How do we discern between good and evil?

 

How do we discern between good and evil? This was the request of Solomon when he was entrusted with the leadership of the people.

As we look back over the last three weeks we can start to notice three things.

That God still seeks to scatter the Word of God among us. This scattering is not just a random gesture but a genuine desire that this Word will bear fruit within us. We are told that three things prevent it from taking root. The first is that we only hear the word pass us by. It is just one word among many words, and we find that it can quickly vanish. The second is that we have an experiential response where we become excited by what we hear but then we move on to another experience and then another. Nothing can seem to satisfy us. The third is that we can have this long list of things that we have to attend to that we have no time to sit with the word.
It takes time and patience to provide us with the opportunity to be touched by the word of God. We need to make appointments with God and ourselves to be present and to turn up.

Last week we heard how easy it is for us when we have taken the time to pray and start to live the Gospel that we find that we live in an age that does not want to listen and reflect. We become moved by opinions and ways of living that seem to be at odds with what we hear. This can be distressing because it is easier to be caught up with the mob than discover our own calling to live the Gospel. The temptation is always to notice what is fashionable, powerful and relevant so that we can fit in.

This week we start to notice how the parables that Jesus teaches look to our own foundations. He talks about a pearl of great price and field with a precious treasure. What he is drawing us to consider is what is our own worth in the eyes of God. This is where we can discover how we are created in the image and likeness of God. Where we can become people who discern what is the next good thing that we must do.

The practice of meditating upon scripture allows us not just to hear the Word of God but to listen to it penetrating our own hearts. This encounter with God is not just words written on a page but on our lives. By chewing over the Word not just during our prayer but we discover that it can touch the context and environment in which we live. By allowing it to add savour to our day we can start to notice what we need to attend to and what we can let go. The Word of God is alive and active and as we have heard before it does not return to God without achieving its purpose.

St Paul stresses this in his letter to the Romans where he says, “we know that turning everything to good God cooperates with all those that he has called according to his purpose.”

As Christians we are called not only to encounter the person of Jesus but to notice how he accompanies us to become people who seek God. This is through our celebration of the Word of God and Sacraments. In meeting him we are drawn to a deeper communion. To find a God who sustains us and encourages us to find what truly brings life. We discover a wisdom that is ever ancient and ever new. Where will we find time over this week to listen to God’s Word and allow it to sustain us during the day?