Sunday, February 27, 2011

Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle A

MATTHEW 6:24-34
WE MOVED TO THIS AREA IN 1984, WHEN MY SON WAS ABOUT FOUR. ONE SUNDAY MORNING AS WE PILED INTO THE CAR TO GET THE FAMILY TO MASS, WE PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT AND REALIZED THAT DONALD WAS NOT WITH US. LEAVING THE FIVE GIRLS WITH THEIR MOTHER, I RACED BACK TO THE HOUSE, TO FIND DONALD CALMLY PLAYING WITH HIS TOYS, AND WE GOT BACK JUST AS MASS WAS STARTING. THE PEOPLE IN THE PEWS MUST HAVE WONDERED WHY WE WERE SO AMUSED WHEN WE HEARD THE FIRST READING: “CAN A MOTHER FORGET HER INFANT?”
ON ONE LEVEL, THE READINGS REMIND US THAT GOD IS IN CHARGE, AND THAT HE REALLY DOES CARE FOR US. BUT THEN WE HAVE JESUS GOING ON LIKE HE DID LAST WEEK – REMEMBER? IF SOMEONE STRIKES YOU, OFFER THEM THE OTHER CHEEK; IF SOMEONE DEMANDS YOUR COAT, GIVE HIM YOUR SHIRT AS WELL. NO WAY, JESUS! AND NOW HE TELLS US TO QUIT WORRYING ABOUT TOMORROW – ABOUT WHAT OR IF WE ARE GOING TO EAT; ABOUT WHETHER WE WILL HAVE A ROOF OVER OUR HEADS; ABOUT WHETHER WE'LL HAVE CLOTHING TO WEAR. BECAUSE GOD CARES FOR US, AND HE WILL SEE TO IT THAT OUR NEEDS ARE TAKEN CARE OF IF WE JUST PUT HIM FIRST.
I WOULD DARE SAY THAT MOST OF US HAVEN'T ACTUALLY TESTED THIS IDEA. INTELLECTUALLY WE RECOGNIZE IT AS A FINE SENTIMENT, BUT WHEN WE IMAGINE LETTING GOD TAKE CARE OF THE SMALL STUFF SO WE CAN CONCENTRATE ON THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, WE TURN AWAY, WE MOVE ON TO SOMETHING ELSE. THE WORDS OF JESUS, AFTER ALL, ARE HARD TO MISINTERPRET, AND SEEM TO GO ENTIRELY CONTRARY TO HAVING A DECENT BANK ACCOUNT, A NICE HOME, A GOOD JOB – ALL THOSE THINGS THAT WE SEE AS DESIRABLE AND GOOD. IN FACT, IF IT WEREN'T FOR A BUNCH OF US TRYING VERY HARD TO ACCUMULATE A LITTLE WEALTH, WE COULDN'T HAVE REMODELED THE CHURCH, OR BUILT THAT PARISH CENTER. WE DUG DEEP, WE DIDN'T EXPECT GOD WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT.
I DON'T THINK JESUS ADVISES US TO DO THINGS THAT WE CAN'T DO, OR WON'T DO. EVEN PEOPLE IN MONASTIC ORDERS, EVEN FRANCISCANS VOWED TO POVERTY, DON'T GET THEIR NEEDS MET OUT OF THIN AIR; SOMEONE DONATES, SOMEONE NEEDS TO ACCUMULATE SURPLUS SO THAT THE FRANCISCAN CAN HAVE BREAD AND SHELTER AND A NICE BROWN ROBE. SO WHAT IS IT ABOUT BIRDS OF THE AIR, OR LILIES OF THE FIELD, AS THE OLD TRANSLATION PUT IT, THAT JESUS WANTS US TO ADMIRE AND IMITATE?
HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT THE FACT THAT EVERY LIVING CREATURE, FROM THE TINIEST VIRUS TO THE BLUE WHALE, IS DOING EXACTLY WHAT GOD WANTS IT TO DO, EVERY MOMENT OF IT'S LIFE? EXCEPT FOR HUMANS. A MOSQUITO TASTING YOUR BLOOD IS IN COMPLETE CONFORMITY TO GOD'S WILL, DOING WHAT GOD MADE IT TO DO. A BEAUTIFUL FLOWER IN THE FIELD, A BIRD IN THE AIR – ALL ARE CARRYING OUT GOD'S PLAN. ONLY MAN HAS FALLEN, ONLY MAN IS CAPABLE OF DEFYING GOD, OF TURNING AWAY FROM HIS WILL. SCRIPTURE TELLS US THAT SOMEWHERE IN THE BEGINNING, LOST IN PREHISTORY, SOMETHING HAPPENED TO THE HUMAN RACE, SOMETHING THAT MADE IT POSSIBLE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN GOD AND OURSELVES. THE SQUIRRELS WHO GOT INTO MY GARAGE LAST WEEK AND STOLE MY BIRDSEED WERE DOING WHAT GOD WANTED THEM TO DO; A SQUIRREL CANNOT CHOOSE BETWEEN GOD AND ITSELF. WHEN I LET MY MIND WANDER WHEN I'M SUPPOSED TO BE PRAYING, WHEN I LET MY TEMPER GET THE UPPER HAND WHEN I'M TRYING TO DISCIPLINE A GRANDCHILD, WHEN I TELL A LITTLE UNTRUTH RATHER THAN A PAINFUL TRUTH – WELL, I'M NOT DOING WHAT GOD WANTS. I AM FALLEN, EVEN THOUGH THROUGH BAPTISM GOD IS WORKING ON THAT.
