MARK 9:38-43, 45, 47-48
WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, I
LIVED IN A SMALL TOWN IN MONTANA. THE POPULATION WAS ABOUT 19,000
EVEN THOUGH IT WAS THE CAPITAL CITY. TODAY IT'S ABOUT 30,000,
ALTHOUGH THAT'S AN UNDERESTIMATE SINCE IT IS NOW SURROUNDED BY
GROWING SMALLER TOWNS. ANYWAY, WITH ALL THAT OPEN SPACE WE WEREN'T
VERY CONCERNED ABOUT POLLUTION AND ECOLOGY, AND THERE WAS A TRASH
DUMP JUST OVER THE EDGE OF TOWN WHERE THE DUMP TRUCKS DROPPED THEIR
LOADS. AND IT WAS A MAGICAL PLACE FOR KIDS. ONCE WHEN MY SISTER
MADE HER FIRST COMMUNION, SHE AND I SNUCK OFF IN OUR CHURCH CLOTHES
TO SEE WHAT WE COULD FIND; OUR PARENTS WERE BUSY ENTERTAINING SOME
FRIENDS. WHEN WE RETURNED, IT DID NOT SIT WELL WITH OUR MOTHER. BUT
I REMEMBER THE DUMP. BROKEN FURNITURE, DISCARDED FOOD, BROKEN TOYS,
AND OF COURSE CARDBOARD, TIN CANS, GLASS – WE DIDN'T RECYCLE. AND
ALWAYS SMOKE. THE DUMP ATTRACTED TRANSIENTS, WHO COULD FIND LOTS OF
STUFF TO MAKE CAMPFIRES OUT OF, AND THERE WAS ALWAYS ONE OR TWO
SMOULDERING REMNANTS. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT WORMS, BUT THE DUMP DID
ATTRACT ALL MANNER OF BIRDS, SO MAYBE.
GEHENNA WAS LIKE THAT, I
SUPPOSE. ORIGINALLY, IT WAS THE NAME GIVEN TO A VALLEY OUTSIDE
JERUSALEM. BIBLICAL ARCHEOLOGISTS THINK THAT SOME OF THE
ABOMINATIONS ATTRIBUTED TO CERTAIN JEWISH KINGS INCLUDED HUMAN
SACRIFICE TO PAGAN GODS; SOLOMON EVEN BUILT ALTARS AND TEMPLES SO
THAT HIS WIVES COULD WORSHIP THEIR GODS. ELIJAH HAD TO FACE DOWN 400
PROPHETS OF BAAL WHO HAD BEEN BROUGHT TO JUDEA TO ESTABLISH THE CULT
OF BAAL BY JEZEBEL, THE WIFE OF AHAB, ANOTHER KING GONE BAD. WHEN
THE JEWS RETURNED FROM EXILE AND TRIED TO RE-ESTABLISH THEIR TEMPLE
BASED RELIGION IN ITS PURE FORM, THE VALLEY BECAME A GARBAGE DUMP. I
THINK THAT'S WHAT JESUS WAS THINKING OF WHEN HE SPOKE OF GEHENNA.
TODAY'S GOSPEL IS PRETTY
STRAIGHTFORWARD. PEOPLE CAN DO GOOD THINGS EVEN IF THEY AREN'T PART
OF YOUR GROUP. WE CATHOLICS ARE SOMETIMES PUT TO SHAME BY THE FAITH
OF PEOPLE IN OTHER DENOMINATIONS, IN OTHER RELIGIONS, EVEN THOUGH WE
BELIEVE OUR RELIGION WAS FOUNDED BY JESUS AND IS PROTECTED BY THE
HOLY SPIRIT FROM ERROR, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE THE EUCHARIST, THE
GUARANTEE THAT JESUS IS WITH US UNTIL THE END OF TIME. NONE OF US
WOULD DISAGREE THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT SEEMS TO WORK OUTSIDE THE CHURCH
AS WE KNOW IT.
AND NONE OF US WOULD
DISAGREE THAT CAUSING AN INNOCENT PERSON TO SIN IS A TERRIBLE THING;
MOST OF US WOULD PROBABLY NOT GO SO FAR AS TO DROWN A PORNOGRAPHER OR
SOMEONE WHO ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO SPEND THEIR FORTUNES GAMBLING. BUT
JESUS PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE EITHER.
BUT WHERE MANY OF US
WOULD HAVE A PROBLEM IS WHEN JESUS TURNS TO YOU AND I AND SAYS, “IF
YOUR HAND CAUSES YOU TO SIN, CUT IT OFF; IT IS BETTER TO ENTER INTO
LIFE MAIMED THAN HAVING TWO HANDS, TO BE CAST INTO GEHENNA”.
SURELY HE MUST MEAN REALLY SERIOUS SIN; BECAUSE IF HE'S TALKING ABOUT
ANY OLD SIN, WE ARE ALL IN BIG TROUBLE. AND YET, HE DID SAY “SIN”
WITHOUT QUALIFIERS, RIGHT?
