Refusal to be open

When we meditate on the description of the relationship of God with the people of Israel described in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah from the Roman Catholic Lectionary for today we might conclude that the learned and privileged in the society, who had access to the written word and the messages of Isaiah, would hear in the call of the Lord, the desire to be in an intimate relationship which would restore peace, love and justice through the great compassion of God. The comparison of this invitation to "start over" to the waters which reestablished the Covenant with Noah should make the will of God clear. We, like the lawyers and Pharisees mentioned by Luke in his Gospel,  have our own understanding of how things work. Often, our point of view is greatly influenced by our desire to control the status quo, which we rationalize is not so bad for me. Seeing and hearing those in our midst who have experienced reconciliation between their lives and the desire of God to be with them presents us with the challenge to change and to recognize that the resonance of our indwelling Spirit with the Spirit of God is the strategy to laying down the fear of lack of control of the situation. John who leads to Jesus is not found in soft robes in the palaces of the powerful and those in control. We understand the nature of the invitation to intimacy as we understand our weaknesses and our struggle in recovery from our addictions to substances, behaviours, control and so on. Through struggle we are aware of our desire shared with the psalmist to turn my mourning to dancing and take off my sackcloth as I am clothed in joy!