2024/10/20 SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
- Erika Wenson, Communications Associate
How many instances in your life have you prayed, “Lord, just give me what I want”? Maybe it hasn’t come out that harshly; perhaps it was a slightly more veiled question resembling something like “Lord, if it’s your will, let it be; but I really want this to be your will, so can it be your will? Ok thanks. Amen.” I’m hoping it’s not just me who has said a few prayers like this in my life.
In a sense, that is exactly what happens in our Gospel reading this weekend. James and John approach Jesus and ask him to make them His right-hand men, but before they ask this question they say, “Jesus, we want you to do whatever we’re about to ask of you”. That line stopped me in my tracks. Right away, this line reveals that James and John are approaching Jesus with this question in a bad spiritual space and negative mind set. They can’t seem to let go of control by prefacing their question with telling Jesus He has to do what they say. “Ok God, here’s what you need to do for me”.
It's as if they’re afraid to just be still and listen to what Jesus wants them to do. They come to him with this grand plan, and are so set in it, that they can’t possibly see that Jesus could have something even greater in store for them. Sound familiar? I know it does for me! I’ve had countless instances where I was so set on a plan or goal in life, that when I’d approach God in prayer about it, I’d not be open to the possibility that that idea/goal/plan was not what Jesus had in mind for me. Even worse, I can recall a time in my life where I stopped praying about my plan altogether because I didn’t want to hear the “no” that deep down I knew Jesus would tell me if I did bring that intention to Him.
I’m one of the first people to admit that the process of prayer when we approach God with an openness to His will for our lives can be terrifying. It’s the lack of control that scares most anyone when we approach God in prayer with the posture of allowing His will to be revealed to us on whatever we bring to Him. The Christian life is not so easy for us humans who consider ourselves a bit of a control freak (guilty). The blessing we have as Christians, though, is our ability to also ask Jesus through prayer, to increase our faith in His plan for us, to multiply our trust in Him in all areas of our lives, and to hold on to hope that He has what’s best for us at the top of His mind, always.
So that is my prayer for you today, dear reader. I pray that when you spend time with our Lord, that you share your intentions with Him, coming from a spiritual space of hope and trust that Jesus has the best plans for you—plans to prosper you and to increase your faith, whatever your intentions are. Know that He will most definitely provide you with something even better than you could ever imagine for yourself.