The Gospel we read today is part of Jesus’ high priestly prayer, in which he prays for his disciples -- that’s you and I. Today I was struck by two statements: “I gave them your word, and the world hates them, because they do not belong in the world anymore than I belong in the world”. Then Jesus says, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.’
Those two statements almost contradict each other, don’t they? That’s one of the fun things about reading the bible -- you encounter speed bumps that make you stop and think, and the more you read the bible, the more speed bumps you meet.
So as I held those statements in my head, I went over to the Jewish nursing home for my weekly visit. As I met new residents, I was reminded of someone I encountered several weeks ago. She was an elderly woman who had had knee replacement surgery a few years back. The joint became swollen and started to be mildly uncomfortable, so she saw her doctor, who aspirated fluid and found it to be infected. She was admitted to the hospital for intensive antibiotic treatment and drainage of the abscess. While in the hospital some abnormalities in her blood test lead to further studies, and to make a long story short, she turned out to have cancer involving the liver. The next day they transferred her to the rehab hospital. When I met her she was still in shock -- and there was no one in her life to be with her -- she hadn’t told her children yet.
But her story isn’t that unusual. We all will have a moment when something will come along that will remind us that we are mortal, that we are really helpless to change what is happening to us. And we will be in shock. And we will have to make a decision -- do I move closer to God or further away? And unfortunately many people move further away, because they can't believe that God would treat them that way. But you meet other people whose faith is strengthened, and they grow closer to God because in a way, everything else they thought was important becomes much less important. Somehow in this moment they see more clearly, and conclude that the God they believe in does everything for the good of those he loves -- you and I included.
You and I practice our faith and we go along day to day. We have ups and downs and always look forward to getting back to normal. And we know by our faith that God loves us -- the gospel we are reading is an example: Jesus himself prays for us. And that’s why he does not pray that the Father take us out of this world in which we don’t belong.
We can’t earn our salvation by doing good things or praying a lot. The Old Testament tells us that. God gave the Israelites many rules, and the implication was that if they followed those rules, they could achieve salvation. And they never did follow the rules, and the prophets came and reminded them, and it didn’t work. Jesus is the only one who finally kept the commandments perfectly, And he invites us to share in his triumph by believing in him, by forming a relationship with him. And if we believe that God loves us so much that everything that happens to us is meant for our good, then somehow the worst moments in our lives are really meant to draw us more deeply into that relationship -- at the risk of destroying it, because we are free. As Jesus told his disciples, “I no longer call you slaves, I call you my friends”. And a true friend will do everything possible for the good of his friend, short of taking away his freedom.
And as I thought about these things I was reminded of that dreadful moment when Jesus was hanging on the cross and people were mocking him. And the thief on one side joined in the mockery. And the thief on the other side said “we are here because we deserve to be, we did the crime.(I’m paraphrasing again) but this man is innocent!Then turning to Jesus he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he heard those words we all long to hear, “Today you will be with me in paradise”. In the moment of greatest helplessness, in the moment when the entire future disappears in a wink, the good thief shows you and I that those moments are when Jesus opens himself up to us completely, and waits for us to freely choose to deepen our relationship to the point of becoming one with him.
This of course is Mother’s Day weekend. My very best friend in the world is a mother and a grandmother. She’s given birth six times, none of which was easy. She’s been disappointed by me and by her children more than once, and forgives easily. She’s worried for her kids and grandchildren, and that leads her to praying for them. And everything just seems to bring her closer to Jesus. A good mother, maybe more so than a good priest, reminds me of Jesus, because she stands ready to give up everything for her family. So happy Mother’s day to all you Mothers -- I hope you realize what a beautiful vocation you have.