I THINK THAT SHOULD LEAD
US TO ANOTHER LANGUAGE LESSON. THE HEBREW WORD FOR SIN IS “CHET”
WHICH MEANS “TO MISS THE MARK” AS IN SHOOTING AN ARROW. SO WE
MIGHT RE-PHRASE CHRIST'S STATEMENT AS “IF YOUR HAND CAUSES YOU TO
MISS THE MARK, CUT IT OFF; IT'S BETTER TO ENTER LIFE MAIMED THEN TO
BE THROWN ONTO THE GARBAGE PIT WITH ALL YOUR LIMBS”.
SO WHAT IS THE MARK WE
ARE SUPPOSED TO HIT? CHRISTIANITY IS SIMPLE; IN THE FIRST GRADE I
LEARNED THAT GOD MADE ME TO KNOW, LOVE AND SERVE HIM IN THIS WORLD
AND BE HAPPY WITH HIM IN THE NEXT. THAT'S THE MARK. WE KNOW GOD BY
COMMUNICATING WITH HIM, SPEAKING TO HIM AND LISTENING TO HIM. WE
PRAY AND WE LISTEN TO THE SCRIPTURES AND THE CHURCH, WHICH SPEAKS FOR
JESUS. WE MAKE TIME TO DO THIS; YOU WOULD NEVER GET TO KNOW ANOTHER
HUMAN BEING BY NEVER SPENDING ANY TIME WITH HIM; TRUE OF GOD AS WELL.
WE LOVE GOD BY IMITATING HIS SON, WHO CAME TO EARTH TO SHOW US HOW A
HUMAN BEING IS SUPPOSED TO LIVE. IF YOU WANT TO IMITATE SOMEONE,
THAT TAKES A LOT OF PRACTICE; YOU HAVE TO MAKE CONSCIOUS DECISIONS
ABOUT HOW YOU ARE GOING TO ACT AND REACT, AND KEEP DOING THIS UNTIL
YOU'VE CHANGED YOURSELF. WE ALL EXPECT TO SLIP ONCE IN A WHILE, BUT
WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO LOOK BACK AND SAY, “I'M MAKING SOME PROGRESS”.
AND WE SERVE HIM IN THE ONLY WAY WE CAN – WE SERVE HIS CHILDREN,
THE PEOPLE WE ENCOUNTER EVERY DAY, EACH OF WHOM BEARS HIS IMAGE AND
LIKENESS.
RECENTLY I READ AN ESSAY
WHICH TRIED TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, “WHY DOES GOD LOVE US?”. THE
TITLE OF THE ESSAY WAS “HUMAN BEINGS ARE USELESS”. THE AUTHOR
SAID THAT WE VALUE A SHOVEL BECAUSE IT HELPS US MOVE DIRT. BUT WE
VALUE A BEAUTIFUL PAINTING PRECISELY BECAUSE IT IS USELESS. IT ISN'T
REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING; IT'S VALUE IS IN ITSELF. GOD LOVES US FOR
THE SAME REASON; WE AREN'T USEFUL TO HIM, BUT BEING MADE IN HIS IMAGE
AND LIKENESS, WE ARE BEAUTIFUL TO HIM. AND JUST AS WE DESIRE TO
POSESS BEAUTIFUL THINGS, GOD DESIRES TO GATHER US BACK TO HIMSELF.
SAINT JOHN SAID, “GOD
IS LOVE”. WE CAN TURN THAT AROUND AND SAY, “LOVE IS GOD”.
THAT MEANS THAT WHERE LOVE IS PRACTICED, GOD IS THERE; AND WHERE LOVE
DOESN'T EXIST, GOD IS FAR AWAY. AND OUR PURPOSE IS TO WILLINGLY
ALLOW GOD TO GATHER US BACK TO HIMSELF, TO DRAW US THROUGH LOVE,
BECAUSE GOD IS LOVE.
SO THINK ABOUT THAT THIS
WEEK. IF YOU COMMIT A SIN SOME PEOPLE WOULD SAY THAT EVEN A MINOR
SIN, EVEN WHAT WE USED TO CALL A VENIAL SIN, IS A TERRIBLE OFFENSE
AGAINST GOD BECAUSE GOD IS SO PERFECT, SO GOOD, SO YOU NAME IT, THAT
ANY OFFENSE DESERVES DEATH. BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT I THINK; AFTER ALL,
GOD LOVES US AND MADE US THE WAY WE ARE, NOT SO HE COULD PUNISH US
FOR ANY INFRACTION, EVEN SERIOUS ONES. A FATHER WHO SLAPS AROUND HIS
THREE YEAR OLD BECAUSE THE CHILD WAS DISOBEDIENT WOULD BE IN COURT;
GOD IS THE BEST FATHER THERE IS. NO, THE SADDEST THING IS A HUMAN
BEING WHO IS CALLED TO SUCH GREATNESS AND FRITTERS AWAY HIS LIFE
PURSUING TRIVIAL THINGS. HE'S MISSED THE MARK; HE'S MADE HIMSELF
TRASH.
