TUESDAY, NINETEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Ez 2:8 – 3:4 Ps 119: 14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131 Mt 18: 1-5, 10, 12-14
THE SWEETEST THING
‘Just like a child, whose mind has not a doubt and whose heart is never proud’
The lyric of this beautiful hymn lingers in our hearts, as we meditate on the sweet love of Jesus for minds as pure and innocent as little children. The famous social psychologist Hofstede G describes ‘power distance’ as the way people in a society relate to each other on a hierarchical scale, quite similar to what the disciples were doing when they asked Jesus – ‘who was the greatest (most powerful) in heaven?
We often associate power with wealth, attention, fame, approval of the mighty, privileged access to greater things and superior ambition. Today, power distance is higher in countries like India and China where the use of force and hierarchical governance is the norm. Research has shown that the more relationships are equalized, the better for all. Jesus introduced such an equaliser then and there – ‘Just like a child, he said’. We can draw a beautiful parallel to the first reading where God asks Ezekiel to eat the scroll (absorb His word), which Ezekiel found as sweet as honey. Jesus refers to the childlike trust, faith and curiosity that God is looking for in each one of us – for it is qualities such as these that are regarded highly in His kingdom.
Are we truly simple (trusting) enough to be made wise by God’s word? Even though God’s message was sad to hear, it felt good to Ezekiel. Even though the disciples were taken aback by Jesus’s stunning revelation, was it possible for them to find God’s benchmark for greatness sweet? Can we meditate enough on His word, for our soul to be sweetly revived today? May the Gospel usher us to seek and save His people who have been caused to stray. Thus, may we live in a partnership that allows us to experience His sweet salvation and grace. May we respond together with the psalm, “How sweet are your words to my mouth, O Lord.”
Response: How sweet is your promise to my tongue, O Lord!
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