THE LORD HEARS THE CRY
The Lord hears the cry of the poor... The fact that God also chose
Abraham and his son Isaac as bearers of a promise does not mean that God is
forgetting or slighting those not so chosen.
As I was reflecting
on the scripture readings and psalm for today, these word really spoke loud and
clear; The Lord hears the cry of the poor. God hears the cries of Ishmael and
the fears of Hagar. He provides water in the desert, and promises to make of Ishmael
a great nation and also was with the boy as he grew up. The fact that God also
chose Abraham and his son Isaac as bearers of a promise does not mean that God
is forgetting or slighting those not so chosen. We should think of the status
of Chosen People not so much as an exclusion of others but a choice confers
upon certain individuals or a group definite responsibilities that are in a
sense a burden.
By our baptism we
too have been chosen and with the maturing of our faith realize that this adoption
by God requires of us that we live up to this dignity. That is why we are
justified in regarding Christian life more as a response in love to God's
goodness than a matter of obeying a book of rules. We have been chosen;
gratitude is our response.
In the Gospel of
Matthew, Jesus also heard the cry of two men who were not Jews, and yet Jesus
came to their rescue. Love of country is one thing, but any form of nationalism
or ethnic pride, which fails to recognize the dignity and worth of every human
being is not what God expects from us.
The Lord hears the
cry!