Tuesday, August 11, 2015

19th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 12-08-15

Deuteronomy 34:1-12 / Matthew 18:15-20

With a name that means "to pull/draw out" [of water], Moses was rescued by Pharaoh's daughter from the reeds, but his life ended on high and arid ground.

And in between for 40 years, he had to lead the people of God through the desert sands and he had to bear with a stiff-necked people who complained about almost everything.

At one point when the people were at Kadesh (Numbers 20:6-12) and they complained for water, God told Moses to strike the rock and there will be water.

Moses struck the rock twice, and he gave in to his frustrations and anger and insulted the people by calling them rebels and taunted them for their lack of faith in God.

But he was chided by God for not being respectful to God for His providence to His people and so it seems that because of this Moses was not granted entry to the Promised Land.

But that aside, Moses must be acknowledged for his leadership in very harsh and difficult conditions and his handling of a very difficult people.

He managed to bind the people  together and formed them as a nation before they entered the Promised Land.

Whatever he bind on earth was certainly acknowledged by God and rewarded by God as Moses goes not into some earthly Promised Land but to the eternal Promised Land.

We too, have our trials and frustrations here on earth, trudging through muddy waters and on hot burning sands and wondering if it is worth it to make sacrifices for God.

But whatever sacrifices we make on earth will be acknowledged by God. Our reward may not be on earth but it will certainly be in heaven. We must believe that and then making sacrifices will be worth it.