THE SEASON OF EPIPHANY
January 31, 2021
“Simple, But not Necessarily Easy”
It was a raw, wintry day, and a pot of soup simmering on the back of the stove seemed like just the response to the chill, so I set to work. The only one way to have my favorite soup is to make it myself, staying close to the way my mother made it. It’s simple but suits my taste, with no actual recipe and certainly no exotic ingredients or culinary school techniques. But there’s quite a bit of peeling, slicing, dicing and chopping to be done, and by the time that’s finished, relaxing for a while seems like a good idea.
As I rested my tired feet, I mused about the ways we view simple and easy, and the other side of that coin, complicated and difficult. Wherever our personal strengths and abilities lie has a lot to do with determining what we consider easy, challenging or somewhere in between. If something is easy for me, it’s difficult to understand why it’s hard for someone else. However, I’m greatly impressed by those who can do things at which I have no skill whatsoever (and that’s a very long list)!
As Jesus and his disciples were going about the ministry of teaching, preaching, and healing, they spent time talking with and listening to many people. We read in the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 10, of a man who came to Jesus and asked him what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. When Jesus said, “You know the commandments . . .” the man said he had kept them from his youth. Then Jesus said, “You lack one thing: go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” Upon hearing this, the man went away grieving, for he had many possessions.
It’s sad and a little puzzling that this man gives up the opportunity to follow Jesus just because it would be hard to part with his wealth. Treasure in heaven is surely a great reward for parting with earthly goods, and being able to help people in need would be very rewarding. But it’s easy to define oneself by possessions or status, and without that identity we don’t know who we are. The rich man could not imagine what it would be like to have a new identity as a follower of Jesus.
As we read and listen to the teachings of our Lord, learning how to be his people in the world, it all seems so straightforward. Jesus taught that we should feed the hungry, visit those in prison, and care for the sick and others in need, because by doing so, we minister to our Lord himself. But we make it so complicated with all the human qualifiers: which sick people get care, which hungry people should get food, and on and on. We’re very good at making the simple very hard!
The choices we make and the directions we take throughout our lives will range from the simple to the very challenging. As we seek guidance, we are blessed to be able to turn to our Lord, assured that he will lead us in the right way.
Hopeful and assured,
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers