In today’s first reading, Numbers 243: 2-7, 15-17a,
Balaam utters a blessing upon the Israelites, prophesying, in fact, that a “star shall advance from Jacob, and a staff
shall rise from Israel.” He utters this blessing after being asked by the
messengers of the king to curse Israel.
He is unable to do so. In no way
is he able to act against the Lord’s will.
However, Balaam tried to avoid doing what God was asking
of him. He waited overnight—maybe tomorrow
he will hear something different from the Lord so that he could do what the
Moabite king wanted of him. The donkey
on which he was riding bolted and walked off the road. It even talked back to
Balaam when Balaam angrily attempted to beat it into submission: “Am I not your own beast, and have you not
always ridden upon me until now?” In
other words the donkey is reminding Balaam that it has always been obedient to
him; why is he not willing to obey his master!
In the Gospel, the people also attempt to avoid
recognizing the Truth in their midst. Jesus brings them face to face with their
craziness when they want to know by whose authority Jesus teaches. He says that
He will answer their question if they answer His: By what authority did John
the Baptist baptize?
At some point you and I, also, must be honest with
ourselves, with others and with God. We
cannot forever avoid the Truth as it reveals itself in our lives, in the lives
of others and in the events of our day!
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