Wednesday, January 2, 2013

The Fiscal Cliff from a Faith Perspective


These past few days it looked as though  Congress was going to throw the American people over the fiscal cliff into a den of lions waiting to devour our trust in a nation whose idols are wealth, consumerism, materialism, unleashed freedom, modeled by a government that overspends and continues to allow corruption to erode our moral integrity by avoiding actions that need to be taken.

Perhaps what we need to reflect upon in light of the sensational drama played out in our
Capitol these past few days is the testing in the desert that Jesus endured before he began his public ministry. Following His baptism by his cousin John, Jesus  is led into the desert by the Spirit. Satan tempts Him there, seeing how weak he is after fasting forty days and forty nights:


“‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to turn into loaves’.  But  Jesus replied,

‘Scripture says: Human beings live not on bread alone but on every word that comes

from the mouth of God.’“  (Mt. 4:3-4).

 
Every time Congress does not give us what we want, is God saying to us: “Human beings live not on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God”?

Satan tempts Jesus further, taking Him to the holy city and setting him on the parapet of the Temple.

 
“‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said, ‘throw yourself down; for scripture says:  He

 has  given his angels orders about you, and they will carry you in their arms in case

 you trip over a stone.’  Jesus said to him, ‘Scripture also says: Do not put the Lord

your God the test’” (Mt. 4: 5-7).

 
Are we not constantly putting God to the test by engaging in immoral behaviors, closing our eyes to corruption, worshipping idols, chasing wealth as the god that saves, believing  that we have been
“given… angels…[who] will carry…[us] in their arms in case…[we] trip over a  stone”?

And finally, taking Jesus
 

“…to a very high mountain, the devil showed him all the kingdoms of the world

and their splendor. And he said to him, ‘I will give you all these, if you fall at my

feet and do me homage.’ Then Jesus replied, ‘Away with you, Satan! For scripture

 says: ‘The Lord your God is the one to whom you must do homage, him alone

you must serve.’  The devil left him, and suddenly angels appeared and looked

after him” (Mt. 4: 8-11).


Are we ready to say to Satan: “Away with you!”  Is that the lesson of the fiscal cliff!

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