MARK 1:40-45
IN THE GOSPEL OF MARK, JESUS OFTEN TELLS PEOPLE TO KEEP QUIET ABOUT WHAT HE HAS DONE. THIS IS CALLED “THE MESSIANIC SECRET” AND SCHOLARS HAVE GIVEN DIFFERENT REASONS FOR ITS PURPOSE. IT'S INTERESTING THAT THIS DOESN'T COME UP IN THE OTHER GOSPELS, INCLUDING THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, IN WHICH 90% OF MARK IS CONTAINED. IT DIDN'T SERVE MATTHEW'S PURPOSE TO KEEP THIS STRANGE COMMAND OF JESUS – MATTHEW HAD A DIFFERENT SET OF REASONS FOR WRITING HIS GOSPEL.
IF WE LOOK AT THE TIMES JESUS TELLS THOSE HE CURES NOT TO TELL ANYONE ABOUT WHAT JUST HAPPENED, THOUGH, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH OUR OWN EXPLANATION FOR THE MESSIANIC SECRET, AND MAYBE THERE IS EVEN SOMETHING THAT WE CAN APPLY TO OUR OWN LIVES.
THIS GOSPEL IS AN EXAMPLE OF THIS. JESUS ENCOUNTERS A LEPER – AND YOU'VE HEARD WHAT MOSES SAID TO DO WITH LEPERS. IN JESUS' TIME ANYONE WITH A PERSISTENT SKIN PROBLEM WAS A LEPER UNTIL PROVEN OTHERWISE, AND THAT MEANT THAT YOU STAYED AWAY FROM TOWNS AND OTHER PEOPLE; YOU HAD TO DRESS IN A CERTAIN WAY SO THAT PEOPLE COULD AVOID YOU; AND YOU COULDN'T GET A JOB. WHENEVER SOMEONE LOOKED AS THOUGH THEY WERE GOING TO CROSS YOUR PATH, YOU WERE TO SHOUT “UNCLEAN, UNCLEAN”. SOMEONE WHO EVEN TOUCHED A LEPER WAS CONSIDERED UNCLEAN FOR SEVEN DAYS. LEPERS SURVIVED THROUGH THE KINDNESS OF THEIR RELATIVES, OR SOMETIMES STRANGERS. IF YOU WERE UNCLEAN, YOU COULDN'T TAKE PART IN WORSHIP – OBVIOUSLY GOD MUST BE PUNISHING YOU FOR SOMETHING. NATURALLY, SOME LEPERS, BEING DESPERATE, WOULD COMMIT DESPERATE ACTS LIKE ROBBERY. IT WAS A TOUGH LIFE.
THE LEPER, DEFYING CONVENTION, CALLS OUT TO JESUS AND BEGS HIM: “IF YOU WANT TO YOU CAN MAKE ME CLEAN!” AND JESUS REACHES OUT AND TOUCHES HIM, DEFYING CONVENTION HIMSELF, AND SAYS, “I DO WANT TO, SO BE CLEAN!” THE LEPER IS MADE CLEAN, AND JESUS TAKES ON THE STATUS OF “UNCLEAN”. JESUS GIVES HIM TWO COMMANDS – ONE IS TO GO SHOW HIMSELF TO THE PRIEST, BECAUSE THE PRIEST COULD THEN DECLARE HIM CLEAN AND HE COULD COME BACK INTO SOCIETY. WE DON'T KNOW IF THE LEPER ACTUALLY DID THAT. THE OTHER IS “TELL NO ONE”. AND OF COURSE, OUR LEPER DOESN'T DO THIS – IN FACT, HE DOES JUST THE OPPOSITE. AND WE SEE THE CONSEQUENCES; JESUS CAN'T GO ANYWHERE WITHOUT ATTRACTING A NEEDY, DEMANDING CROWD.
