Daily Retreat 06/20/06

2006 Jun 20 Tue: Ordinary Weekday
1 Kgs 21: 17-29/ Ps 50(51): 3-4. 5-6ab. 11 and 16/ Mt 5: 43-48

 

From today’s readings:  “Because you have given yourself up to doing evil in the LORD’s sight, I am bringing evil upon you...  Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned....  You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father....”

 

Proof of Christ’s Divinity

 

The manner of His Passion, Death, and Resurrection, and His miracles and fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy certainly attest to the divinity of Christ, but I think the most accessible proof that Jesus is indeed God is found right in His teachings.

 

Much of what Jesus taught was already taught before (even if not quite as clearly), either in the Old Testament, or even by pagan sages of ancient times.  For such teachings, Jesus is generally regarded, even by atheists, as a very wise man.

 

But some elements of Christ’s doctrine clearly transcend all human wisdom and Old Testament revelation.  Consider, for example, His command, “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.”  It’s hard to conceive of any other expectation so contrary to our fallen human nature!  And Jesus doesn’t even try to make the demand more appealing with a promise of a great reward - the only reason He offers is so that we can be children of our Father in Heaven.

 

If Jesus were just a merely human wise man, like the sages of other ages, He never would have dared to voice such a counter-intuitive command.  But, because of His divinity, He not only called for love of enemies, He showed the world, with His redemptive death, what He meant.  And that’s why we can and must believe Him and follow Him!