Meditations

LEARNING FROM THE MASTER, NUMBER TWO. JESUS TAUGHT THEM AS ONE WHO HAD AUTHORITY. MATTHEW 7, 29. Good Teacher, you reached down to teach me through your example. What authority! All I have to do is to fall silent, to worship, to merge myself with you, to pattern myself after you. The Son of God came down from heaven to dwell among mortals, took on a body made of dust, and died on the cross. All this to make me deeply ashamed of my pride. The one who was everything brought himself down to nothing. And I, who am nothing, I want to be, or at least I want people to believe me to be, everything that am not. Such lies, such foolishness, such impudent vanity, such devilish presumption! What kind of person could claim to be excused from following your example? Could the lowliest person? Could the sinner who has so often shown such terrible ingratitude, that he or she is worthy only to be struck down by your justice? But, Lord, you did not just tell me, Be gentle and humble. No, you said that you are gentle and humble. It is enough to know that this is who you are, to conclude that we want to be like you.