THINKING IN HUMAN TERMS, IT MUST HAVE REALLY BEEN HARD ON JESUS, WHO SAW HIS MISSION AS ONE OF PREACHING THE KINGDOM OF GOD TO EVERYONE WHO WOULD LISTEN. AND NOW IRONICALLY, HE HAS TO AVOID PLACES WHERE THERE ARE LOTS OF PEOPLE.
HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO US? I THINK A LOT OF US BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF PRAYER. WE PRAY FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN, OR SOMETHING NOT TO HAPPEN; WE PRAY FOR SICK FRIENDS AND DEAD RELATIVES; WE PRAY KNOWING THAT NOT EVERY PRAYER IS ANSWERED THE WAY WE WANT IT TO BE, BUT NEVERTHELESS, HOPING THAT MAYBE THIS TIME OUR PRAYER WILL BE ANSWERED IN THE WAY WE WANT IT TO BE. AND OBVIOUSLY SOMETIMES THEY ARE.
BUT ALTHOUGH JESUS HEALS THE LEPER, WHAT DOES HE REALLY WANT? IF WE GO BY OTHER MOMENTS IN HIS LIFE, HE WANTS CONVERSION, HE WANTS THIS LEPER TO GIVE HIMSELF TO GOD, TO REPENT HIS SINS AND SEEK GOD'S MERCY; AFTER HEALING HIS BODY HE WANTS TO HEAL HIS SOUL, BUT THAT REQUIRES THAT THE FORMER LEPER SPEND SOME TIME LEARNING FROM JESUS.
BUT THE LEPER MISSES ALL OF THIS AND GOES OUT TELLING EVERYONE WHAT HAPPENED AND WHO DID IT. AND IN SO DOING HE LOSES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR COMPLETE HEALING, AND MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR JESUS TO REACH OTHERS WITH HIS MESSAGE. THE LEPER FAILS TO OBEY THE PLAIN COMMAND OF JESUS.
HERE WE ARE IN CHURCH; WE ARE HERE BECAUSE WE KNOW SOMETHING SPECIAL TAKES PLACE; WE KNOW THAT JESUS BECOMES PRESENT IN BREAD AND WINE, IN THE WORD AND IN EACH OTHER. WE KNOW HEALING GRACES ARE AVAILABLE, BOTH FOR BODY AND SOUL. WE HAVE A LIST OF THINGS WE WANT TO BRING TO JESUS' ATTENTION – SOME OF THEM AS A PEOPLE WHEN WE PRAY THE INTERCESSIONS AFTER THE CREED AND WHEN WE PRAY THE EUCHARISTIC PRAYER; AND SOME WHICH WE BRING TO THE MASS IN OUR HEARTS TO SPEAK THEM PRIVATELY. AND AFTER OUR ENCOUNTER WITH CHRIST, WE ARE GIVEN A COMMAND – IT MAY BE, “GO, LIVE THE GOSPEL” OR “THE MASS IS ENDED, GO IN PEACE” OR VARIOUS OTHER FORMULATIONS. THEY ALL BOIL DOWN TO THE SAME THING, THOUGH. WE ARE SUPPOSED TO LEAVE MASS AND IN OUR CASE, BRING WHAT WE'VE RECEIVED INTO THE WORLD WHICH SO DESPERATELY NEEDS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN.
THE LEPER WASN'T READY TO BE SENT FORTH; HE NEEDED TO LEARN FROM JESUS AND BE FORMED BY HIM. YOU AND I HAVE BEEN EQUIPPED TO GO FORTH; WE HAVE EATEN AND DRUNK JESUS CHRIST; WE'VE RENEWED OUR BAPTISM, WE'VE STIRRED UP THE HOLY SPIRIT IN US; WE'VE BEEN INSTRUCTED THROUGH THE WORD AND SOMETIMES THE SERMON IF THE HOLY SPIRIT MAKES UP FOR THE DEFICIENCIES OF THE PREACHER. WHAT MORE DO WE NEED TO GO FORTH AND BRING CHRIST'S MESSAGE TO THE WORLD? AND YET, PROBABLY MUCH OF THE TIME WE AREN'T EVEN THINKING ABOUT THIS ONCE WE HIT THE PARKING LOT.
