21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) : 23rd August 2020

It is easy to be discouraged or cynical in the face of corruption and abuse of power. Isaiah insisted that God was about to pull down one such corrupt official from his position of power and install someone willing to walk in His ways.

Injustice and corruption have their day but do not last forever. God is in control of our world. But as Romans tells us, God’s ways are not ours; God’s wisdom and thoughts are deep, inscrutable, and beyond our grasp. We cannot simply assume that God’s view of things is the same as our own. God can and will surprise all of us, for His way is far above ours.

When Jesus asked who people thought he was, his disciples merely repeated opinions they had heard on the streets and in the marketplaces. In our day, it would be the opinions in social media and TV.

But Peter was quiet for once, lost deep within himself. He blurted out that Jesus was the Messiah, Son of the Living God, a response that pleased Jesus immensely. His proclamation did not come from human sources but was a revelation from God.

If we would only be silent and listen to the inner voice of God deep within, we would come to know many things not known by others. Be silent; listen!

Lord, teach me Your ways.