Loving God

We say we will do anything for the ones we love. History is filled with dramatic love stories, many of which end in tragedy. We don’t mind the tragedy because it represents love. We like to imagine that we would endure tragedy for the ones we love. When push comes to shove, it is true we do anything for the ones we love. The problem is we love ourselves more than anyone or anything.

The Lord said, “He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward, and he who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.” And when Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.

Matthew 10:37-42, 11:1

As we approach the Feast of the Holy Cross next week, the Church turns our attention to the Cross. The Cross represents our suffering as much as it represents Christ’s suffering. In today’s Gospel lesson, Christ is challenging us to show we love Him.

What does it mean to love God more than anything or anyone? Think of the tragic love stories. It is for love that people are willing to suffer and die. Are we willing to suffer and die for God? If we say we love Him, then we should be willing to do anything for Him. That is, until someone or something we love more than Him comes along.

There is no way around today’s challenge. We can’t deny the risk of loving something or someone more than God. We are not worthy of Him. I’m not saying that God doesn’t want us to love others. We are commanded to love others, just not more than we love God.

How can we know if we love someone or something more than God? Anytime living like God wants, conflicts with how others want us to live. If we choose God’s way over another, we love God more, at least in that moment.

We are faced with a constant dilemma. It isn’t a choice between God and ‘just’ someone else. It is a choice between God, someone else, AND ourselves. We will always choose to side with the one we love most. So long as God ‘wins’ in the moment, we have no difficulty choosing His way.

This is why the Cross is linked to today’s lesson. The Cross represents our willingness to suffer and die. Until we are willing to suffer for someone or something other than ourselves, we aren’t carrying any cross.

Let me come at this another way. If the choice we are faced with is between God and a slum lord, it is an easy choice. Since choosing God won’t hurt us, we choose Him over the slum lord. When the choice is between God and our spouse, it isn’t so easy. Choosing God over our spouse puts our spouse against us. Since we love ourselves most, we would rather our spouse be ‘happy’ with us than God because it affects OUR daily happiness.

How do we learn to choose? The disciplines of the Church are the tools we use to learn. Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving teach us to love others more than ourselves. They teach us to be ‘ok’ with not always being happy. They teach us to ‘get good with’ a bit of suffering. They teach us how to choose God over everything, no matter the cost.