Beyond
God as Savior
Fr.
George Smiga
July
2, 2006
Mark
6:1-6
A
woman had heard that one of her favorite TV personalities
was making a rare personal appearance at her neighborhood
mall and she was determined to see him. But when she arrived
at the mall, she realized that several hundred other people
had a similar idea. There was no place to park. For twenty
minutes she drove her car around the mall looking for a place
without success. Finally, in desperation, she raised her eyes
to heaven and said: “Lord, help me. If you provide a parking
space for me, I promise
I will put $300 in the collection next Sunday. When she turned
into the next row, there, miraculously, was an empty space.
She raised her eyes to heaven again and said: “Never mind,
I found one.”
When
we are desperate, we turn to the Lord. But it is clear that
for most of us we
would
rather handle things ourselves. When we have no other options,
when we have painted ourselves into a corner, when we are
at our wits end, we cry out to the Lord to help us. But when
things are running smoothly, when our finances and our relationships
are healthy and productive, we congratulate ourselves on how
our
earnest
efforts and wise decisions have led to our success.
Now,
do not misunderstand me. There is nothing wrong with turning
to the Lord when we are desperate. People in crisis continually
approached Jesus throughout his public ministry. In today's
gospel both Jairus, the synagogue leader, and the woman with
the hemorrhage come to Jesus because they had no place else
to turn. Jesus acts quickly and decisively to assist them.
We should never feel embarrassed or
apologetic about coming to the Lord in a time of need. We
should never hesitate to cry out to the Lord when we find
our self in a crisis. In faith we believe that God will hear
us and will act.
But
what a waste it is to wait until we are in crisis. What a
waste it is to wait until we are desperate
before we turn to the Lord. It is a waste because it is not
what God wants. It is a waste because it is not what we need.
Now
without a doubt God is our savior, our helper, and our healer.
But God
wants
to be more to us than that. God has revealed God's self as
father, as mother, as lover,
as friend. Why God loves us so, is a mystery, but that God
loves us so, is the gospel.
So we diminish our relationship with God when we approach
God simply as a problem
solver. We ignore what God wants when we approach God only
as the “Mr. Fix-it” for our lives. It is a waste for us to
approach God only as the healer of our ills. God wants more!
God wants to share life with us. God wants our love. Approaching
God only as a savior is not what God wants.
Neither
is it what we need. How much richer our lives would be if
we turned to God not only when we were desperate but every
day of our lives. How much wealth and joy would we have in
our lives if we turned to God not only when things were in
crisis but when things were running smoothly and blessings
were over flowing. If we could begin each day remembering
God's love, if we could be conscious of God's presence as
we face each event and each person, how much deeper, more
thankful, more joyful our lives would be. That kind of living
is exactly what we need. Therefore it is a waste when we only
turn to God in crisis.
So
if you are in dire need, if you are at your wit's end, if
you cannot find a parking place, then
by all means call out to God for help. To believe that God
will hear and help you is central to the gospel. But do not
wait until you are in crisis before you turn to God. Take
God with you to every moment of every day. God is loving you
now. Claim that love today. That is what God wants. That is
what we need.
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