Thursday of the
Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
(II Kings 24:8-17; Matthew 7:21-29)
The philosopher David Hume taught the modern era to
distrust anything spiritual. The
scientist Charles Darwin showed how life in the natural world has evolved from
one form to another. The writings of
these great thinkers among others have led to a rejection of core spiritual
beliefs. Everything seems physical and
changeable to the contemporary human.
For this reason many reject Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” which he completes
in today’s gospel.
Jesus exhorts his followers not just to hear the sermon
but to base their lives on it. He tells
them that only by doing so will they be able to withstand the storms that
threaten every life. Without hope of the
kingdom of God they will likely leave the track of personal justice. Without the Father’s grace they will never be
able to live up to the demands that the Sermon makes.
Jesus has drawn a line in the sand with this great
discourse. He wants us to commit
ourselves to him by living what he has just taught. To do so, we must buck much of modern
intellectual thinking. It may be a scary
venture for some. But we know from the
saints that following Jesus leads to true peace.
