Daily Gospel Reflection for January 5, 2015

Today's Gospel: Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25

Memorial of Saint John Neumann

What must it have been like for Jesus to hear that John the Baptist has been arrested? Surely he knew what was next…and maybe it was a little spur in his saddle.

Or did the Son of God need an impetus? Did he need motivation? Did he need reminding of his duty?

Probably not. But I sure do.

Jesus cooperated with the divine plan for his life. We see proof of that again and again in the gospels, and today’s reading is no different.

In fact, Jesus makes cooperating look easy, doesn’t he? He goes to a new town, cures the sick, heals the paralytics, makes some enemies, and moves along.

The point of what Jesus did, though, wasn’t in the miracles themselves. It was what they pointed to: the Kingdom of Heaven.

What’s that mean? So often, it’s a theory, a nice idea that’s far removed from the nitty-gritty of my daily life of small feet, large voices, and many deadlines. My juggling doesn’t look a lot like bringing the Kingdom of God, so what significance does any of this have for me?

There’s a temptation for me, and it’s to write off the gospels as old-fashioned, irrelevant, and written for someone else. But they weren’t: they were written for me, in all my chaos and clutter and confusion.

Jesus reaches across the pages and points to the Kingdom of heaven. It’s in the interruptions that have come at the rate of three per minute since I sat down to write this. It’s in the call from a family member who just wanted to tell me they loved me. It’s in the note I found underneath the microwave, a remnant love letter from someone’s lunchbox.

Ponder:

What points you to the Kingdom of Heaven? What in your daily life can draw you closer to God and to a relationship with Jesus, if you will let it?

Pray:

Lord, help me to see you at work in my life, and grant me the grace to truly appreciate the Kingdom of Heaven in my life. Amen.

We thank our friends at The Word Among Us for providing our gospel reflection team with copies of Abide In My Word 2015: Mass Readings at Your Fingertips. To pray the daily gospels with this wonderful resource, visit The Word Among Us.

Copyright 2015 Sarah Reinhard