Saturday 12 October 2024
Galatians 3:22-29. The Lord will remember his covenant for ever – Psalm 104(105):2-7. Luke 11:27-28.
Seeking a mature faith
Hearing and obeying are not mutually dependent – ask any parent or teacher who has instructed a young person to do a task. Adolescent development can be characterised by an unwillingness or defiance that stems from a growing independence and the need to learn self-discipline. In some ways, our faith lives can resemble that of a parental instruction and unwillingness to carry out a duty. We might wrestle with certain teachings or traditions of the faith or outright reject or defy them. Children learn that obeying certain rules is helpful for safety, and in a similar way we teach students the value of citizenship for the common good. Certainly, the idea of obedience or docility has a negative connotation in postmodern thinking, which embraces self-referentiality, relativism and irreverence. Perhaps Jesus’ instruction is greater than a choice between anarchy or oppression. It seeks a mature faith that acknowledges the wisdom of God and stems from an authority bound in love.
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