Only the man who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
Palace intrigue! Murder!
Sounds like a soap opera.
Our first reading from 2 Kings is a story of evil trying to take over. It worked for a few years but in the end evil never wins. When Christ comes back into the world, evil will be eliminated. Until then we have the certainty that one day evil will be no more. In the meantime, we have modern day evil in the Holy Land and the war in the Ukraine. We have the shooting of people in the streets of Michigan.
How do we combat the evil powers of this world?
We cannot eliminate evil by killing everyone who is evil unless, we become just like them. The perfect example is the stated intent of Prime Minister of Israel, Netanyahu trying to kill all of Hamas. More evil will take over after them. I don’t have an answer for the Middle East peace. I can only pray for peace and an end to the violence and innocent children being hurt and dying.
To eliminate evil, we can go back to Sunday’s Gospel on how Jesus explains how to build the Kingdom of God and how to bring more good into the world. Just like the mustard seed it starts off slow with small steps. The small steps of many add up and build and become greater than the seed that started it. The many small steps, prayers and good deeds of many individuals as one people that build the community of God can overcome evil.
Similarly, Mother Teresa said that we can do no great things only small things with great love. This is how we build the Kingdom of God .
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and woodworms destroy them and thieves can break in and steal. But store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor woodworms destroy them and thieves cannot break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
We can’t expect to know the outcome of our good deeds, but they are the treasures that Jesus is speaking. I just put away my winter clothes and used mothballs and soap and water to prepare them when I need them again. Our heavenly treasures are helping build the Kingdom of God for all of us.
Realistically, there is a warning to this ” pie in the sky ” attitude. I include myself as the biggest hindrance to building. When we sin, we are destroying the Kingdom of God. It gives me a new perspective for my actions here on earth.
God Love You Always
Bob Burford
PS: Please Pray for Cancer victims and their caregivers. Pray for the conversion of Russia and the salvation of the Ukrainian and Russian people and their soldiers. Pray for the Holy Land. Pray for peace!
