Why this homily matters?
Do you plan your response to God if He should reveal Himself to you? Using 4 biblical persons, Fr Mike educates us on common responses to God. Ahaz, Zechariah, Joseph and Mary’s responses are revealing. From false humility to outright rejection of God important lessons are discussed.
Key Points
What would you do if God revealed himself to you? Today Fr Mike describes 4 examples of biblical persons who had revelations from God. Each reacted in very different ways. Each of these people’s reactions are useful in our consideration of God in our lives.
Response to God 1 – False Humility – I Don’t Need You God
In Isaiah chapter 7 we hear about King Ahaz who ruled over the Kingdom of Judah. During this period, the northern Kingdom Of Israel threatened the Kingdom of Judah. They had allied themselves with Syria. In response to this threat, King Ahaz is seeking to form an alliance with the Kingdom of Assyria.
The Lord speaks to Ahaz and asks him to request anything he could need
Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.”
But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.”
It seems like he is being humble to God. But this is not the case. He is relying on his own abilities and his deal with the Assyrians. When God reveals Himself to Ahaz, Ahaz is in fact saying that he does not need God.
Response to God 2 – I Don’t Trust God
Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, was a priest. An honor fell to him that year to be the one to go into Holy of Holies sanctuary on the Day of Atonement. He is going into God’s presence to perform the required incense offering. There the Angel Gabriel appears to him and he is told that he will become a father. God was going to give them the answer to a lifetime of prayers. But Zechariah reacts with disbelief.
“How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”
Zechariah’s response is that he does not trust God. He does not believe him. As a result, the Angel Gabriel punishes him by taking away his ability to speak.
Response to God 3 – I Am Not Worthy
Then there is Joseph who is married to Mary. Before they lived together, he learned of her pregnancy. There are 3 theories for why Joseph was going to divorce Mary.
- He did not believe her that her pregnancy was the result of God. This is not consistent with our understanding of the righteous character of Joseph. If he would have followed the Law of Moses, it would then have been necessary for her to be stoned to death for adultery.
- He did believe Mary but did not understand. He was confused and did not know what to do and so resolved to remove himself quietly from the situation.
- The town of Nazareth at the time of Mary and Joseph would have had a population of around 300 people. He likely knew Mary her whole life and would have noticed how holy she was. Then, like now, her holiness would have stood out among the residents of Nazareth. So now understanding how favored Mary was by God, he may have felt unworthy to continue as her husband. How could he be the foster father of God? So Joseph says that he does not deserve God.
It is this last interpretation that is traditionally accepted. Joseph was disqualifying himself as he felt unworthy.
Response to God 4 – I Don’t Understand
Then there is Mary. She is told by the Angel that she will bear a child. It appears that she has the same reaction as Zechariah. How can this be? But what the tradition has told us is that Mary had taken a vow to be a virgin for life. So what she is not expressing is disbelief. Rather she was expressing not understanding.
She asked a clarifying question. This is a good way to talk to the Lord. The Angel then explains to Mary how it will happen.
If the Lord reveals Himself to you, we need to be prepared
Should we think we can go it on our own, we need to fight that. We need to realize that we are indeed dependent on Him.
Do you have thoughts that you cannot trust God? Then you need to practice recalling all that God has done in your lives. We should practice expressing gratitude. Recall all the things God has done so that we should know that we can trust Him.
Even if it should appear as humility, we should not say that we do not deserve God. Jesus has declared that you are worth his life and death.
We can ask for understanding.
But we need to guard against:
- I don’t need you,
- I don’t trust you or
- I don’t deserve you.
God is closer than you think. And in particular, in the Eucharist, he is there for you.
Suggested Homily
https://player.fireside.fm/v2/-nfbirjz+o18tWa05
Scripture References
Isaiah 7: 10 – 14
Romans 1: 1 – 7
Matthew 1: 18 – 24