Do we make it too difficult?

Matthew’s Gospel reading for this week of the Holy Trinity is very short and to the point. It does not seem to have much to figure out, as other gospel readings can. It seems too easy, so let us look at the New Testament reading. However, again, the reading from Romans is short and straightforward. We are often left to find meaning in scripture by listening to homilies or reading books written by theologians. Yet maybe sometimes we are “reading” too much into it. Maybe being Christian is as simple as the readings for this Sunday. Do we try too hard to understand what we are called to? Do we make things more complicated than they need to be?

Jesus tells us that he has the authority from above and that all that is required is to make sure we advise anyone who will listen about Him and all that he has taught us. In Deuteronomy’s reading, “So acknowledge today and take to heart that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.” (Deuteronomy 439), the message is clear. We just need to see God as the authority. In Romans, we hear that we are children of God and “joint heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17). What more do we need than this message to let us know our place in the world?

We have the commandments from the Old Testament and the beatitudes from the New Testament, which direct us to how to live our lives. So why do we struggle to figure out what we are called to? I know that for myself, it is because I understand that God has a plan for me, and that is what we did not receive instructions for; how to discern that call. We can do many things and be good people, but what exactly are we called to? All the instruction left to us in scripture does not replace the fact that we need to listen. We need to be still and try to hear what God is telling us. And so, we are left with another paradox like the crucifixion; it can be easy to understand what God is telling us while simultaneously the message can remain beyond our comprehension.

By Serena Shaw