There’s a lot to learn in today’s scriptures about how to address serious sin. Both of the readings are very powerful. God the Father corrected Job in no uncertain terms in the first reading:
“Have you ever in your lifetime commanded the morning and shown the dawn its place?”
That right there should give you a clue as to what the rest of the reading is going to be like. But, let’s go on and look at the rest. It doesn’t get much better, though. However, it is beautiful when God said:
“Have you entered into the sources of the sea, or walked about in the depths of the abyss?”
No one but God knows the strange creatures that live in the deepest recesses of the ocean, especially where no sunlight can go. Creatures exist even there, and God knew all about them, but Job didn’t. That gives us an indication that Job made himself his own god.
Then God the Father goes on to say, “Tell me, if you know all …” Then He explained some things about the universe, how the stars were started on their course. He knew their boundaries and their homeward paths (?) That is worth stopping to think about. God is describing the expansion of the universe, that no one of Job’s time could have known about. We still do not know the boundaries of the universe, or where the stars will eventually end up.
What deep thoughts. God the Father gave Job some deep things to think about. Indeed, they are still deep things for mankind to think about. Only in the past 50 years or so, have we developed the technology to explore the deepest recesses of the ocean and see creatures that we never even knew existed. And our understanding of the universe has expanded to understand the Big Bang and the expansion of the universe. Scientists now believe our entire universe is just a small universe, that connects to many more universes, almost like a honeycomb. It’s a great deal bigger than anyone ever thought possible.
In light of the fact of God’s magnificence, His power and might, His knowledge, and His age, Job finally came to realize how small he was. What he knew was just a drop in the bucket, and it is still true in our modern times too.
God the Father was upset with Job, no doubt about it. But, God explained reality to him in a way that he could understand. He proved how little knowledge Job really had, compared to His, and He did not do so in an overly hurtful way, because it caused Job’s conversion of heart.
Children do not understand things. But, sometimes adults do not understand things very well either. They come to mistaken conclusions, and sometimes sin out of ignorance, like Job had in today’s first reading. A lot of times if people understand the truth, they will not commit a sin, or if they already committed a sin and then their understanding later changes, they regret what they did. They repent of the sin they committed. Job repented, when he properly understood how little he really knew, compared to God.
It is important to control our anger, and realize that the basis of the sin a person commits is sometimes because they do not really understand that what they are doing is wrong. For an example, many modern women have abortions because it is legal. They do not really understand that they have taken a human life, at the time they do this, because it is legal and protected by the laws of their country. But, for many women, they later come to an understanding of when human life actually begins, through an open mind and an open heart, like Job did in today’s first reading for Mass. And, like Job, they are filled with remorse and vow to never commit that sin again.
In the gospel today, Jesus addresses Chorazin and Bethsaida, because of their mortal sins. He is upset. He tells them they will face judgement for their actions. And Capernaum was not as holy as they may have thought they were. Jesus said, “Will you be exalted to heaven? You will go down to the netherworld.”
Notice that Jesus did not point the finger at a person and condemn them. The only person that he ever condemned were Pharisees or scribes. Jesus condemned the cities. Our country, our cities, our laws, are subject to judgement, and what looks good to us on the surface of things can be an abomination in the eyes of the Lord. The way we vote matters, too. (If we have this privilege. Not all countries do.) Even if we feel like we are holy, or righteous, if we vote for unholy things it is a very grave matter. We will be held accountable for who, what and how we vote because this forms our cities, our countries, and our societies.
On a more positive side, there is an excellent bit of advise in the last verses of the gospel today though. Jesus said:
“Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me.”
Regardless as to what our personal opinion is about any matter that the church teaches, we still need to listen, even if it is against our will to do so. We need to listen and try to understand why the Catholic church teaches certain things that we disagree with. It’s hard to let go of our self will, our opinions and point of view, and listen to the opposite point of view, but that is what Jesus is telling us in today’s gospel that we have to do.
When God explained things, Job finally understood that he didn’t know as much as God. Job listened to God though, with an open mind. He obviously didn’t agree with God at first, but he listened. We need to listen to what the church teaches us through the magisterium, our pope, bishops and priests. The Catholic church has been around over 2,000 years and we have not. As painful as it can be sometimes when we disagree on certain issues, we still need to listen with an open mind, even if our heart is in the wrong place sometimes, as it was with Job in today’s first reading for Mass.
Daily Mass Readings:
Job 38: 1, 12-21; 40: 3-5 / Psalm 139 / Luke 10: 13-16
