"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways--oracle of the LORD." (Isaiah 55:8).

The major theme for this 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time focuses on the sense of justice and extravagant grace of our merciful God toward all people, which is above our own human standards.

Our human sensibilities regarding fairness and patience have been limited and rigidly observed precisely because they are human and imperfect. We might think that hard work, seniority, and experience should be rewarded; everyone should be subject to the same rule and treated impartially, eliminating any favoritism... etc. However, we discover in the real world and with God, things are not as what we expect them to be.

Moreover, we tend to carry the anthropomorphism, which means to attribute the human characteristics and behaviors to God to the extreme and to assume that God's manner of dealing with everything is governed by our standards, normative in our dealings with one another. However, in the Kingdom of God, our standards are imperfect and insufficient due to our limitations. Therefore, God's ways are not our ways. God's thoughts are not our thoughts.

Surprisingly, God bless us not by the measure of what we do, or the merit of our achievements, but according to His own pleasure, mercy, and good will, which is known as God's grace that we cannot "earn" it, but should value it, and appreciate His wonderful gifts to us, due to His outpouring and compassionate love to us.

God does not want us holding a relationship of Transaction but Transformation. Therefore, Dynamic Christian disciples are those who (1) BELIVE, (2) GROW, (3) SERVE, (4) LOVE and (5) LEAD others to Jesus. Today's topic invites us to appreciate God's sense of justice and extravagant grace toward us through Christ, to follow Jesus Christ more closely, to repent our sins, to exercise our Christian stewardship, to use our time, treasure, and talents to love God above all and to love our neighbors as ourselves, participating in the works of mercy, to accomplish God's will in our lives to glorify God.

How can we emphasize "God's gracious and merciful love" over "fairness" or "justice" in our life?

Wishing everyone a blessed week in the Lord

 

How can we emphasize "God's gracious and merciful love" over "fairness" or "justice" in our live?

Wishing everyone a blessed week in the Lord.