Work Not

Today’s Gospel Text:  But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working still, and I am working." 18 This was why the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the sabbath but also called God his Father, making himself equal with God. 19 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever he does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows him all that he himself is doing; and greater works than these will he show him, that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22 The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. 25 "Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself, 27 and has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of man. 28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment.  30 "I can do nothing on my own authority; as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. John 5:17-30

Reflection: Do you know of anyone who without working works? Can one really work without working?

Yes indeed, all of us as humans do it in some measure or the other.  Perhaps in many situations we would have worked better and contributed more to society if we were not to work rather than work.

Our contribution to life would have been more and we would be great contributors to a better society by not working or expending our energy than by becoming busy bodies.

We have killed and destroyed life and society by our many works of creative building, or for that matter, even by vigorous participation in the production of wealth, to fulfill our insatiable greed, resulting in all kinds of contamination and pollutants.

This in no way means that we should not work at all, it rather means that not all work or activity that we get involved in, our many accomplishments and achievements for which we could be rewarded by the world, is useful or fruitful for the sustenance and growth of life.

Some accomplishments are short sighted achievements with immediate gratification and gain.

In the Gospel we have Jesus talking about God still working and he himself working alongside with God.

In real life who will dare to act smart when the expert is at work?

Yet we may have such smarty-pants in life who try their never give up stunts to compete with God and  try and accomplish the purpose, meaning and goal of life, which only God can do it.    

If God is working still and Jesus is working too with him, two of the best brains we know of and that too not through human hands but through the medium of the Holy Spirit then it is better we allow him to work where he needs to work rather than we work.

By allowing him to work we do not work but yet work in a greater way than we would have otherwise.

God desires to accomplish much in this world, with already his cup of wrath overflowing; Are we ready to work by not working, i.e. by allowing ourselves to be molded and transformed by him and then to be used as his instrument?

Prayer:  “Wait for the Lord, and keep to his way, and he will exalt you to possess the land; you will look on the destruction of the wicked.” Ps 37:34

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