Sometimes we are surprised by the choices people make. Often that’s because we can’t see with our eyes the workings of anyone else’s mind – or occasionally even our own. I had two conversations yesterday about trusting what we can’t see or yet know and how that is sometimes what we have to do when we are unable to clearly evaluate how the options we are considering (“Do I or don’t I?”) will work out.
Today is the feast of St. Matthew, one of the four evangelists credited with writing the gospels. I was interested to see what the folks at http://www.franciscanmedia.com would say about him and it was there that I found the thesis statement above that I offer as our “thought for the day.” Here’s what Father Don Miller, OSF said. See how it resonates with you as an example of the unusual choice and what the consequences might be.
Matthew was a Jew, but he worked for the Romans as a tax collector. His fellow Jews considered him a traitor and resented him. The Pharisees viewed him, and all tax collectors, as a sinner. So it was a real shock to hear that Jesus called such a man to be one of his followers. But that’s the kind of thing Jesus did.
All of the readings today speak of the danger of riches. We have seen how our culture fuels our desire for more – whether it be money or power – and the corruption that ensues in many cases when “more” is achieved. Clearly there are very rich people who do amazing and generous things with their money – Warren Buffett, for instance – but responsibility with wealth only comes from the development of a discerning heart and a life of understanding that we are, not just in theory, brothers and sisters in this world.
