Gospel
We can only be enslaved if we allow ourselves to be. I would like to share this story I came across on the web because it speaks so simply and clearly to our human condition. It is called:
The Duck and the Devil.
“There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. He was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods. He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit the target. Getting a little discouraged, he headed back for dinner. As he was walking back he saw Grandma's pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head, and killed it. He was shocked and grieved. In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile, only to see his sister watching! Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.
After lunch the next day Grandma said, " Sally, let's wash the dishes." But Sally said, "Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen." Then she whispered to him, "Remember the duck ?" So Johnny did the dishes. Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and Grandma said, " I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make Supper." Sally just smiled and said," Well that's all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help. " She whispered again, " Remember the duck?" So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help.
After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's, he finally couldn't stand it any longer. He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck. Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug, and said, "Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing, but because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you."
Our readings today remind us that God is a God of compassion, mercy, and justice. In the 1st reading from Ezekiel, the Lord offers hope to those who have sinned, and a warning to those who know better but choose to sin anyway. It says that if the wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and if he repents and keeps God’s commandments and does what is right and just, he shall surely live. He shall not die. So in these words there is hope for everyone no matter how they have lived their life in the past. God wants us to turn back to him but we also have the choice to do so or not. There is also a warning for those who are virtuous, those who know what is right. We are warned that a virtuous person who knows what is the right thing to do but chooses to turn away from God anyway, that person is accountable for their actions and they risk spiritual death. We do have a choice. But sometimes we act on impulse or without thinking, like the little boy in today’s story. And once we have acted, it sometimes becomes hard to turn back. We become paralyzed by what we have done, and it requires humility, courage, and fortitude to admit that we have done wrong and to say we are sorry.
Then in the Gospel, Jesus raises the bar higher with respect to the behavior that is expected of us. Our righteousness must extend beyond just obeying the commandments and following the rules. We must be consciously and constantly asking ourselves “what are those things which are getting in the way of me hearing the Lord, following His commands, and being moved by His spirit. It’s not enough for us to not kill someone. Jesus tells us to not allow ourselves to get angry and if we do, we need reconcile with the one with whom we are angry. We need to forgive those who have been unjust, unfair, unfeeling towards us or someone we care about. It’s not enough to not steal. We shouldn’t allow ourselves to feel envious of what other’s have. The envy will blind us to what God has already given us. In all these things, we must be ready to forgive, to forget, and to let go of anger, envy, lust, greed, or whatever it is that has a hold on us.
The lesson from the scriptures today and from the story is important for us to hear, but it is more important that we believe.
“ Whatever is in our past, whatever we have done the devil likes to keep throwing it up in our face (lying, cheating, debt, fear, bad habits, hatred, anger, bitterness, etc.) ....whatever it is....we need to know that God was standing at the window and He saw the whole thing..... He has seen our whole life. He wants us to know that He loves us and that we are forgiven. He's just wondering how long we will let the devil make a slave of us. The great thing about God is that when you ask for forgiveness, He not only forgives us, but He forgets what we have done. It is by God's grace and mercy that we are forgiven. It is through God’s love that we are saved. And we need to always remember that God is standing at the window.”
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