Scripture Reflection with Fr. James Downey

Fr. James Downey

As any parent would tell you, obedience is a very good thing. The trick is that it must be learned and, thanks to Original Sin, it does not come easily. Being required to do the will of another might can seem like the worst thing that could ever happen to a human being (i.e. try telling a young child, who is currently having fun, that it is time to go or it’s time to go to bed). 

In the life of Faith, obedience is a non-negotiable necessity: can you truthfully say you believe in a God Who you refuse to obey? This too must be learned and is not easy. During this Advent, while we are following this theme of human development, it is good to remember that God calls us to that growth in obedience and growth in Faith and it too has stages in development.

First stage of obedience in Faith is usually Not Obeying: I like my way of doing things and am highly skeptical of any alternatives, especially less pleasant or convenient ones, like ones that make demands.

The Second Stage is Obeying out of Fear: like a child who behaves well only   because the belt, a time out, or a loss of privileges are the likely results if they behave otherwise, a person might only obey God out of fear of hell.

The Third Stage is Obeying for Personal Benefit: a mercenary only does the job because of the promised payoff, a child might only do chores in response to a bribe (candy, money, whatever currency is most valued), and a Christian might only do good things, like pray, because they like feeling warm and fuzzy and good about themselves.

These previous two stages can be okay starting points and, just like they have a proper place in teaching children to do the right thing, they can have a proper place in a Christian maturing in the Faith. At the same time, true Christian maturity requires much more than “just following orders” and needs to go beyond only ever doing right out of fear of punishment or for sake of reward.

The Last Stage is the stage full maturity: to Obey out of Love. I do what God wills, because I love Him; my heart is completely open to Him. That is, after all, what God desires in the end:  not sacrifices or holocausts or sin offerings, but hearts that are open to Him, hearts that He can fill with His joy.

  • What line stood out to you most from today’s Gospel (Luke 3:39-45)? Why?

  • How can the readings and reflections offer you comfort or inspire you this day?