Lip Service

Today's Scripture

Every time I hear this Gospel, I can't help but think of my sons when they were teenagers. I feel like they were often back and forth between these two responses when asked to do something. I can picture their exasperated two-syllable 'but Da-aad' initially, and then eventually getting around to the task, or the absent-minded 'yeah sure' when they were engrossed in a video game. Jesus is sharing a bit of the Father's viewpoint as he considers the actions of His children.

The Gospel of Matthew has a strongly repeating theme of others entering the kingdom while God's chosen people will remain outside due to their unwillingness to DO the word of God. "this people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me" Jesus says earlier in Matthew's Gospel. It's easy for us to take shots at the Jewish leaders of Jesus' time, isn't it? Well, that's because they are portrayed so that we can easily see their missteps. This is for our education, so we have to understand that this applies to the people as a whole and to us as individuals. Otherwise. we can make the same mistakes both as individuals and as a Church.

You see, in this story, Jesus wants it all, He wants us to commit to Him, and to follow through. There are a number of reasons that we don't do that. On the complete opposite end, we might paint a scenario where we neither SAY we will do it nor do we do it. This comes when we don't understand or agree with the teaching or what we are being asked to do. While this might be a bit more genuine, it still does not end in us doing God's will.

So why don't we do the whole thing? Why don't we SAY and DO? Well often it is that we are well intentioned, but forget, or let other things get in the way. In our hearts we may have a desire to do the thing, but in the end, we find that we have not done God's will. What are we to do? Acknowledge where we are and our tendencies and ask for the strength of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps we need to spend some time convincing ourselves that what God is asking is the right thing. Conviction will help us to set priorities. Perhaps we need some partners who will help us to be accountable. Perhaps we also should press forward knowing that we might not do it perfectly, and that God will have forgiveness for us when our hearts are moving in the right direction.

Whatever way we might do it, we need to endeavor to do His will. People often remark to me that they desire to know God’s will for them but are struggling to see it. I share with them an important realization from my own discernment: We say we want to know God’s will, but we really want to know His PLAN. We already know God’s will: we find it in the corporal and spiritual works of mercy AND of course, Jesus' great commission: Make disciples. So when the PLAN seems a little unclear, consider focusing on doing God’s WILL and the plan will then begin to take shape. When we are about these things in our lives, then we are certainly doing more than paying lip service.