A Father We Serve Peacefully
by Fr. David M. Knight
March 27, 2024
Wednesday of Holy Week (Week VI of Lent)
Lectionary No. 259
Isaiah 50:4-9; Psalm 69; Matthew 26:14-25
"The Lord God is my help, therefore I am not disgraced." Isaiah 50:7
Failure is not disgrace but feels like it. So does being on a losing team. And, as often as not, Jesus wins by losing—beginning with his triumphant defeat on the cross. Christianity lives on hope or it dies.
Hope is trust in a person, and trust is an ingredient of love. It also draws love. “Steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the LORD” (Psalm 32:10). Those who know God as their loving Father trust him. And their trust unites them to him in love.
In terms of personal fulfillment, growing in trust and love for God is worth more than any accomplishments. Of course, anything we do for the reign of God is worth more than personal fulfillment, if the two can be separated. But discouragement feeds off of a sense of personal failure. So we need to remember: our Father measures success only by how much we try with trust and love, never by the results of our efforts.
Jesus lived to do the will of the Father. When people did not respond, he was distressed but not discouraged. If we live to do our Father’s will, Jesus says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled” (John 14:27). Relationship with the Father does not put us under pressure; it just keeps propelling us to “more” (see Luke 12:50).
ACTION: Whenever you feel stressed, reconnect with the Father.
PRAYER: “Father, not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).
Reflections brought to you by the Immersed in Christ Ministry
