Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time [A]

 


FOURTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME [A]


A thumb goes up; a car goes by. Won’t somebody stop and help a guy? 

I’m hitchin’ a ride. Ride, ride, ride, hitchin’ a ride.


You could hear these words on your radio back in the year 1970. A British band called Vanity Fare broke through during that period, with a hit song titled: Hitchin’ A Ride. When your thumb goes up, it signifies a state of need. You’re signaling that you could use some help. Won’t somebody stop and help a guy? If your hands remain in your pockets, then your slim chances become even slimmer. The cars will zoom on by—perhaps even the car being driven by the Lord. However, if you indicate a state of need, then your chances will improve, at least to some extent. Cars will probably continue to roll along. But the car being driven by God will slow down and pull over. 


Why? He is the God of love. He loves everybody. Nevertheless, he is especially responsive to those who freely admit their state of need. In Matthew they are referred to as the “poor in spirit” (5:3). In Zephaniah they are described as the “humble and the lowly” (3:12). From a worldly standpoint, they count for nothing. And yet, according to St. Paul, God has a way of taking “nothing” and turning it into “something” (1st Cor. 1:28). We see evidence of this in the Book of Genesis chapter one, when God creates our universe. It’s not formed from pre-existing matter; rather, it is born out of nothing. As St. Augustine puts it: ex nihilo. 


God is more than ready to offer assistance. The only stipulation is that a thumb has to go up. It’s about recognizing your deprivation. It’s about being poor in spirit. It’s about taking your hands out of your pockets. Be humble enough to stick out your thumb. Then, the Lord will meet you where you are at. He will offer to give you a lift. Think of it as not just “a lift.”  Instead, think of it as THE LIFT. It’s the lift that transports you to where it is that you really need to be. 

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