September 16, 2023
Exodus 14:19-31 tells the story of the Israelites leaving Egypt, and how God parted the waters of the sea to allow his people to escape the Egyptian army. This story, like other Bible stories that were passed down orally before the existence of a written language, were intended to answer the question, "What is mankind's relationship with God?" The story told generation after generation of the amazing lengths that God will go to save his people.
The Jewish midrash, which is not scripture, but which was used by the Jews to interpret scripture, says that the sea did not part until the first Israelite stepped into it. The Israelites must have had the courage that God would save them.
How do these stories shape our relationship with God today? Have you ever been asked to do something which frightened you? Perhaps it was something you did not understand, or which you felt was not well planned. The capital campaign might be one such thing. It is a large undertaking for St. Tim's. We do not see all of the steps, or even exactly what the end result will look like. Yet, like the Israelites, we continue to move forward. We know to listen to what God tells us to do. We will be courageous, knowing that more resources will come to us from God's hand, at just the right time, as we move forward.
As individuals, we can reflect on the many things that we cannot do alone. Just as an Israelite took the first step into the sea, we need to take the first step, in accordance with God's will. Help will come at the right time. God can do miraculous things in our lives.
The Gospel lesson in Matthew 18:21-35 encourages us to forgive. The Greek word translated forgive means "to let go of." Biblical forgiveness is not forgetting. We may never forget great pain. In fact, it might take a lifetime to get beyond some types of hurt. Forgiveness means setting it down and walking away from it. We cannot let that pain continue to control us. We cannot let it continue to drag us down as we try to move forward to do God's will. Again, we must move forward, courageously, looking forward to how God will help and support us when we act in accordance with his calling.
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Homily summary by Christine Castellano