Fr. John Denburger, OCSO
3rd Thursday of Ordinary Time
2 Samuel 7: 18 – 19, 24 – 29; Ps 132; Mark 4: 21 – 25
David’s plan to build a temple for the Lord, at first met with Nathan’s approval and surely with that of David’s people. However, the Lord had other plans. God tells David, “I will raise up your heir after you…It is he who will build a house in My name.” And then God adds this awesome promise, “I will make his royal throne firm forever.” As we know, it is Solomon who will build this house but it is someone else who will reign forever. It will be centuries before that divine Heir appears and God’s promise stands firm.
This promise affects all of us who are people of faith, of David’s family. We believe firmly in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is for us the Way, the Truth and the Life and through our Baptism, we are incorporated into His very person. We are of Christ, in Christ and all we do is done through Christ, this is Baptismal life, consecrated life.
As St. Paul writes, “We bear a treasure in earthen vessels”…the treasure of a most personal relationship with the Lord Jesus and through Him to the Father in the Holy Spirit. The promise to David is reality for us.
Overwhelmed by the divine promise, David exclaims, “Who am I, Lord God, and who are the members of my house, that you have brought me to this point?” It is a question each of us might ask the Lord in order to grow in our relationship with Him. The answer, however given, will be most personal and one fitted to our uniqueness, to our story of grace.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches, “Listen carefully to what you hear.” In posing David’s question for our own journey, there must be careful listening because Jesus speaks about such carefulness. He adds, “In the measure you give you shall receive, and more besides. To those who have, more will be given.”
It is in the context of listening that Jesus speaks of “the measure you give” – it is about the measure we give in listening. It implies an important question. What is the measure of my listening? How do I rate my own willingness and what really is the quality of that listening? Jesus commands, “Listen carefully to what you hear.” Why such carefulness? – it is a matter of life, Eternal Life and nothing less.
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