Sunday, April 19, 2015

Third Sunday of Easter, cycle B

LUKE 24:35-48
FROM THE EARLIEST DAYS CHRISTIANS HAVE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE DEATH OF JESUS SOMEHOW CHANGED THE RELATIONSHIP OF HUMAN BEINGS TO GOD. MANY THEORIES HAVE BEEN ADVANCED AS TO HOW THIS HAPPENED. THE MOST COMMON ONE IS THE IDEA OF SUBSTITUTIONARY PUNISHMENT. THIS IDEA GOES BACK TO SOME SCRIPTURE PASSAGES, AND IS COLORED BY THE WHOLE HISTORY OF SACRIFICES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT. THE IDEA IS THAT ORIGINAL SIN, HOWEVER YOU UNDERSTAND IT, IS AN INHERITED CONDITION, AND AFFECTS EVERY HUMAN BEING., AND IT GIVES US THE INCLINATION TO SIN. AND BECAUSE OF THIS GOD TAKES OFFENSE AT US, AND THERE ISN'T ANYTHING WE CAN DO ON OUR OWN TO MAKE UP FOR THIS. SO JESUS CHOSE TO TAKE ON THE PUNISHMENT THAT HUMANITY DESERVED, AND BECAUSE OF THAT GOD NOW IS SATISFIED.
THERE ARE MANY THINGS WRONG WITH THIS THEORY. FIRST, IF GOD HAS TO BE SATISFIED BECAUSE OF OUR SINS AND THOSE OF OUR ANCESTORS, THEN GOD ANSWERS TO A HIGHER POWER – NAMELY, JUSTICE. AND IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, WE DON'T SEE GOD BEHAVING AS THOUGH HE HAS TO FOLLOW SOME RULE. HE FORGIVES DAVID FOR ADULTERY, AND CONDEMNS SAUL FOR NOT FOLLOWING AN ORDER TO KILL EVERY LAST TRACE OF AN ENEMY DEFEATED IN BATTLE. HE ACCEPTS THE SACRIFICE OF ABEL AND REFUSES THAT OF CAIN, BUT THERE IS NO REASON GIVEN FOR THIS. HE FAVORS THE SNEAKY JACOB AGAINST HIS INNOCENT BROTHER ESAU, WHO WAS THE RIGHTFUL INHERITOR OF THE BLESSING OF ISAAC. COMPARED TO HUMANS, GOD SEEMS ARBITRARY AND ANSWERS TO NO ONE.
AND GOD TAKING OFFENSE AT US, HATING HUMAN BEINGS BEFORE JESUS CAME ALONG? THAT'S DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE. ABRAHAM, MOSES AND DAVID ALL WERE FRIENDS OF GOD AND THERE WERE A LOT OF OTHERS IN THE HEBREW BIBLE. AND WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THEM IS THAT THEY WERE VERY HUMAN, LIKE YOU AND I. AND WE KNOW THAT WE LOVE THAT BROTHER WHO NEVER SEEMS ABLE TO DO ANYTHING RIGHT, OR THAT SISTER WHO HAS A PROBLEM WITH ALCOHOL. WE LOVE PEOPLE DESPITE THEIR IMPERFECTIONS, AND SURELY GOD MUST LOVE US EVEN MORE.
AND JESUS, WE KNOW, IS GOD, JUST AS THE FATHER IS. IT IS HARD TO UNDERSTAND WHY GOD WOULD CONDEMN US AND THEN TURN AROUND AND SAVE US. AND JESUS IN THE PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON GIVES US HIS IDEA OF GOD THE FATHER: LIKE A HUMAN FATHER WHO WAITS ANXIOUSLY FOR HIS LOST SON TO RETURN, AND THEN BEFORE HE CAN EVEN ASK FOR FORGIVENESS, FORGIVES HIM. AND THIS PARABLE JESUS TOLD BEFORE HE SUFFERED AND DIED. ONE THING THAT WE CAN SAFELY ASSUME IS THAT GOD NEVER HATED US, GOD ALWAYS LOVED US.
MAYBE THESE TWO SENTENCES HELP US GET A BETTER IDEA. “CHRIST HAD TO SUFFER AND RISE FROM THE DEAD”, AND “REPENTANCE FOR SINS MUST BE PREACHED IN HIS NAME...” WHAT ARE SINS? THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH SAYS: SIN IS FAILURE IN GENUINE LOVE FOR GOD AND NEIGHBOR CAUSED BY A PERVERSE ATTACHMENT TO CERTAIN GOODS. WE WERE MEANT TO LOVE EACH OTHER AND LOVE GOD; IN THIS WAY WE REFLECT THE TRINITY. IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN, THE SYMBOL IS THAT GOD WALKS AND TALKS WITH THE FIRST COUPLE, WHO ARE NAKED BUT NOT ASHAMED. ONCE SIN HAPPENS, THEY CAN NO LONGER BE NAKED WITH EACH OTHER, AND THEY HIDE FROM GOD. THEY TURN INWARD AND PUT THEMSELVES FIRST.
THE CROSS SHOWS US THE CONSEQUENCES OF TURNING INWARDS, SELF-CENTEREDNESS, PERVERSE ATTACHMENT TO CERTAIN GOODS. THE WHOLE STORY OF THE PASSION IS A STORY OF PEOPLE DOING THIS; THE APOSTLES ABANDON JESUS; JUDAS BETRAYS HIM FOR MONEY; THE PRIESTLY CROWD IS JEALOUS OF IT'S PREROGATIVES; PILATE IS AFRAID OF ACTING ON HIS KNOWLEDGE THAT JESUS IS INNOCENT; AND THE CROWD DEMANDING HIS DEATH HAVE SUSPENDED THEIR HUMANITY TO BE PART OF A MOB. THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN ARE SUFFERING AND DEATH OF THE INNOCENT ONE. BUT GOD, WHO ALWAYS LOVES, WILL NOT ALLOW THIS TO BE THE END OF THE STORY. HE TAKES THIS GREATEST OF TRAGEDIES AND CHANGES IT INTO A TRIUMPH. AND IN THAT HE GUARANTEES HIS UNENDING LOVE AND MERCY.
BUT THAT'S WHY REPENTANCE IN HIS NAME MUST BE PREACHED. REPENTANCE IS NOT “FEELING SORRY” FOR OUR SINS. IT IS CHANGING THE WAY WE SEE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND WITH EACH OTHER. IT HAS TO BE PREACHED, SO THAT WE KNOW IT IS POSSIBLE. AND WHEN WE HEAR ABOUT IT, SOME OF US WILL ASK, LIKE THOSE PEOPLE WHO HEARD PETER PREACH, “BROTHERS, WHAT MUST WE DO?” AND THAT'S PART OF PREACHING REPENTANCE AS WELL. IT IS TO DESCRIBE THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, WHERE THINGS ARE THE WAY THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE – ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. IT IS A WORLD AT PEACE, WHERE EVERYONE HAS AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD; WHERE EVERYONE RETURNS HIS LOVE. AND IT IS A WORLD WHERE THROUGH LOVE WE STRUGGLE TO ELIMINATE ALL THOSE THINGS THAT INJURE AND MAR OUR HUMANITY – SICKNESS, PREJUDICE, PERSECUTION, AND EVEN DEATH. AND IT IS A WORLD WHERE EVERYONE SEEKS TO BE THE BEST THEY CAN BE, AND CAN COUNT ON HIS NEIGHBOR TO HELP HIM GET THERE.
I HAVE A FRIEND IN BUFFALO WHO LEFT A GOOD JOB TO WORK IN THE INNER CITY WITH THE HOMELESS AND OTHER PEOPLE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PIT. HE BEGAN WITH ONE OTHER PERSON, DOING WHATEVER THEY COULD AND BEGGING LEFT OVER FOOD FROM RESTAURANTS AND GROCERY STORES. HE MANAGED TO TALK THE OWNER OF AN ABANDONED BUILDING TO ALLOW HIM TO PUT TOGETHER A SHELTER. HE FOUND PEOPLE TO DONATE USED CLOTHING. GRADUALLY THIS MINISTRY EXPANDED AND GAINED A LOT OF SUPPORT. IT NOW OCCUPIES THE BUILDINGS OF A PARISH THAT CLOSED, AND IT'S IMPACT CONTINUES TO EXPAND. THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS BEING REALIZED IN ONE SMALL PART OF THE CITY OF BUFFALO.


 THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, BUT THE RESURRECTION IS A GUARANTEE THAT IT WILL HAPPEN, AND HAS BEEN THE INSPIRATION FOR SAINTS AND MARTYRS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF CHRISTIANITY. AND ONCE IN A WHILE SOMEONE RESPONDS TO THE PREACHING, AND BEGINS TO CREATE THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN AROUND HIMSELF. AND THAT BRINGS THE KINGDOM A LITTLE CLOSER TO ALL OF US.