By Fr. Glenn Jones:

I had a text the other day describing a rather bittersweet moment for any parent: the young daughter wanted to ski without her parents nearby or in sight, she beginning to exhibit that budding streak of independence and self-identity. It’s good to have the young stretching out on their own, and yet stings that their son or daughter will soon no longer be their little boy or girl as they mature into adulthood over several years. And the worries increase: will she sure turn out for the best? Will she follow the good as her independence grows? Will she find a path to happiness? A parent is never free from worry.

Thoughts drifted to the story of Adam and Eve in the beginning of the Bible. In the story, God—like any good parent—out of love creates the best setting possible for His children, and, God being God, creates a home perfect and unmatched. And yet, the serpent slithered his way into the Garden and whispered into Eve’s ear: “Don’t you want even more? Do you really think the rules are for your benefit? You can do better if you disobey God, for then you will be like God!” (cf. Genesis 3:1-5) And, of course, misled by lies pride and ambition, Eve and Adam eat the forbidden fruit, lose their innocent goodness … and experience attendant consequences. They left the way of Good in desire for independence, and suffer for it.

Thumb through the remainder of Genesis and its alternating story of triumphs and failures, vice and virtue. Even the heroes do not always act heroically—a witness to the inconstancy of the human will.

Move onto the next book and read of the Exodus, in which God gives the Israelites the Ten Commandments — a simple and yet a surprisingly comprehensive guide in directing humanity toward the good and to peaceful coexistence. But … keeping even those basic tenets of morality was beyond many, and thus again they make themselves their own god, deciding for themselves what is good and evil, which not surprisingly aligned with their baser desires and selfishness … often “crashing and burning” due to—again—attendant, and not necessarily unforeseeable, consequences. Throughout the Old Testament, those who follow the Good are spiritually (if not materially blessed), and those who do not, are not. But always it hinges on their free choice.

Then as we progress to the New Testament and Gospel of Matthew, we soon come to the Beatitudes—perhaps the pièce de résistance of Christ’s—God’s—teaching. The Beatitudes teach those virtues which cannot be refuted: humility, simplicity, kindness, forgiveness, peacemaking, mercy, a hunger for righteousness and steadfastness in it. And yet these are not a replacement for the former guidance in the Commandments, but rather the expansion and completeness of them. For just as a child does not begin mathematical learning with calculus but rather with simpler foundational principles of arithmetic, so mankind developed and grew in both knowledge and capacity to understand the goodness of what Jesus taught.

And so, we continue to be given the free choice of “being like God” in the sense deciding for ourselves what is good and evil, or rather to truly “be like God” by actually being like God—living the Beatitudes in all their fulness and to the utmost of our ability. In fact, beyond the utmost of our abilities, because where the limit of human strength and ability end, God’s grace can take over and take us further.

Alas, however, Jesus’ parable of the Sower nonetheless rings ever true throughout history. His Word like good seed can fall uselessly on the stony path of unrepentant hearts, or be defeated in the shallow soil of inconstancy, or choked among the thorns of the immediacy and materialism of this earthly life. There are even those who actively disdain the good, implicitly repeating with Milton’s Lucifer: “It is better to reign in Hell than to serve in Heaven.”—to do my own will rather than to do the will of another, no matter how good or beneficial the other’s will may be. This is pride—and futility—at its worst.

Yet the Commandments are not hard to follow; as we read in scriptures: “…this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3) Even the non-believer will recognize the wisdom of honoring one’s parents and benefactors, not murdering, not stealing, honoring the marriage bed, etc.

As for the Beatitudes, who cannot admire the merciful, the seeker of peace among peoples, the humble, the one who is steadfast in seeking righteousness and goodness? Such are our models for true humanity such as in Gandhi, Mother Teresa, MLK Jr., Nelson Mandela, etc. And then there are the many thousands of saints—those known and unknown—throughout history who practiced the virtues of the Beatitudes to the highest degree—St. Martin de Porres, St. Peter Claver, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Damian of Molokai and so many others. These truly wanted “to be like God” in the best way possible.

Christians often recall the psalm: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord…” (Psalm 33:12) News reports state that Christianity is at a low ebb in our nation—an apparent dimming of the light. Yet the Christian realizes that only in truth—in God—are we set free, and so rather than surrender at what might seem an inevitable decline, we need redouble our efforts in seeking—and doing—the good, and in being good example in word, action and prayer. This, too, is “to be like God” in the very best way, remembering the old saw that it is always darkest before the dawn.

Editor’s note: Rev. Glenn Jones is the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and former pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Los Alamos.