28 September 2016
Wednesday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
“Should he come near me, I see him not; should he pass by, I am not aware of him.” (Jb 9:11)
Some context for today’s first reading may prove helpful. What we hear in today’s first reading is Job’s response to his friend Bildad who has rebuked Job for complaining to God. Bildad contends that since God is just, if something bad has happened to Job, then it is because Job is being justly punished for doing something bad. Job’s reply to Bildad, which we hear today is very important.
Job acknowledges God’s justice, but shows greater wisdom than Bildad. He acknowledges that God is the Creator of all, and neither He nor His justice can be fully comprehended by a frail, finite creature such as Job. Both Bildad and Job see that God is just. Bildad, however, claims to comprehend God’s justice, while Job leaves it to God to reveal what He will about justice.
Similarly, in the Gospel, the disciples claim to know Jesus and what it means to follow him. Yet Jesus shows them that they do not yet understand. They do not know that the one whom they are planning to following lives in abject poverty, “the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” (Lk 9:58) As we pray for better spiritual vision, let us realize that with it must come the humility to acknowledge that God’s ways sometimes exceed what we can see.