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It is very hard to accept the
prophetic words of Isaiah, "my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are
your ways my ways, says the Lord." Each of us has a certain sense of
fairness which governs our dealings with others. While we may cut a
corner here or there for a good reason, across the board we feel that we
are fair in the ways we deal with one another. But when it comes to our
dealings with God, who is to say what is or is not fair.
Why do some people seem to have all the luck? Everything seems to go
their way. They get all the breaks. On the other hand there are
some people who seem to be born under a dark cloud. Everything they
touch seems to go wrong. Why do the innocent suffer, while the guilty go
free? It really does appear that God plays favorites.
Both Isaiah and Jesus remind us that we have no standards by which to
judge God's fairness. Do we understand how much grace it takes to soften
a hardened or abused heart? Do we know the limits of another's
ability to withstand suffering?
When we go into the kingdom of God, we may be surprised by those we see
there. We will certainly be surprised by those we do not see
there. And we may be most surprised that we ourselves are there. Simply
put, today's gospel reminds us that we should rejoice when we witness
God's mercy toward someone else. It is by that same mercy that we have
been saved!
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