God did not simply free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and walk away. Rather, He chose to establish a covenant with them (see today’s first reading). In doing so, He formed a relationship with them. It was not a legal relationship established through a legal contract. It was covenant. The difference? A covenant is based on love.
To form this covenant, after parting the Red Sea for them, God led them to the “desert of Sinai” where they “pitched camp.” From there, “Moses went up the mountain to God.” There God gave Moses instructions on what to do.
God gave Moses a message for the people. It began, “You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptians and how I bore you on eagle wings.” He shows them how He treats those who follow him differently.
What do they need to do to follow him? God continues, “Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people.”
The Israelite’s part in the covenant to to keep the covenant. With the covenant comes commandments. The commandments are not for God’s own good. They are not simply to show our obedience. They are a way of life that is good for us (see my presentation, Are They Rules or a Way of Life?).
God’s part in the covenant is to love and care for us as his “special possession.” Psalm 100 reminds us of the covenant. In our response we say, “We are his people: the sheep of his flock.” We are not in charge. God is. People are forgetting this today. People do what they want and then ask God why things didn’t go the way they wanted. It is God who made us, “his we are.”
While we forget God and his commandments, He does not forget us. Paul writes, “Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly…But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” We may fall into sin but God continues to love us. Last Friday we celebrated the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Jesus shows his absolute love for us as the blood and water flowed from his side on the Cross.
God’s heart was moved with pity for the Israelites when they cried out for help from slavery in Egypt. “At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.” Jesus came to be the good shepherd. We are the sheep of his flock.
The Israelites had leaders in the scribes and Pharisees but many of those leaders fell short of what God asked of them. We need to pray for those who lead our church, that they serve as shepherds in accord with God’s will.
We are to pray to ask God to send more laborers “for his harvest.” As you pray for this, ask God what He is calling you to do. The work of God’s people is not just for the clergy, religious, and parish staffs. It is for all God’s people to share in the mission as God’s people.
Do you think you are not worthy? Neither were the Twelve Apostles. Peter would deny knowing Jesus when He was arrested. Does that sound like a good disciple? At least Peter stayed around when the other disciples scattered. Along with Peter, his brother Andrew, and James and John were fishermen, hardly the profession one would pick to lead the new church. Then there’s Thomas who would doubt that the other disciples saw Jesus risen. Tax collectors were seen as crooks but Jesus called Matthew who had been a tax collector to be one of the Twelve. They did not feel worthy to be Jesus’ disciples. On their own, they were not worthy. Jesus made them worthy. Jesus makes you worthy to do what He calls us to.
Some people might want to ask, “what’s in it for me?” First, let me say it isn’t all you. It isn’t all about me. God does not care for us so that He can gain something. He does it because He loves us.
Pray about how God has blessed you. Ask God to help you understand all the ways He has helped you. This should serve as motivation to help others know God.
As to what you get from it, forgot about that. “Without cost you have received, without cost you are to give.“
Peace,
Fr. Jeff