This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.
“No son of that slave is going to share the inheritance with my son Isaac!” “And when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.”
We may naively think that, if we follow Jesus and imitate His love and generosity, we will be profoundly appreciated by those around us, especially His other followers.
Those who are righteous in the Christian sense, however, that is, full of self-sacrificing love and generosity, encounter trouble specifically because they are so. This relates to what Jesus talks about in the Beatitudes: “Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness.” (Mt. 5:10)
In the first reading, Abraham wanted to be generous with his son Ishmael. Sarah, the mother of Isaac, was jealous and would not have it. In the gospel, Jesus generously rescued the demoniacs from possession and even, in a sense, even had mercy on the demons by sending them into the swine. The townspeople weren’t having it–they only perceived the disruption caused by the loss of the swine.
Some people, when they perceive love and generosity, see only that which is given to others and not them and become jealous, and/or resent the disruption in the selfish order of things caused by the generous person.
The rejection of Jesus after His exorcism of the demoniacs foreshadowed the entire world’s rejection of Him on Calvary. And still today. By and large, people do not shy away from Christ today because He is equally or less attractive to other life paths. They shy away from Him because His love and generosity inevitably involve a lifestyle of personal sacrifice. Faithful Christians remind them of their choice and cause resentment.
Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Ask Jesus to free you from the sort of self-pity that naturally arises when our acts of love and generosity do not meet with gratitude. Ask Him for a double helping of His fortitude to persevere in His love in the midst of persecution in all its forms.
Follow the Author on Twitter:Follow @mvhaywilliams