Work for God

Friends in Christ, the gospel today shows us the very imperfect lives of the apostles – their failings – before they would become saints. Some were concerned with who is the greatest among them.

.

St. Bede the Venerable says that after Christ took Peter, James, and John up Mt. Tabor, when they were privileged to witness his Transfiguration – after that, some of the others were jealous. Something stirred up rivalry between them, but Our Lord teaches that great disciples are humble; they make themselves servants of the rest.

.

We are great if we do the unimportant things that God wants instead of chasing worldly honor and prestige. William Barclay explains that there are many wrong motives that people have. Some have a great desire for prestige. A century ago, a doctor wrote about a nurse he knew; for 20 years, she single-handedly served a 10-mile district. He says, ‘I marveled at her patience and her cheerfulness.’ She was never too tired at night to rise for an urgent call. Her salary was most inadequate; I protested to her, ‘Nurse, why don’t you make them pay you more? God knows you are worth more.’ ‘That’s all that matters to me,’ she said. What God thinks. She was working not for prestige or honors, but for God.

.

Some people are concerned about holding a high position, they wish to be important, they are always climbing the ladder. Only after many years have I come to realize that some people live only for climbing to a higher position, but it is an endless climb, with no peace.

.

Some people work for praise, they have to have it. They will work hard only when they are praised for their work. But what reward is there for us from God, if we work only for earthly honors, position, or praise? Then, as Christ says, we ‘already have our reward.’

.

Let us then do all for God; let us live and work only for the honor and the glory of God.