Ordinary Time Week 11

Psalm: Psalm 107:1-9, 43 or Psalm 49:1-12

Old Testament: Hosea 11:1-11

 or Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14, 2:18-23

Gospel: Luke 12:13-21

Epistle: Colossians 3:1-11

This week I was struggling to find a common theme across the passages, knowing of course during Ordinary Time the passages don't always relate. But by the time I got to Colossians something stood out. The text reads, "set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth." (Col. 3:2) In Colossians, Luke, and Hosea the overwhelming idea is that God must be the first thing in one's life.

Looking at Hosea first, we have a negative image of what happens when this isn't the case. By the time of Hosea, Israel and Judah were on the wrong path of disobedience and breaking the Covenant of the Lord. As we saw last week with Hosea's wife and children's names, Hosea was calling the people to repent. We of course know that didn't happen and conquest and exile would come to each nation. The first half of Hosea chapter 11 is Hosea pointing out how God kept reaching out to his people, yet they kept turning away. Over and over the refrain is, "I [God] did ______, but they [Israel] did______." (vs. 10) The text doesn't quite say that the exile could have been prevented if the people had just followed after God alone, but Hosea does offer an image of the future when the relationship will be restored. In this future vision, Israel "will follow the Lord; He will roar like a lion." This was a reality that never fully came to fruition, but it remained the ideal for the People of God.

Moving into Luke, we read the parable of the rich man who produced so much wealth he decided he needed to build a bunch of barns and storehouses to keep his crops. The man was so pleased and said to himself, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry." (vs. 19) But in his greed he forgot where his priorities should lie according to the Covenant of the Lord. That very night, the man died and Jesus left his audience with the question of who now will own what the man has prepared? It certainly won't do the rich man any good! The implications are that the man was not going to go to Paradise with the righteous. The final line of the pericope ties this story to the other passages, "So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." (vs. 21) The meaning is clear, we have a higher calling and goal in this life. We can't be short-sighted and focused only on earthly treasures.

Finally, as I mentioned, Col. 3:2 reads, "set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth." Paul is making some really dense arguments in this chapter concerning a number of topics, but for our purposes today, when Paul says "set your minds on things above," he doesn't mean cloister ourselves together in a holy circle. Rather, he goes on to list a bunch of characteristic we shouldn't have, followed by ones we should posses. He writes,“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.” (vs. 12-14) Our view of eternity and Life Everlasting in the Kingdom dictates how we are to live our lives now, day in and day out.

The scripture is full of exhortations of this kind. Our relationship to Christ affects how we are to live. Thanks be to God that we don't do this on our own. We are both in Christ, and have his Spirit in us. Let us seek to live like Christ each and every day and follow him as we seek the things above.

Grace and peace.