2 Kgs 19,9-11,14-21,31-35 / Mt 7:6,12-14
One thing that life teaches anyone who is paying attention is that appearances are deceiving and things are rarely as they seem. The “perfect” marriage dissolves overnight, the dot-com millionaire goes bankrupt as you watch, the “wonder” drug ends up killing people, and the “unbeatable” candidate gets trounced at the polls.
Sennacharib, the king of Assyria, was recognized as master of the world, whom nobody could defy. But as we see in today’s Old Testament reading, overnight he too discovered his limits and had no option but to go home to nurse his wounds. Not one of us can be sure of our future except God, and the most foolish thing we can do is to start thinking of our life and our things as really ours. We are only stewards, and all we have is God’s gift, on temporary loan — even our lives.
Once we get clear about that, we can give the praise where it’s due, to the Giver of all good gifts. And we can be free of the sinful self-deception that is pride, and from the endless burdens of phony image-building and compulsive face-saving.
Relax in being just who you are — God’s cherished child, and let the Lord who made you hold you always in the palm of His hand. When you do that, your real life will begin.
