Sunday Gospel Reflection (February 16, 2025)
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In Genesis 12, God looks at Abram: settled, stable, surrounded by all that’s familiar. God then says, “Go forth...to a land I will show you.” That’s wild. No coordinates. Just trust.
Abram says yes. And in doing so, he steps into the great adventure of salvation history. God doesn’t just call him out of his comfort zone; He calls him into promise. “I will make of you a great nation.” But the promise only comes after the obedience.
God’s math is upside down: leave everything, gain everything. Faith means walking when the road is invisible.
Then Jesus throws down in Matthew 7. “Stop judging.” Not “stop thinking critically,” but stop condemning. Stop nitpicking your neighbor when your own soul’s in shambles. “Remove the wooden beam from your eye first.”
It’s classic Jesus. Not soft. Not vague. But surgical. The kind of truth that gets under your skin and rearranges things.
We’re quick to spot flaws in others. It makes us feel safer. Jesus says deal with you first. Let the Spirit do some cleanup behind your own eyes before you try to fix anyone else.
Put the two readings together and the message is fire: God wants to send you somewhere. But before He sends you, He wants to clean your lenses. Before you run, you need to see clearly. Before you lead, you have to repent.
God’s calling you forward, but not without transformation. He’s not just asking for your movement; He’s asking for your heart.
So, what’s the call today? Maybe it’s a big leap like Abram. Maybe it’s a quiet shift—less judgment, more humility.
Either way: step out. Look in. Trust big. God’s not just calling you to a place. He’s calling you to become someone new.
Mike Schramm lives in southeastern Minnesota with his wife and seven children. There, he teaches theology and philosophy at Aquinas High School and Viterbo University. He earned his MA in theology from St. Joseph's College in Maine and an MA in philosophy from Holy Apostles College. He is also the managing editor of the Voyage Compass, an imprint of Voyage Comics and Publishing, and co-hosts the Voyage Podcast with Jacob Klatte.
