Waiting on the Lord
A reflection on the Sunday readings
In today’s readings we are given two wonderful stories of two families who both wait for the Lord to work a miracle and find that serving the Lord is the gateway to the miraculous.
Abraham and Sarah
The Old Testament reading comes from Genesis, where we find Abraham and Sarah waiting for the blessing of a child. In the reading, Abraham is sitting at the entrance of his tent and it says, the Lord came to him. But, immediately after, three men walk up to his camp. This is confusing at face value - who are these men? Is one the Lord? Abraham quickly prepares a place for them, providing a meal under the shade of a tree. He gives them his best - the choice steer, milk and curds, flour and rolls. The men eat and give him a blessing. They tell Abraham that in a year’s time his wife Sarah will have a child. We later read in Genesis that two of these men go on to Sodom and Gomorrah and destroy the city. At least two of the three were Angels. But who was the third? St. Augustine believes the three men were not angels or men but God himself, saying:
“Three men appeared to Abraham, yet he adored One, and he addressed One as Lord; thus it was a symbol of the Trinity, yet also a true appearance of God” (De Civitate Dei XVI.29).
So, in this wonderful story we read how Abraham and his wife served the Lord, they waited for a miracle and through serving him, they received it.
Mary and Martha
We find the second family in our Gospel reading - Martha, Mary and Lazarus. The story is one we’ve heard countless times. Martha is busy serving the Lord while Mary is sits at his feet. Both women are waiting on the Lord in different ways. Jesus says, Mary has chosen the better path. That is not to say that Martha’s path is wrong, just that Mary’s is better. He is showing that the greatest hospitality we can provide him is our time. Martha’s anxiety in her work was preventing her from being present to Jesus. The Lord desires to sit in our presence and us in his, at all times - whether we are at work or sitting at his feet.
So, what is the miracle God has in store for Martha and Mary? Jesus’ first recorded trip to Mary and Martha’s home occurs early in his ministry. In Luke’s Gospel, he is on his way to Jerusalem and there is no mention of his passion. In John’s Gospel, just before Jesus’ passion, he returns to Mary and Martha’s house upon hearing of the sickness and later death of their brother Lazarus. Mary and Martha have now been waiting in a very different way - four long days with their brother dead. When Jesus arrives, he works the miracle. Lazarus comes back to life.
Miracles in Your Life
Do you see how waiting on the Lord is deeply tied to the Lord working miracles in your life? Just as God did it for Abraham and Sarah and for Martha and Mary, he is waiting to work the miraculous for you too. The secret is to wait on him first and foremost by giving him your time and your trust. Patiently placing your hope in a miracle will always bear fruit. Second, wait on him in service. Find him in the poor, in the lonely, in the angry, in the anxious and distressed and serve him in them. Just like Abraham and Sarah, give them your best. But most importantly, don’t do it because you are seeking a miracle. Do it because you love him. And the God who is love will receive the gift of your time and pay you back with blessings you will never be able to measure.
As you put this into practice, I promise that when you reflect on your blessings you will find in retrospect that miracles have been occurring all around you, whether you saw them or not.
May God bless you all abundantly.
If you would like to revisit this Sunday's Mass readings, you can find them here:
Sunday Readings
Witness to Miracles
Miracles aren't just something for the saints, or something of the past, relegated to the pages of scripture. If you're looking to encounter the miraculous, these books are a great place to start. Then you too can begin to participate in God's miraculous work.
Witness to Miracles Collection