Obedience as a path to holiness does not come naturally to me. I did not grow up in a home where obedience was considered a virtue. I did not grow up in a home where it was clear to me that my parents knew best.
Perhaps that is why the phrase, “circumcise your hearts,” in the first reading today has held me. What does that mean?
The Circumstances and God’s Request
Generally, our first readings this week tell the story of the Hebrew people as they enter the Promised Land. They are stories of the end of 40 years wandering in the desert. But today’s reading is a summary of the Law, as given right after Moses came down from 40 days with God on Mt. Sinai. It is from Deuteronomy 10. There is a similar summary in Deuteronomy 30, at the end of the journey, the well known one that includes the phrase, “See, I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil.” (Deut 30:15) The two readings are similar, but, for some reason, today the church chooses the formulation from the beginning of the Israelites’ journey:
“And now, Israel, what does the LORD, your God, ask of you
but to fear the LORD, your God, and follow his ways exactly,
to love and serve the LORD, your God,
with all your heart and all your soul,
to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD
which I enjoin on you today for your own good?…
A few lines down comes that phrase, “circumcise your hearts.”
Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and be no longer stiff-necked.
For the LORD, your God, is the God of gods,
Reference to Abraham
God’s direction to Abraham, an old man without children, was to circumcise himself—something that must have been very painful with the knives of those days and without anesthesia. Yet, contemporary science logic tells us that circumcision can make it easier for sperm to be released…and thus, this painful act was necessary for nature to work so Sarah could get pregnant. Following the logic of that, circumcision of all male infants may well have been what made it possible for the Hebrew people to go “down to Egypt seventy strong, and now the LORD, your God, has made you as numerous as the stars of the sky.”
Neither Abraham in Genesis nor his progeny who followed would have been likely to understand the science of God’s request. But Abraham did it. God had promised Abram/Abraham descendants as numerous as the stars in the skies for many years. Still, Abraham had no progeny with Sarah, his wife. She was barren. Yet Abraham followed God’s directions—about moving, about Lot, about visitors, about everything. Then when Abraham was 99 years old, God asked him for circumcision. Abraham complied.
“Circumcise Your Hearts”
So, this phrase now, given by Moses, as he came down Mt. Sinai with a very elaborate Law for the people, could be seen to have a two-fold meaning. On one hand it meant submit your will, your thoughts, your bodies, and your emotions to God’s direction. It will hurt, but he is your God, he says do it, and his track record of caring for you has been phenomenal. Just do it.
But there seems to be a second meaning: obey what doesn’t make sense and see what God does. God has shown himself to be able to take care of you. You have reason to trust him. His laws and requests may not make sense to you, but trust in God’s goodness. Following can release goodness beyond your ability to imagine. God has a wider view.
Obedience and Our True Selves
My St. Meinrad Oblate Novice study questions came yesterday. They are about obedience this month. One of them ties obedience to releasing our “true selves,” and giving up our “false selves.” That question intrigues me as much as “circumcise your hearts.” Must be what God is speaking to me about! Must be what I need to hear.
My initial thoughts are that IF a child grows up in a family where obedience is tied to goodness, there is warmth and connection, and loving parents can be trusted to make wise choices for children, that a child is likely to grow up believing in the goodness of obedience—even if he/she was rebellious at times along the way.
But, folks, the reality is that such families are hard to find. We do not grow up with our hearts naturally circumcised to see the wisdom of following the ways of the Lord. There are so many influences other than parents. Families make decisions based on fear, parents’ own wounds, and selfishness. Economic and political circumstances create limitations. And, too often, families live outside God’s laws, God’s plan.
Obedience to people does not always lead to God’s goodness. Nor can God’s goodness even be seen when obedience leads to abuse, violence, rampant consumerism, drugs, alcohol abuse….the list goes on.
All these factors lead us to false selves—selves we project that are aimed to please others, to get along in this crazy world, to be at a fragile peace—to survive.
God’s Way
God’s way is not survival of the fittest. God’s way is listed in that list from Deuteronomy:
Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and be no longer stiff-necked.
For the LORD, your God, is the God of gods,
the LORD of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome,
who has no favorites, accepts no bribes;
who executes justice for the orphan and the widow,
and befriends the alien, feeding and clothing him.
So you too must befriend the alien,
for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt.
The LORD, your God, shall you fear, and him shall you serve;
hold fast to him and swear by his name.
He is your glory, he, your God,
who has done for you those great and terrible things
which your own eyes have seen.
There are many people on news, internet, Twitter, youtube, etc who claim to speak for God. “Do this” they say. But what does God actually say? Perhaps we should look at Deuteronomy or Romans 12: 13-21 or 1 Peter 5: 5-11 or Ephesians 4: 29-32 or Tobit 4: 14-19 (all listings of God’s expectations of his people) to make sure what people say matches what God says. Then obey God.
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for calling me to conversion through “Circumcise your heart.” How would you make that happen? There are many voices around me that say “Obey this. It is God’s way.” All those voices can’t be of you, Lord, because they raise a cacophony in opposition to each other. For now, Lord, circumcise my heart by giving me wisdom to recognize YOUR VOICE. It makes sense to me that obedience gives me the opportunity to profit from others’ wisdom. But, Lord, you know that I have also followed others and discovered that they were not of you. Put me in touch with true wisdom, understanding from your point of view. Lead me and guide me.
