Salvation from the Pursuing Enemy

In today’s first reading, Exodus 14: 21-15:1, we read about the mighty hand of God protecting the Israelites from the pursuing Egyptian army.  The Israelites, who just passed through the Red Sea on dry land, see the Egyptian warriors coming to take them back into slavery.  As they panic, God says to Moses:  “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may flow back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and their charioteers.”  Moses does so and the Egyptians  die in the rushing waters. 

 In the Gospel of today, Matthew 12: 46-50, Jesus is told that his mother and brothers are outside wanting to speak to him.  Jesus stretches out his hand toward his disciples and proclaims that all who do the will of His Father is His newly formed, close-knit family of mothers, brothers and sisters, a family as significant to Him as His Mother Mary and his biological “brothers”.

You and I entered this family at our baptism, entering the “Red Sea,” of baptismal waters, in which God becomes a powerful warrior in our lives, warding off the “Egyptians” of our lives that want to enslave us to a life of sin and selfishness, slaves of evil forces that lure us into doing our own wills over the will of God, following our own plans and ignoring God’s plans, as did Adam and Eve, as did the people gathered at the Tower of Babel, and the Israelites worshipping pagan gods.

As then, so now, God does not abandon us.  He sent His only begotten Son, who is obedient to His Father throughout His life, death and resurrection, modeling for us perfect trust in the Father’s will for our salvation.    In whom do I trust? To whom am I obedient?  Am I mother, brother, sister to Jesus? Am I included in Jesus’ proclamation:  “Here are my mother and brothers [and sisters]. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.”