Jgs 11-24a, Ps 85:9,11-14, Mt 19:23-30

When I sat down to pray with today’s Scriptures the line that struck me most was, “Go with the strength you have.” It’s an encouraging thought but I have to say I don’t like why I think it caught my attention. In the last couple years, I’ve begun to notice I’m getting older. Now it actually wasn’t a big surprise since I’ve known all along how old I was. But in the last couple years my body has begun to not do things that it used to be able to do. I’m not quite as agile as I once was. Certain joints don’t like to do what I never even used to think about. I get tired more quickly and don’t have as much energy as I once did. So now I’m beginning to feel older and I’m pretty convinced that these new physical limitations are not going away. I suspect many of you know exactly what I mean. So when a reading says, “Go with the strength you have,” it has a stronger impact on me than it might have had a few of years ago.

I am more aware of my limitations. In terms of faith that is a good thing. Too often we try to ignore our limitations and operate as if we didn’t have any. God is always trying to get us to be ourselves, as we are. Instead of trying to escape our limits, God asks us to embrace them because it’s only when we are honest with ourselves about who we are that God can really be the close transforming friend God wants to be with us.

This part of the story of Gideon presents an encounter with God as it is often told in the Bible. God tells Gideon he loves him. Gideon’s blunt response questions how that could be since the evidence is God has brought Israel under the power of the Midianites. Gideon’s heard the stories about God’s saving action in the past but he sure doesn’t see it now. He asks for proof. Since God really does love Gideon God patiently waits while Gideon sets up his test and then God torches the whole thing to prove the point. Gideon is instantly convinced, at least for the moment.

This is a pattern in Scripture God asks somebody to do something, they argue about it, often ask for proof but eventually do as God asks and are successful against huge odds. God always asks people who are the least likely, people who no one else would think of for any important task. In this case, Gideon says his family is the lowliest and he is the most insignificant in the family. In the Gospel, Jesus tells the Apostles that it will be difficult for rich people to enter heaven. The Apostles then wonder if the rich can’t make it who can be saved? Jesus tells them the key, the key we don’t like to hear, “For men this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”

There is a pattern here! Gideon’s too insignificant, riches often get in the way, remember Moses couldn’t speak well enough, Mary hadn’t even been with a man, Paul had some thorn in his side, there were only five loaves and two fish, and I can’t do what I used to be able to do. But … for God, all things are possible. If each of us can be brutally honest about what our limits are and go with the strength we have, that will be enough. That will be enough to overcome what oppresses us, that will be enough to bring us peace and joy, that will be enough to do what needs doing because we are not living alone, we are loved and gifted with God at our side. But we have to “go with the strength we have” and not pretend otherwise.