Becoming Children of the ‘Most High’
Thousands of books are available in many stores promising to help us better ourselves with seven, ten or twelve easy steps. Most of them teach us how to be successful without working hard at it. But in today’s Gospel Jesus tells us that there is only one way to be successful and that is by remaining faithful to the Gospel value – trying to be the servant of all.
A story is told about a rich man who once, on a rainy day, saw a little poor girl near his house. She had fallen in the muck and was seeking help from any Good Samaritan. The rich man, feeling angry with God, murmured within himself: “Why the hell O God, have You created such creatures to disgrace our planet?” Then he heard a voice from God: “I have made you rich so that you can care for such people.”
In the Gospel, Jesus invites us to take care of the poor, blind, cripple and lame. The Jews did not allow physically challenged people to enter the temple, because they thought that the Assembly of God was made up of perfect, worthy, and spotless people. Any ailment was regarded as a curse from God for one’s own sinfulness. But Jesus tells us that they help us attain merit in the sight of God.
The Book of Sirach invites us to be humble, – “…great is the might of the Lord; but by the humble He is glorified” (Sir. 3:20). A humble person is the one who turns into the servant of all, considering all as equal to himself/herself. Those are the people who will accept every gift from God in thankful attitude, using them for the wellbeing of their brethren.
Becoming a servant of all people means loving everyone with the love of God. It is loving without expecting anything in return. Then, what do we get out of it? St. Luke tells us that we become children of the ‘Most High’ (Lk 6:35). What more do we need?