TODAY BEFORE WE LEAVE THIS MASS LET US THINK OF ONE PERSON WITH WHOM WE WILL SHARE THE GOSPEL THIS WEEK. WE DON'T HAVE TO WHIP OPEN A BIBLE OR OFFER TO PRAY WITH SOMEONE. THE GOSPEL IS THE GOOD NEWS THAT JESUS BROUGHT TO OUR WORLD, THE NEWS THAT WE HAVE IT IN OUR POWER TO TOUCH EACH OTHER'S LIVES. AND WHEN WE TOUCH EACH OTHER, THE RESULT CAN BE GOOD OR IT CAN BE BAD. A COMPLEMENT INSTEAD OF A CRITICISM. WELCOMING INSTEAD OF IGNORING. GIVING THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT RATHER THAN BLAMING. OUR BAPTISMAL GRACES ARE ALWAYS THERE TO TELL US WHAT WE SHOULD DO; ALL WE NEED TO DO IS LISTEN.
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle B
MARK 1:29-39
JOAN AND I WORK WITH OTHER MARRIED COUPLES IN PRE-CANA PROGRAMS, WHICH IS PART OF THE CHURCH'S MINISTRY TO ENGAGED COUPLES. WE WERE TALKING WITH ONE OF THESE COUPLES ABOUT HOW THEY MET AND WHAT PROBLEMS THEY HAD TO OVERCOME IN THE EARLY PART OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP. THE HUSBAND IS THE BREADWINNER AND THE WIFE HOME SCHOOLS THE SIX KIDS AND MANAGES TO RUN AN EFFICIENT AND COST-EFFECTIVE HOUSEHOLD. THEY ARE BOTH DEVOTED TO THE CHURCH AND THEIR LIVES REFLECT THAT. IN THE COURSE OF THE CONVERSATION SHE SAID SOMETHING TO THIS EFFECT: “I WANT TO SAVE MY SOUL AND BE THE BEST WIFE AND MOTHER I CAN BE”. IT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING SHE PROBABLY REMINDED HERSELF OF EVERY DAY. IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN HER MISSION STATEMENT.
YOU MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS A MISSION STATEMENT. WHEN I WORKED AT BAYSTATE MEDICAL CENTER AND IT WAS BEGINNING TO TRANSFORM ITSELF, MANY OF US SPENT A LOT OF TIME HELPING DEVELOP A MISSION STATEMENT FOR THAT HUGE INSTITUTION. AFTER ABOUT SIX MONTHS, THIS WAS THE STATEMENT: TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES EVERY DAY WITH QUALITY AND COMPASSION. I AND A LOT OF MY FRIENDS THOUGHT “THAT TOOK SIX MONTHS AND MANY MEETINGS AND A LOT OF VALUABLE TIME?” BUT OVER TIME, I BEGAN TO SEE THE VALUE OF A MISSION STATEMENT. IT'S WHAT YOU CONSULT EVERY TIME YOU HAVE A DECISION TO MAKE. AND I SAW THE LEADERS OF BAYSTATE DO THIS. I SAW SOME GREAT IDEAS TURNED DOWN BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T FIT THE MISSION.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS SOUTHWEST AIRLINES. THEIR STATEMENT IS: “TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO WHAT'S IMPORTANT IN THEIR LIVES THROUGH FRIENDLY, RELIABLE, AND LOW-COST AIR TRAVEL.” ONCE SOMEONE PROPOSED THAT SOUTHWEST CONTRACT WITH CATERING COMPANIES, SO THAT A PASSENGER COULD ORDER A MEAL THAT WOULD BE SERVED WHEN HE OR SHE GOT ON THE PLANE – NOT FREE, OF COURSE. THE IDEA WAS DOABLE AND WOULD PROBABLY HAVE GENERATED A LITTLE EXTRA REVENUE, BUT IT WOULD REQUIRE THAT ON THE PLANES WITH THIS POLICY, YOU'D EITHER NEED AN EXTRA STEWARD, AND THAT WOULD DETRACT FROM THE “LOW-COST” PART OF THE MISSION; OR YOU'D NEED THE STEWARDS TO SPEND TIME DISTRIBUTING MEALS AND PICKING UP AFTER, WHICH WOULD DETRACT FROM THE FRIENDLY PART. THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T GET ANYTHING BUT PEANUTS AND PRETZELS ON SOUTHWEST.
