Knowledge is privilege, but a curse too!

WORD 2day: Wednesday, 29th week in Ordinary time

October 21, 2020: Ephesians 3: 2-12; Luke 12:39-48

God has given us a special privilege, the privilege of the revelation of God, says Paul. It does not end with that. We have been made stewards of that revelation, of that knowledge that is given by God, by God's Spirit! And this is of course a privilege; but a pressing duty too, that we share this knowledge far and wide - through our words and moreover through our very lives. 

In the Gospel, we hear Jesus deepening that awareness a step further, as he says: it is not only a privilege and a responsibility, it can become a curse too, if we are not truthful and committed to the knowledge that the Lord gives, in the revelation. He says, the one who knows but does not abide by what he or she knows, is more liable to judgement than the one who does not know and has failed in something. This is the difference between a mistake and a malice. 

God has revealed to us every truth that we need to know to live a life that is worthy of the children of God - the truth of the Sovereign presence of God, the truth of our identity as children of God, the truth of our call to holiness and the truth of how difficult and demanding that call is. In spite of knowing it, if we act as if we did not know it, aren't we making ourselves unworthy of being called children of God, the people of revelation? 

This is where the curse comes - a brother or sister of mine who has not received this revelation, is in no way going against God, while if I act so, I am making myself liable of judgement! The revelations that I have received can itself become a judgement against me. That is why Jesus says (in Jn 12:48), the very words that Jesus has spoken shall become the judge of those who refuse to live by what has been revealed to them. 

The words of a modern day philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard, should come to our mind here - it is not about being a christian, but it is about becoming a Christian; becoming a christian is a continual striving. Yes, we need to strain ourselves to really becoming every day of our lives, more and more Christ-ian.