21 Sept 2016
Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and
Evangelist
Jesus works with what he has.
He doesn’t throw things out and start over. He’s like somebody who goes into an antique
store and discovers a treasure. Maybe it’s
an old silver bowl, black with tarnish, and even with a few dings in it. But Jesus loves it and snatches it right
up. The way he sees it, it has
potential: the bowl is basically good.
I wonder if that’s how Jesus saw Matthew, sitting there at
the customs post. Maybe Matthew was like
that old silver bowl: tarnish with sin, and even with a few dings in him. But Jesus loved him and snatched him right
up. Jesus could see beneath mere
appearances, and he knew he’d found a treasure.
Of course, that silver bowl would need to be shined up, and straightened
out—just like St. Matthew.
And that’s how Jesus looks at us, too. He sees us; we’re basically good—except we’re
tarnished by our sins; we have a few dings and bruises from living in the
world. But, in spite of that, he
snatches us up . . . if we’ll go. Of
course, we’re going to have get shined up and straightened out by the mercy of
God. But Jesus is happy to do that; he’s
overjoyed to fix us up . . . if we’ll go.
That’s always the thing—we have to go with Jesus. But where to? Well, I guess to wherever they fix up tax
collectors and sinners and turn them into apostles and saints. And I think that place is right here at the
altar of God, and in our honest prayers and conversations with God. That’s where we get all shined up and
straightened out—in the bosom of God, letting Jesus feed us with the
nourishment of his grace and mercy.
Jesus works with what he has; he loves to do that. He doesn’t throw things out and start
over. He takes us as we are, and he
works with us to make us even better—for our own good, for the good of others,
and for his glory. There’s nothing to
lose in letting Jesus snatch us up and work on us. So why not give it a go . . . let’s follow
him, and see the potential he already sees in us.
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