King Ahaz was in serious trouble. His kingdom was being invaded. The hostile powers were intending to place another family on the throne and put an end to his own dynasty. At this moment Ahaz had no son to succeed him – for he had sacrificed his only infant son to pagan gods. He could not muster an army to defeat the invaders on the field of battle. This is the situation when Isaiah comes to Ahaz and suggests that he simply place his trust in God. Through Isaiah, God promises to save Judah, Ahaz’s kingdom from the invaders. Ahaz did not have to do anything but trust in God. Of course, we know the outcome of the story. Ahaz doesn’t listen.
Over and over again in the Scriptures we hear God tell us, “Do not be afraid. I am with you.” When faced with dire circumstances, the response of a person of faith is to trust that God is faithful.
In the Gospel today, Jesus takes the communities of Bethsaida, Chorazin, and Capernaum to task for their lack of faith. They have seen the mighty deeds that Jesus has done, but they still fail to put their faith in Jesus. Jesus’ words remind us that the miracles that Jesus performed were done to bring forth faith in God’s provident care. When faced with the limits of our humanity, it God’s power upon which we must rely. As Isaiah tells Ahaz, “Unless your faith is firm, you will not be firm.” Human strength cannot overcome the problems we will face in life. Only God’s strength can overcome. Jesus is our witness to this elementary truth. As we read in Psalm 46: “Be still and know that I am God.”
Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator