Scripture Reflection, July 6: The Gentle Mastery of Christ

Scripture Readings:
Zephaniah 9: 9-10
Psalm 145
Romans 8: 9, 11-13
Matthew 11: 25-30

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As I thought about the Scripture readings for this Sunday, I recalled a quote that is attributed to Saint Francis de Sales, bishop of Geneva in the early 17th century and author of the classic work The Introduction to the Devout Life. Francis wrote, “There is nothing as strong as gentleness, and nothing as gentle as real strength.” It seems to me that the truth of his statement is borne out in our experience of life. People who have inner strength, who are self-possessed and confident about their own personal authority, do not need to overpower others. They do not need to put on displays of strength. Their strength enables them to treat others with gentleness. Conversely, we often see that those who are most concerned about displaying their strength are in fact rather weak people on the inside.

These Scripture readings speak to us about the strength of Christ. His authority comes to him from the God he calls “Abba,” and he knows it to be his own. Jesus knows who he is and what his purpose in life is. He knows his Father to be the God whose care extends to all; he is a gracious and merciful God concerned to reach out and offer life to his people. Jesus, then, could quietly display a gentle mastery that brought hope to those who were most burdened by life. His ministry represents the fulfillment of the prophecy of Zephaniah, who announced the advent of a just savior who would come to his people not with chariots and armies, but in meekness.

Jesus was certainly no doormat. His powerful words and deeds often left the crowds spellbound. He courageously reached out to those on the margins of his society, knowing that his actions would attract the ire of many. He boldly rebuked the religious leaders for pride and hypocrisy and for laying impossible burdens on ordinary people. But his strength was displayed in its most striking fashion when he invited the weary and burdened to come to him to find refreshment. He urged them to discover that in following him they would bear a burden that they could carry and that would even bring them life. It would bring them life because they would be walking alongside Jesus, the Son of God. Jesus used his strength and authority to bring life to others, to free them and call forth the best in them. He refused to employ his power for his own self-interest or to overpower others.

In our nation this weekend we celebrate the gift of freedom. We take time to express our gratitude for the many benefits of our lives as citizens of the United States, and we pay tribute to those who have sacrificed much to build our nation. As we celebrate Independence Day this weekend, let us pray that we will be a strong nation, in the sense of what real strength means. We often listen to windy rhetoric about what it means to be a “strong nation.” This talk sometimes focuses on the capacity of our country to assert its dominion over other peoples and nations. As Catholic citizens of the United States, we are called to give witness to what strength really is – the strength displayed in the gospels, the strength of Christ himself. The most important and enduring kind of strength is strength of character – moral integrity. It is the strength required to work together to build a more just nation and a more just world. A truly strong nation is one comprised of people who consider the welfare of others, who are devoted to the common good of their own society and the wider world. In a world of rising fuel costs and crippling food shortages, this kind of strength and vision is needed more than ever. A genuinely strong nation is formed by people who know how to welcome the weary and the burdened and who are generous in offering them refreshment.

Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” This Jesus of gentle yet awe-inspiring strength invites us to the table of the Eucharist. May we be grateful for the refreshment he gives us and strive to offer his life to others, especially to those who are weary and burdened.

Fr. Robin Ryan, cp