr. Segun Oladeji, CRS.
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