By Fr. Adolf Washington –
There is an Oriental story of a Judge who traveled everywhere carrying a small box. He would frequently look into the box. Someone has him to reveal the contents of the box and explain why he looked into it so often. The Judge replied “Such was I when the King of this land lifted me from the dust. If ever my heart is tempted with pride, I correct it by looking at these laborer’s clothes of mine saying to myself ‘remember who you were before you became a Judge'”.
We ask much and receive much. But do we thank much too? When we look back in gratitude to God we undoubtedly experience greater blessings from God. Gratitude opens up for us new horizons of hope and prosperity.
The Bible speaks of Namaan the Captain of the Syrian army (2Kings 5:1-16). He was powerful and rich. But he suffered from leprosy. Namaan stood at the door of the Elisha’s house for a healing. Elisha sent a messenger saying “Go and wash in the Jordan river seven times, and you will be clean” Namaan was so filled with pride that he returned saying “I thought ‘He will come out to me, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and lay his hand over me and heal me’.
Are not other rivers better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them and be clean?” His servants persuaded him to return in humility to the Jordan and dip himself in it. Namaan then dipped himself seven times and “his flesh became again as the flesh of a little child and he was clean” Namaan returned to Elisha and confessed his littleness before God.
The scriptures exhort us “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted”-(Mathew 23:12)
God can’t fill a cup that is full. God cannot clothe you with new garments if you do not empty your wardrobes. God cannot fill your treasuries with new things if you don’t empty it often for the poor. God cannot fill you with wisdom if you claim to already have it. God cannot hold your hand and lead you when your hands are clinging to the handles of your seat of power.