You Have Gone Too Far, Moses! - June 22
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 89:1-18; PM Psalm 89:19-52; Num. 16:1-19; Rom. 3:21-31; Matt. 19:13-22
You have gone too far, Moses! This is what Korah says when he confronts Moses, accusing him and Aaron of taking on too much leadership. Moses pushes back, stakes his claim as their leader, and even challenges the Levites as having gone too far. They’ve drawn a line in the sand against each other to compete for who is the holiest and right. There is mutiny, anger, and pride coming from all sides. I’m wondering if this scene feels familiar to anyone else besides me?
I was recently chatting with my oldest son about his job and he described a component that’s called Quality Assurance. You might know what this is, but basically, Quality Assurance functions best by resolving problems at the root cause, rather than reacting to a problem once it’s gotten bigger than it was at the source, itself. Things can go too far. If the issue gets past Quality Assurance, it’s bigger, more expensive, and more complicated and challenging to resolve. We related this concept to some of the issues happening currently.
Have we gone too far? It seems like things have gotten too big and complex. Sometimes it feels like mutiny. Strong convictions abound. What if we employed the Quality Assurance method of examining what’s at the source of things we’re trying to solve? Perhaps we need to take a few steps back from the lines drawn in the sand and let go of anger and pride. In doing so, we can possibly come together with more give and take. There we might find less divisiveness and more peace, more quality. What if we used the Quality Assurance method of examining what’s at the source of ourselves and our spiritual lives? Would we live our lives and make decisions differently if we got to the heart of the matter of who we are?
In the reading from Matthew, Jesus is approached by someone doing this very thing, seeking their source for eternal life. Jesus instructs them to sell their possessions and give the money to the poor…then to follow Jesus. They leave in grief because they have many possessions. Has Jesus gone too far? It’s obviously not easy to follow Jesus, but eternal life doesn’t have to be some far-off destination; it can begin here and now. How far are we willing to go to follow Jesus?
-- Susan Oakes, Seminarian
Susan Oakes is a rising senior at the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas. This summer, she is serving as a seminarian intern at Saint Stephen's, her sponsoring parish for ordination.
Questions for Self-Reflection:
Consider your “possessions” – resources of time, money, material goods, or skills, or possessions of beliefs, values, knowledge, etc. What are your possessions? Have you examined them lately with the Quality Control method of who you are as a Christian?
Daily Challenge:
What is Jesus asking you to give up in order to follow him? How far are you willing to go?