The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate the nature of awe and the exercise of authority.
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| On guard with authority |
The Prophet Amos is the object of Amaziah's complaints to the King.
* [7:14] I am not a prophet: Amos reacts strongly to Amaziah’s attempt to classify him as a “prophet-for-hire” who “earns [his] bread” by giving oracles in exchange for payment (cf. 1 Sm 9:3–10; Mi 3:5). To disassociate himself from this kind of “professional” prophet, Amos rejects outright the title of nabi’ (“prophet”). By profession he is a herdsman/sheepbreeder and a dresser of sycamore trees, but God’s call has commissioned him to prophesy to Israel.1
Psalm 19 proclaims “The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.”
* [Psalm 19] The heavenly elements of the world, now beautifully arranged, bespeak the power and wisdom of their creator (Ps 19:2–7). The creator’s wisdom is available to human beings in the law (Ps 19:8–11), toward which the psalmist prays to be open (Ps 19:12–14). The themes of light and speech unify the poem.2
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus heals a paralytic.
* [9:8] Who had given such authority to human beings: a significant difference from Mk 2:12 (“They…glorified God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this’”). Matthew’s extension to human beings of the authority to forgive sins points to the belief that such authority was being claimed by Matthew’s church.3
Carol Zuegner comments that being God and human, Jesus must have always had an idea of what the scribes were thinking. In this case, he calls them out for what they were muttering to themselves and reminds them of his authority.
I need to be reminded of that authority of the Son of God. Jesus can forgive my sins and allow me to walk in the light. In the first part of the Gospel, Jesus tells the paralyzed man: “Courage.” It takes courage to believe as Jesus’s followers did. It takes courage to take that leap of faith. Let the miracle in my life be the faith of his followers. I ask for the grace to believe and ask for the forgiveness of sins. I ask for the grace to glorify God and to show gratitude for God’s presence in my life. I pray for the courage to continue to take the leap of faith and live out that faith every day.4
Don Schwager quotes “Healing of soul and body,” by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD).
"Now in the narrative of the paralytic a number of people are brought forward for healing. Jesus' words of healing are worthy of reflection. The paralytic is not told, 'Be healed.' He is not told, 'Rise and walk.' But he is told, 'Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven you.' The paralytic is a descendant of the original man, Adam. In one person, Christ, all the sins of Adam are forgiven. In this case the person to be healed is brought forward by ministering angels. In this case, too, he is called a son, because he is God's first work. The sins of his soul are forgiven him, and pardon of the first transgression is granted. We do not believe the paralytic committed any sin [that resulted in his illness], especially since the Lord said elsewhere that blindness from birth had not been contracted from someone's sin or that of his parents" [John 9:1-3]. (excerpt from commentary ON MATTHEW 8.5)5
The Daily Meditation from The Word Among Us explores Amos 7:10-17. Amos’ story shows us that God delights in calling the people we’d least expect to do his work. He chose David, the youngest of Jesse’s eight sons and a youth at the time, to be the future king of Israel. He chose a young woman and a carpenter from the small town of Nazareth to be the parents of his Son. He chose simple fishermen to become his apostles and lead the Church. Clearly, God looks beyond professional accomplishments and résumé items. He looks instead into the hearts of his people.
So don’t be surprised if God calls you to do something for him that you don’t feel equipped to do. Maybe he is asking you to teach CCD in your parish or to actively promote legislation that honors life or to support a couple preparing for marriage. You might see only what you lack, but God sees what you already have: a willingness to serve him. Be assured that he won’t leave you on your own. He will give you the wisdom you need, he will lead you to the resources you are looking for, and he will send you people to help you. He will even supply you with courage and confidence.6
Friar Jude Winkler sets the stage in the northern kingdom “banana republic” for conflict between prophets and kings. Jesus exercises a prerogative of God by forgiving sins. Friar Jude reminds us that fixing a broken limb is easier than a broken heart.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that poet, author, and farmer Wendell Berry is a shining example of humility and simple living. He’s made it his life’s concern to commit to one beloved plot of land in Kentucky. He says everything he’s learned has been through his faithfulness to that commitment. He reminds me of St. Francis of Assisi in that he loves nature deeply and takes the Gospel seriously. Berry writes of the profound pleasure that can come from simple things—if we can attune ourselves to them.
It is astonishing, and of course discouraging, to see economics now elevated to the position of ultimate justifier and explainer of all the affairs of our daily life, and competition enshrined as the sovereign principle and ideal of economics. . . . It is impossible not to notice how little the proponents of the ideal of competition have to say about honesty, which is the fundamental economic virtue, and how very little they have to say about community, compassion, and mutual help. . . . For human beings, affection is the ultimate motive, because the force that powers us, as [John] Ruskin [1819–1900] also said, is not “steam, magnetism, or gravitation,” but “a Soul.”. . . [1]7
Awe and authority have an elevated position in our culture. We benefit from living the simple life wherein we find the awe of nature and gain life in the loving authority of Jesus.
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