The folly of a Back-up plan!

WORD 2day: Friday, 12th week in Ordinary time

June 25, 2021: Genesis 17: 1, 9-10, 15-22; Matthew 8: 1-4

At times we act smart. Though we ask God for a favour, we begin making a back up plan...if in case we do not get what we ask! That actually spells a doom in most of the cases and instead of backing up, it backfires. 

We see Sarah, wife of Abram, making a back up plan of begetting a child through the maid servant and how it backfired. Today, even as he listens to God communicating his plan, Abraham is intent on having a back up plan, seeing Ishmael as his progeny! Abraham has still to grow in his faith, true and total faith. He will grow and he would soon be an epitome of faith, but not yet.

Faith is not having a back-up plan! It is a total entrustment to the Lord. How preapared are we? How many times we make back-up plans in spite of telling the Lord - Lord you are my all, my refuge and my fortress. Just imagine when a person asks you for a favour, and you get to know the person has asked a number of others too, for the same favour, how would you really feel?

In the Gospel today, we have an instance that shows us what it means to believe without a back up plan. ..'Lord if you wish. ..' An attitude of surrender, a total surrender that is not tempted by the folly of having a back up plan. Alternatives are in the hands of God. ..it is not for us to make back up plans when we believe in God, but to make an act of faith and leave everything into the hands of God. 

As children of God, would we realise that a back-up plan, in terms of faith, is really a folly!