Put Faith Into Action
Monday in Sixth Week of Ordinary Time
My dear encountered couples:
The Pharisees were always wanting to test Jesus. Now they ask for some sign to convince them that he was the Messiah. Miracles and more miracles he had been performing. They rejected them all. He knew that no matter what fantastic action he might perform, they would reason it away as meaning nothing. He knew they just did not want to believe.
Sadly, this is the case of many people today. They demand signs and proofs. But I think it would be much harder for Jesus to prove himself today than in ancient times. For we are all so used to seeing phoniness being done by means of cameras, mirrors, computers, and so on, that we are a much more skeptical people than has ever inhabited this planet before.
Your problem and mine is not that we don’t believe at all that Jesus is the Messiah and God. Our problem is the degree of our belief. Belief is not an opinion. Belief is that which moves us to action. To believe is to do! Now, if you really believe fully in Jesus, are you moved to full action by his teachings? Or do you pick and choose, making exceptions when convenient, acting upon his words when advantageous?
I am not trying to get on your case as if you are the only one who needs to be talked to. The faith of each of us has a lot to be desired. We all have little room to criticize those Pharisees, nor anyone else. Let us try to grow more in faith and put it into action. There is no fear of Jesus getting into a boat and leaving us as he did them. The danger is that we might sail off from him.
