Contrast and contradiction

The texts in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today initially present some contradiction to our usual assumptions. Paul writes to the Romans about the success he has had in his missionary work. He refers to his boasting about his work. The context of this passage is explained in the commentary today by Friar Jude Winkler. Paul is planning to go to Jerusalem and he is appealing for the support of the community in Rome to present himself in the best way to the Church in Jerusalem who may have reservations about him based on his former life as persecutor of the Way. In the Gospel of Luke, Friar Jude explains that Jesus is using the appreciation of Middle East culture for cleverness to create the contrast between how people are clever about making their way in the world and doing all the clever things to succeed, yet they do not apply similar strategic thinking to the mission of the spiritual journey. We need to deal with a tension between attending to the will and direction of God, as we perceive it, and be open to respond with trust and yes to the prompting of the Spirit and the requirement that Jesus and Paul illustrate today to make use of the strategic skills we have developed in human relations and getting along in the world for the greater victory through the "right hand and holy arm" of God which the psalmist proclaims will be seen by all the ends of the earth.