AS YOU MAY IMAGINE, THERE ARE MISSION STATEMENTS THAT TAKE SEVERAL PARAGRAPHS; THERE ARE STATEMENTS THAT ARE VERY NICE, BUT ARE NEVER USED TO GIVE DIRECTION, AND THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS WHICH DON'T HAVE MISSION STATEMENTS, AND THEY OFTEN GET IN TROUBLE. JESUS HAD A MISSION STATEMENT, AND TODAY'S GOSPEL SHOWS HIM USING IT TO SHAPE HIS DECISIONS. I THINK YOU MAY REMEMBER IT, “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE HAS ANOINTED ME TO PROCLAIM GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM LIBERTY TO THE CAPTIVES AND RECOVERING OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET AT LIBERTY THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE YEAR OF THE LORD’S FAVOR."
JESUS SEEMS ALWAYS TO ATTRACT A CROWD. PEOPLE ARE BRINGING HIM THE SICK, THE LAME, THE DEMON-POSSESSED, AND ASKING HIM TO HEAL THEM. AND HE DOES. AND YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT IF YOU COULD HEAL PEOPLE BY TOUCHING THEM AND PRAYING OVER THEM (AND BY THE WAY, SOME OF YOU CAN, BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE CHARISMS GOD GIVES SOME PEOPLE IN HIS CHURCH) YOU WOULD PROBABLY RESPOND LIKE JESUS. AND MORE AND MORE PEOPLE WOULD COME TO BE HEALED. AND THEN YOU WOULD THINK, “I'M DOING A LOT OF GOOD HERE, WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT?” AND YOU MIGHT SET UP A LITTLE SHOP AND CHARGE ENOUGH TO LIVE ON, AND GO INTO THE HEALING BUSINESS. BUT JESUS ALWAYS REMEMBERS HIS MISSION STATEMENT, THE FIRST PART OF WHICH IS TO PROCLAIM THE GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR. AND WHEN SIMON TELLS HIM EVERYONE IS LOOKING FOR HIM, JESUS SAYS, “LET US GO TO NEARBY VILLAGES SO THAT I MAY PREACH TO THEM, FOR THAT IS WHY I HAVE COME.”
IMAGINE A BOWL. YOU FILL IT WITH MARBLES. IS IT FULL? WELL, YOU CAN PUT A LOT OF SALT IN THERE. BUT IF YOU START WITH THE SALT, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO PUT A SINGLE MARBLE IN THERE.
EVERY DAY, EVERY WEEK, EVERY YEAR, YOU AND I NEED TO REMIND OURSELVES WHAT IS TRULY IMPORTANT, AND WHAT IS JUST “BEING BUSY”. WE NEED TO REVIEW EVERY DAY WHETHER WE'VE FILLED OUR DAY WITH MARBLES OR SALT. AND IF WE HAVE A CHOICE, THE MARBLES ARE WAY MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE SALT.
JESUS HAD A MISSION STATEMENT THAT KEPT HIM FOCUSED AND MADE SURE HE DIDN'T GET DISTRACTED. SPENDING HIS WAKING HOURS HEALING PEOPLE WAS JUST SALT; PROCLAIMING THE GOOD NEWS WAS MARBLES. THERE WAS ROOM FOR BOTH, BUT ONLY IF HE TOOK CARE OF THE MARBLES FIRST, AND HE ALWAYS DID.
