Gospel of Matthew, chapter 11:29

There is a story about a little child who won three goldfish at the annual school carnival. The following day, his dad went out shopping for an aquarium. The prices ranged from $70 to $100. Finally he spotted a discarded tank, complete with gravel and filter, for only $10. He bought it at once, took it home and spent hours washing and cleaning it up until it looked like new. By evening, the three goldfish were swimming in their new home. The following day, they found that one of the fish was dead. A day later, a second one was dead. By nightfall the third died. The man called in an expert. It didn’t take long to discover the problem: he had washed the tank with soap, something he should not have done. In spite of his efforts to help his son, his best intentions destroyed the very lives he sought to protect. As another proverb says: “the way to hell is paved with good intentions.”

Sometimes, Christians act like this man. In their zeal to reform other people’s lives, they use “killer soaps”: criticism, condemnation, anger and exclusion. They think they are converting others, but their harsh, self-righteous behavior demoralizes rather than helps them. In today’s gospel passage, we are reminded that we should minister to one another, but we should do so in gentleness, as Jesus did.

Jesus never crushed the sinner, whether it is the tax collector, the prostitute or the heretic (Samaritan). He was always gentle and understanding of them; He always gave them hope.

How do we go about living our Christian lives? Are we gentle with those who are weak? Recent events in the church in many parts of the world have left us in no doubt about the weakness of our own leaders. This disgrace can be turned into grace if we learn from this to deal more gently with the wayward. As Christians, we should be holding up God’s mercy to the wayward, and not be threatening them with hell fire and condemnation.

There are also many people today who are on a crusade to destroy the church. They are bent on bringing it to its knees. When they do that, they are also playing God (Matthew 13:30). Our role as Christians is essentially to lead others to God, and the best and most effective way to this is by imitating Jesus who was meek and humble of heart.

Let this be your prayer today: “Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto thine.”

Fr. Hugh Duffy