Daily Gospel Reflection for November 23, 2019

Today's Gospel: Luke 20:27-40 Those Sadducees, I tell you, are right up my alley. Even now, nearly twenty years after coming into the Catholic Church, I find myself posing questions that are mazes designed to entrap whoever the smarter-than-me person is. It’s like I can’t help it. It’s like I can’t just trust. It’s almost a game. And I guess that’s where I’m different than the Sadducees. I do actually want to believe. I just can’t help seeing glaring discrepancies and huge questions that need asked. We learn, in today’s gospel, that Jesus is infinitely patient, even with people who ask jerky questions. He doesn’t just take the time to answer; He explains the deeper reasoning. They can plug their ears and pretend not to understand, but He’s so clear that they respond with the first-century version of “Atta boy.” And then “they no longer dared to ask Him anything.” I don’t think that’s because they didn’t have questions. I think it’s because of their intent. So much of life has to do with intention, with what’s in our hearts. The law is clear, but our hearts are not. Life is filled with gray circumstances, things that defy the black-or-white approach to sin-or-not-sin. It’s OK to pose a question. Just be ready for the answer and the grace that can come with it.