OUR PARISH HAS A MISSION STATEMENT. IT'S ON THE BULLETIN. BECAUSE YOU AND I ARE MEMBERS OF THIS PARISH, WE SHOULD TAKE TO HEART THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR GUIDING THE PARISH ACCORDING TO THAT STATEMENT, AND TO EXAMINE WHETHER OUR PARTICIPATION IN THE PARISH OR IN THE MANY ACTIVITIES WE HAVE IN THIS PARISH FIT IN WITH THE MISSION STATEMENT. MARBLES OR SALT?
YOU AND I NEED MISSION STATEMENTS FOR OUR LIVES AS WELL, SIMPLE ONES THAT KEEP US FOCUSED, NAME OUR PRIORITIES, AND GIVE OUR LIVES MEANING, LIKE THE ONE YOU HEARD FROM MY FRIEND. HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOURS IS? IT WON'T BE TOO LONG BEFORE WE BEGIN LENT. THAT MIGHT BE AN EXCELLENT WAY TO USE THOSE SIX WEEKS – TO THINK ABOUT MY MISSION, WHY GOD HAS PUT ME HERE; TO WRITE OUT IN A SINGLE SENTENCE MY PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT, AND THEN TO READ IT EVERY MORNING AS I PLAN MY DAY, AND REVIEW IT EVERY EVENING BEFORE I GO TO BED. I'M PRETTY SURE THAT WHEN EASTER COMES AROUND, THERE WOULD BE A LOT MORE MARBLES AND A BIT LESS SALT IN OUR LIVES.
JOAN AND I WORK WITH OTHER MARRIED COUPLES IN PRE-CANA PROGRAMS, WHICH IS PART OF THE CHURCH'S MINISTRY TO ENGAGED COUPLES. WE WERE TALKING WITH ONE OF THESE COUPLES ABOUT HOW THEY MET AND WHAT PROBLEMS THEY HAD TO OVERCOME IN THE EARLY PART OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP. THE HUSBAND IS THE BREADWINNER AND THE WIFE HOME SCHOOLS THE SIX KIDS AND MANAGES TO RUN AN EFFICIENT AND COST-EFFECTIVE HOUSEHOLD. THEY ARE BOTH DEVOTED TO THE CHURCH AND THEIR LIVES REFLECT THAT. IN THE COURSE OF THE CONVERSATION SHE SAID SOMETHING TO THIS EFFECT: “I WANT TO SAVE MY SOUL AND BE THE BEST WIFE AND MOTHER I CAN BE”. IT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING SHE PROBABLY REMINDED HERSELF OF EVERY DAY. IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN HER MISSION STATEMENT.
YOU MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS A MISSION STATEMENT. WHEN I WORKED AT BAYSTATE MEDICAL CENTER AND IT WAS BEGINNING TO TRANSFORM ITSELF, MANY OF US SPENT A LOT OF TIME HELPING DEVELOP A MISSION STATEMENT FOR THAT HUGE INSTITUTION. AFTER ABOUT SIX MONTHS, THIS WAS THE STATEMENT: TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES EVERY DAY WITH QUALITY AND COMPASSION. I AND A LOT OF MY FRIENDS THOUGHT “THAT TOOK SIX MONTHS AND MANY MEETINGS AND A LOT OF VALUABLE TIME?” BUT OVER TIME, I BEGAN TO SEE THE VALUE OF A MISSION STATEMENT. IT'S WHAT YOU CONSULT EVERY TIME YOU HAVE A DECISION TO MAKE. AND I SAW THE LEADERS OF BAYSTATE DO THIS. I SAW SOME GREAT IDEAS TURNED DOWN BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T FIT THE MISSION.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS SOUTHWEST AIRLINES. THEIR STATEMENT IS: “TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO WHAT'S IMPORTANT IN THEIR LIVES THROUGH FRIENDLY, RELIABLE, AND LOW-COST AIR TRAVEL.” ONCE SOMEONE PROPOSED THAT SOUTHWEST CONTRACT WITH CATERING COMPANIES, SO THAT A PASSENGER COULD ORDER A MEAL THAT WOULD BE SERVED WHEN HE OR SHE GOT ON THE PLANE – NOT FREE, OF COURSE. THE IDEA WAS DOABLE AND WOULD PROBABLY HAVE GENERATED A LITTLE EXTRA REVENUE, BUT IT WOULD REQUIRE THAT ON THE PLANES WITH THIS POLICY, YOU'D EITHER NEED AN EXTRA STEWARD, AND THAT WOULD DETRACT FROM THE “LOW-COST” PART OF THE MISSION; OR YOU'D NEED THE STEWARDS TO SPEND TIME DISTRIBUTING MEALS AND PICKING UP AFTER, WHICH WOULD DETRACT FROM THE FRIENDLY PART. THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T GET ANYTHING BUT PEANUTS AND PRETZELS ON SOUTHWEST.
