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Saturday, August 25, 2007 Meditation Matthew 23:1-12 What a sad but apt commentary Jesus made about the Pharisees who opposed him: “Their works are performed to be seen” (Matthew 23:5). Earlier in Matthew, Jesus warned against doing good deeds in order to win praise, because those who do so “have already received their reward” (6:1-3). By contrast, those whose deeds are hidden will gain the only reward that matters—the approval of our heavenly Father. This principle is wonderfully illustrated in the hidden life of Ruth, the Gentile who was King David’s great-grandmother, and thus a direct ancestress of Jesus. Ruth was very loyal to her widowed mother-in-law Naomi, but she did not flaunt this virtue. To help Naomi, she did the lowly work of a poor woman, gleaning grain after the official reapers had finished. Expecting nothing but daily sustenance, Ruth was grateful when Boaz noticed her. He explained that her generosity in caring for Naomi had caught his attention. Boaz—whose own prayer was fulfilled when he married Ruth—prayed, “May you receive a full reward from the Lord . . . under whose wings you have come for refuge” (Ruth 2:12). So whom do I more resemble—Ruth or the Pharisees in today’s Gospel? Am I looking to Jesus for direction? Or am I always looking over my shoulder to see what kind of impression I’m making, with the inevitable result that my plow veers away from the straight path set before me? Am I seeking the fleeting acceptance of human beings? Or am I content to let God reward me? Entrusting my life and its outcome to God is very freeing. Instead of being anxious about keeping up with fickle fashions, I can let the Master clothe me in the garment most suited to the work he’s assigned to me. Sometimes he will even give me gracious glimpses of the fruit borne through my obedience. Paul once told the Christians in Colossae: “If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. . . . When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1,4). May this become our motto as well. “Lord, my true life is hidden with you. Teach me to be concerned with pleasing you above all else!” Ruth 2:1-3,8-11; 4:13-17; Psalm 128:1-5 |
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