Sharp And Polished Edges

Hear me, O islands, listen, O distant peoples. The LORD called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name. He made of me a sharp-edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of his arm. He made me a polished arrow; in his quiver he hid me. You are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show my glory. (Isaiah 49:1-6)

Our first reading testifies to what we may not realize or truly appreciate – our capability: our potential to battle on behalf of Jesus, our Christ.   We have sharp edges meaning we can aggressively defend the Church and obey Jesus’ commandments when we decide not to hide in the shadows.  If our edges are dulled from rust and non-use, our faith is our whetstone.

Too many of us are complacent and concealed and hid as in quivers where we are not drawn and ready to assume the purpose of an arrow: to be polished and knowledgeable of our faith enabling us to hit targets such as the hearts of our young needing to understand the love of God and the value of religion. 

Working against us is Satan – our shadow-sides given a name into which we can retreat through temptations of all sorts.   Listen to the Gospel.

Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified, “Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant. 

One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was reclining at Jesus’ side. So, Simon Peter nodded to him to find out whom he meant. He leaned back against Jesus’ chest and said to him, “Master, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it.” So, he dipped the morsel and took it and handed it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot.

After Judas took the morsel, Satan entered him. So, Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” Now none of those reclining at table realized why he said this to him. Some thought that since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus had told him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or to give something to the poor.  So, Judas took the morsel and left at once. And it was night. (John 13:21-33, 36-38)

Satan enters us almost at will especially when it is night meaning when we drop our guard caused by sadness, anger, envy, depression, and greed, to name a few cracks in our door.  The evil that we do, such as betrayal of friend and family, comes from our shadow sides where Satan lurks and dulls us.  Satan is the deceiver making us believe  darkness is our fate and we are far less that what we are: strong and upholders of the truth.

Because of the deceiver's threat, we must keep polished with sharpened edges made easier when we remember that the LORD called us from birth, from our mothers’ wombs and gave us our names. The LORD calls our names every day, and we must answer those calls.  That is our baptismal commitment.

Deacon David Pierce