AS YOU MAY IMAGINE, THERE ARE MISSION STATEMENTS THAT TAKE SEVERAL PARAGRAPHS; THERE ARE STATEMENTS THAT ARE VERY NICE, BUT ARE NEVER USED TO GIVE DIRECTION, AND THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS WHICH DON'T HAVE MISSION STATEMENTS, AND THEY OFTEN GET IN TROUBLE. JESUS HAD A MISSION STATEMENT, AND TODAY'S GOSPEL SHOWS HIM USING IT TO SHAPE HIS DECISIONS. I THINK YOU MAY REMEMBER IT, “THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE HAS ANOINTED ME TO PROCLAIM GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM LIBERTY TO THE CAPTIVES AND RECOVERING OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET AT LIBERTY THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE YEAR OF THE LORD’S FAVOR."
JESUS SEEMS ALWAYS TO ATTRACT A CROWD. PEOPLE ARE BRINGING HIM THE SICK, THE LAME, THE DEMON-POSSESSED, AND ASKING HIM TO HEAL THEM. AND HE DOES. AND YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT IF YOU COULD HEAL PEOPLE BY TOUCHING THEM AND PRAYING OVER THEM (AND BY THE WAY, SOME OF YOU CAN, BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE CHARISMS GOD GIVES SOME PEOPLE IN HIS CHURCH) YOU WOULD PROBABLY RESPOND LIKE JESUS. AND MORE AND MORE PEOPLE WOULD COME TO BE HEALED. AND THEN YOU WOULD THINK, “I'M DOING A LOT OF GOOD HERE, WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT?” AND YOU MIGHT SET UP A LITTLE SHOP AND CHARGE ENOUGH TO LIVE ON, AND GO INTO THE HEALING BUSINESS. BUT JESUS ALWAYS REMEMBERS HIS MISSION STATEMENT, THE FIRST PART OF WHICH IS TO PROCLAIM THE GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR. AND WHEN SIMON TELLS HIM EVERYONE IS LOOKING FOR HIM, JESUS SAYS, “LET US GO TO NEARBY VILLAGES SO THAT I MAY PREACH TO THEM, FOR THAT IS WHY I HAVE COME.”
IMAGINE A BOWL. YOU FILL IT WITH MARBLES. IS IT FULL? WELL, YOU CAN PUT A LOT OF SALT IN THERE. BUT IF YOU START WITH THE SALT, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO PUT A SINGLE MARBLE IN THERE.
EVERY DAY, EVERY WEEK, EVERY YEAR, YOU AND I NEED TO REMIND OURSELVES WHAT IS TRULY IMPORTANT, AND WHAT IS JUST “BEING BUSY”. WE NEED TO REVIEW EVERY DAY WHETHER WE'VE FILLED OUR DAY WITH MARBLES OR SALT. AND IF WE HAVE A CHOICE, THE MARBLES ARE WAY MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE SALT.
