Sunday of the Third Week of Advent
December 16, 2007
"Blessed is the one who takes no offense at me."
- Mathew 11:6

Recall the scripture if the eye or hand is the cause of your sin you are supposed to cut them off because it would be better to get to go to heaven without them than hold onto those sins and end up going to Gehenna. Now, is this scripture passage meant to be taken literally or does it have a different meaning? It all depends on what lens you use to view this teaching of our Lord. That is true with the entire bible and our faith life in general. If we took the above scripture literally, I guess there would be an awful lot of us walking around without eyes and hands! Of course, we do not apply the teaching to physically cut off your eyes and hands if they are sinning. Thank God! And that is why it is so important to understand the lens with which we view and how that affects our viewing and corresponding thinking and actions.

The lens with which we view so deeply affects the quality and depth of our relationships. I do not know when we human beings will finally understand that we are all quirky, imperfect, sinful, creatures that are going to offend each other. But what can happen to our lens when someone offends us? We can take on the names like "offended", "hurt", and "disrespected" and take on the bitter lens wanting to make the offender pay and feel our pain. Sadly, this "victim hood" is all too common in our society and can make our ways of relating very angry and shallow. Even though the offense may have been done to us, we are not stuck with being victims but rather we can be redeemed in the blood of the Lamb. We do not acquiesce to being a helpless victim but we shout that we are the Redeemed! So, let us ask ourselves, do I need conversion? In light of how I have been wronged, have I become bitter and chosen that lens and do I need to put on the new lens of God believing His mercy working for good is infinitely greater than any offense known to man?

We have considered our relationships with each other; now let us turn to our relationship with God. Jesus says we are blessed if we take no offense with God. Are you in any way mad at God? It could be from the loss of a child, loved one, war, injustice, the taking of innocent life or a host of other sufferings. Now, I am not one to say that it is a bad thing to get mad at God. But, do not make it a way of life. And, in light of our suffering and placing the blame on God for it, we must take a look at our lens. God is not the cause of our pain and suffering. Sin is. Sin is moving away from God and when we move away from God, whether it is us or someone else, we are going to feel the pain of being separated from our source of life. God, who is perfect, can not offend our dignity.

Reflect on the lens with which you view. Is it time to convert to a redeemed lens?

We are infinitely blessed!

+ Fr. John