For I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God.
I am not certain about you but I find it hard to picture God as “jealous”. Somehow, the concept does not fit in the image of God the Father, God the Son, or God the Holy Spirit. If God is love how could He be “jealous” at the same time.
The answer seems to me in the nature of the Ten Commandments. It is interesting that Catholics, Protestants and Jews all have the same Commandments but number them differently. The words from Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 are all the same. However, if I were to count them, there would be eleven or twelve. The important thing is that we follow them to the letter.
I forget who said this, but Saints were never extrodinary people but people with all their flaws, obeyed the Commandments. I think the quote was from Blessed Bishop Fulton Sheen .
God cannot be imperfect. If He is jealous in the sense that the only way he can communicate with the creatures He loves is if those creatures follow the Commandments. God’s nature cannot be in the same presence as evil. When we sin we turn away from that love.
We cannot ever deny or say this enough. God wants and yearns for a relationship between us and Him. Nonetheless, he can’t deny Himself.
Jesus says in todays Gospel, But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. The seeds we sow following the Commandments are not only for our benefit but for the relationship and benefit of others.
So for me today in 2021, the way I follow the Commandments are the seeds that I will sow for my children, grandchildren and my faith community.
A buddy of mine told me recently, that my faith will get me through anything bad thing that goes on in my life. He is not particularly religious but he was right. Our faith and how well we follow the commandments are the seeds of the the future generation. It allows that relationship with the triune God to flourish.
So how we keep the Commandments is directly associated with the relationship with God and a signal to the world on how we live by keeping those Commandments. Why? Because we have a relationship with a “jealous” God who wants us to be His people.
We are the seeds that blossom in this and future generations.
Happy Planting!
God Love you always
Bob Burford
PS: Please pray for Anna, Paul, and Kathryn who have cancer.
Picture Credit: “The Trip Home” by U.S. Geological Survey is marked with CC PDM 1.0
