Jesus continues to challenge us to go deeper than where we are living right now
“Bear your share of hardship for the Gospel through the strength that comes from God” (2 Timothy 1:8). In living as disciples of Jesus, have we endured any hardship for the sake of the Gospel? In Lent, we are encouraged to discipline ourselves beyond simply giving up meat on Fridays and fasting two on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. We are asked to embrace a more disciplined and deeper life as a disciple, noticing the hardship that we are called to embrace if we truly live the Gospel.
How many of us have decided yet what kind of Lent we want to live? It is an easy and convenient thing to simply kick into gear the old habits of the past. We might have particular daily meditations that we do during lunch, we might have a favorite podcast that we listen to every day during Lent, we might have some sacrificing that we do that we’ve done in years past and we also might have found wways to be generous with the resources that we have. It does seem to be an easy slide to go back into the same habits of the past rather than being invited into what St. Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy reminds us of this weekend. Embrace the hardships for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God.
In the longer version of the Serenity Prayer, there’s a line in there that says “we see hardship as a pathway to peace.” What hardships are we willing to embrace for the sake of the Gospel? Jesus continues to challenge us to go deeper than where we are living right now. He asks us not to be afraid of what He wants us to do. He will give us the strength we need to travel the path that He wants us to go. What is it that we hesitate to go the next step?
What hardships might the Gospel be asking of us today? Could it be that we are being asked to confront hatred and bigotry wherever we find it, even in our own families or amongst our own friends? Could it be that we are being asked to quit complaining about what’s wrong with the world and do something with our lives and take a step forward in healing, love or forgiveness? Is it hard for us to embrace the hardship of meeting people different than we are and experiencing the tension or uncomfortability of listening to someone that we don’t understand? It’s part of the hardship of being a disciple of Jesus that we are truly called to get out of our comfort and convenience, and move into the hardship that comes with deepening our discipleship.
Remember the story of the young person who comes to Jesus and reports that he has been following all the Commandments and all the teachings of Jesus . He wants to know what’s next. He is waiting for Jesus to tell them that this is enough and they can quit growing. When Jesus ask that person to sell all that they have, give their money to the poor and then come and follow Him, he goes away sad for he had many possessions. What kind of hardship, freely embraced, is Jesus asking of each of us? How much of our convenience and comfortability is Jesus asking us to sacrifice this Lent for the sake of the good of another, for the sake of the Gospel?
The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel and it’s promise.
