Humble Servants of the Will of God

Homily for Tuesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

In the first reading, the Lord does not appear to a wealthy, decorated warrior, but to Gideon, the lowliest in Manasseh… The most insignificant in his father’s house. In a pattern that is repeated throughout the Scriptures, God chooses the weakest to show God’s strength. When the world turns away from God, God chooses the lowly and the meek, poor and insignificant, to carry out the mission.

We are familiar with this pattern. From the smallest mustard seed grows the largest of the garden plants – a great tree that houses all the birds of the air and provides nutrients, sustenance, and shade to all creatures. From a humble virgin would be born the God-Man infant who would redeem all of creation. Humble beginnings and humility throughout our growth give rise to a strength found in having made room for God to work through us.

In the Gospel text for today, Jesus explains to the disciples how difficult it is for one who is rich to enter the kingdom. In referring to the impossibility of the camel to pass through the eye of a needle, Jesus makes reference to the gate in the walls of Jerusalem that necessitates unloading the burden of the camel before it can pass through. It also points out the fact that wealthy people often times do not need God, nor do they make God the priority. But Jesus is explaining here is that whatever we have, whomever we have become, is due to the Father’s grace, and our duty is to put it all in service for the community as Jesus did.

In assuming a human nature, God relinquishes divine power and assumes our limitations. He practiced perfect obedience to his Father’s will. This is true humility and true reliance on God. When we are willing to be humble, to put God first rather than depending on our own power and possessions, that is when we are truly strong – rich in faith, hope, and love.

It is the humility of Jesus that makes his presence in the Eucharist so vital for our lives as the church teaches us that we should become what we consume. When we learn the lesson of the humility in the life of Jesus, then we will truly understand the importance of the Eucharist in our lives.