SO WHAT IS JESUS TELLING US? WELL, “SEEKING THE KINGDOM OF GOD” IS WHAT WE WERE DESIGNED TO DO, JUST AS A MOSQUITO IS DESIGNED TO DRAW BLOOD, A SQUIRREL IS DESIGNED TO FIND FOOD FOR ITSELF. AND SEEKING THE KINGDOM OF GOD HAS TO DO WITH ALL THOSE “BEATITUDES” THAT JESUS SPOKE TO US ABOUT LAST MONTH. THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS IN US, JUST WAITING TO BE ACTUALIZED. IT HAS TO DO WITH TRUSTING GOD AND BELIEVING THE MESSAGE OF JESUS. IT HAS TO DO WITH IMITATING JESUS – HOW OFTEN DO WE FIND HIM ENCOUNTERING SOMEONE WHO CRIES OUT TO HIM, AND JUST AS OFTEN WE SEE HIM DROPPING EVERYTHING TO MEET THAT PERSON'S NEEDS. AND IT HAS TO DO WITH COOPERATING WITH ALL OF THE GRACES WITH WHICH OUR FATHER CONSTANTLY RAINS DOWN ON US. THERE ARE GRACES FOR INNER CONVERSION, OF COURSE. BUT THERE ARE ALSO MANY OTHER GRACES. IF YOU HAVE A TALENT THAT YOU'VE BURIED, WELL, THERE GOES A GRACE GOD GAVE YOU. IF YOU CAN DO SOMETHING TO MAKE YOURSELF A BETTER SERVANT, AND YOU CHOOSE NOT TO, WELL, YOU'VE LOST ANOTHER GRACE. JUST AS JESUS GIVES US GRACE THROUGH THE SACRAMENTS, HE IS ALWAYS GRACING US THROUGH OUR CIRCUMSTANCES; HE IS HOLDING OUT OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES SO THAT WE WILL CHANGE, SO THAT THOSE CHANGES CAN INCREASINGLY BRING ABOUT THE KINGDOM.
SO AS WE WORK FOR OUR FOOD AND SHELTER, AS WE SAVE AGAINST AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE, AS WE CREATE A STABLE HOME LIFE, IT'S IMPORTANT CONSTANTLY REMIND OURSELVES THAT WE DO ALL THESE THINGS SO THAT WE CAN BE BETTER SERVANTS, SO THAT WE CAN SERVE OUR NEIGHBOR MORE EFFECTIVELY, SO THAT WE CAN LISTEN TO GOD'S WORD MORE FRUITFULLY. THEN OUR EFFORTS ARE TRANSFORMED. WE ARE NO LONGER SEEKING FOOD AND CLOTHING AND SHELTER FOR THEIR OWN SAKE. WE ARE NO LONGER OBSESSED WITH THE THOUGHT THAT EVERYTHING COULD FALL APART TOMORROW, AND WE BETTER GET READY.
YOU CAN HAVE TWO HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE WHO TO OUTWARD APPEARANCES ARE HARD TO TELL APART. BOTH WORK HARD, BOTH HAVE GOOD THINGS, BOTH HAVE HEALTHY BANK ACCOUNTS, BOTH ARE AMBITIOUS IN A GOOD WAY. BUT IF SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS – SICKNESS, ACCIDENT, THE CRASH OF THE STOCK MARKET – YOU WILL SEE WHICH ONE HAS BEEN STRIVING TO ACCUMULATE, TO GATHER WEALTH, AND WHICH HAS BEEN KEEPING THE KINGDOM OF GOD IN MIND. BECAUSE WHAT JESUS IS REALLY TALKING ABOUT IS WHAT WE LET DEFINE US. IF OUR IDENTITY IS TIED TO SOMETHING THAT CAN BE LOST OR DESTROYED, THEN WE ARE REALLY LOST AND YOU COULD SAY WE ARE FOOLS AS WELL. BUT IF OUR IDENTITY IS TIED TO TRUST IN GOD, IF AT OUR VERY CENTER WE ARE CONVINCED THAT GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF WHAT MATTERS, THEN WE ARE NOT SHAKEN BY THOSE BAD THINGS THAT WILL HAPPEN SOONER OR LATER TO EACH OF US. AND THAT SEEMS TO ME TO BE WHAT JESUS IS TALKING ABOUT WHEN HE SAYS, “SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND EVERYTHING ELSE WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU.”
LONG BEFORE JESUS THERE WAS A STORY ABOUT A MAN NAMED JOB WHO HAD GREAT WEALTH. SATAN, WITH GOD'S PERMISSION, TOOK EVERYTHING AWAY, EVEN HIS HEALTH. BUT JOB TRUSTED; HE HAD LOST NOT ONLY ALL HIS POSSESSIONS, BUT HIS OWN CHILDREN. IN HIS GREAT MISERY, JOB CRIED OUT, “SHOULD I ONLY ACCEPT GOOD THINGS FROM GOD, AND NOT BAD THINGS?” JOB SHOWED BY HIS WORDS WHERE HIS CENTER LAY, AND GOD RESTORED ALL THAT HE HAD LOST AND MORE.