Choosing Well
Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Jn 6:60-69
21st SUNDAY Ordinary Time Cycle B
The song “Heaven Knows” of Ric Price goes “My friends keep telling me that if you really love her you’ve gotta set her free. And if she returns in time, I’ll know she’s mine.” True love lets the beloved free to make her choice – even the choice of leaving the one loving.
Josuah told the Hebrews upon reaching the Promised Land to choose between serving Yahweh or the pagan gods. The Hebrew wisely chose Yahweh. Yahweh loves His people and so He did not force Himself on them. Jos 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b
Similarly, Jesus gave His apostles the choice to leave Him or not after the Jews had rejected Him for giving His flesh to eat. Peter bravely chose to remain with Jesus although he could leave like the rest of his townsfolk in Capernaum.
People ask often why there is suffering in this world if God is good. The reason is that because God loves people, He gave them freedom even to make the mistake of not choosing Him.
If God has His way, He might even open Heaven’s gates to the devils. But Satan and all his minions prefer to go as far as possible away from God. It is the choice that they had made. Thus St. Augustine puts it God who created us without us cannot save us without us.
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