JESUS HAD A MISSION STATEMENT THAT KEPT HIM FOCUSED AND MADE SURE HE DIDN'T GET DISTRACTED. SPENDING HIS WAKING HOURS HEALING PEOPLE WAS JUST SALT; PROCLAIMING THE GOOD NEWS WAS MARBLES. THERE WAS ROOM FOR BOTH, BUT ONLY IF HE TOOK CARE OF THE MARBLES FIRST, AND HE ALWAYS DID.
OUR PARISH HAS A MISSION STATEMENT. IT'S ON THE BULLETIN. BECAUSE YOU AND I ARE MEMBERS OF THIS PARISH, WE SHOULD TAKE TO HEART THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR GUIDING THE PARISH ACCORDING TO THAT STATEMENT, AND TO EXAMINE WHETHER OUR PARTICIPATION IN THE PARISH OR IN THE MANY ACTIVITIES WE HAVE IN THIS PARISH FIT IN WITH THE MISSION STATEMENT. MARBLES OR SALT?
YOU AND I NEED MISSION STATEMENTS FOR OUR LIVES AS WELL, SIMPLE ONES THAT KEEP US FOCUSED, NAME OUR PRIORITIES, AND GIVE OUR LIVES MEANING, LIKE THE ONE YOU HEARD FROM MY FRIEND. HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOURS IS? IT WON'T BE TOO LONG BEFORE WE BEGIN LENT. THAT MIGHT BE AN EXCELLENT WAY TO USE THOSE SIX WEEKS – TO THINK ABOUT MY MISSION, WHY GOD HAS PUT ME HERE; TO WRITE OUT IN A SINGLE SENTENCE MY PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT, AND THEN TO READ IT EVERY MORNING AS I PLAN MY DAY, AND REVIEW IT EVERY EVENING BEFORE I GO TO BED. I'M PRETTY SURE THAT WHEN EASTER COMES AROUND, THERE WOULD BE A LOT MORE MARBLES AND A BIT LESS SALT IN OUR LIVES.
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle B
MARK 1:21-28
DO YOU BELIEVE IN THE DEVIL? I THINK
MANY CHRISTIANS WOULD PROBABLY SAY, NOT REALLY. THE IDEA OF A DEVIL
SEEMS TO BRING UP ALL KINDS OF IMAGES, ALL OF WHICH SEEM A LITTLE
SILLY, OR SOMETIMES, REMIND US OF HORROR MOVIES. BUT JESUS BELIEVED
IN SATAN, UNCLEAN SPIRITS, DEMONS … SO AT LEAST WE SHOULD KEEP AN
OPEN MIND.
I READ AN INTERESTING THEORY ABOUT
PRAYER THE OTHER DAY. THE QUESTION ALWAYS IS, IF WE CAN GET GOD TO
CHANGE HIS MIND, THEN HE ISN'T REALLY GOD, BECAUSE BY DEFINITION, GOD
CANNOT CHANGE. SO WHY PRAY? THE USUAL ANSWER IS THAT PRAYER MAKES
US MORE ACCEPTING OF GOD'S WILL. AND THAT'S TRUE, BUT NOT VERY
SATISFYING. BUT THE OTHER ANSWER IS THAT GOD CHOOSES TO ALLOW US TO
PARTICIPATE IN HIS OVERALL PLAN, AND WHEN WE PRAY, WE MAKE HIS PLAN
FOR US MORE APPARENT, MORE MANIFEST IN THE WORLD. IF I PRAY FOR
HEALING, I MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN HEALED ANYWAY, BUT WHEN I PRAY FOR IT,
THEN I AND ALL THOSE AROUND ME SEE GOD IN ACTION. AND CERTAINLY
THERE ARE EXAMPLES OF THIS AROUND US ALL THE TIME. JUST THE OTHER
DAY AN ELDERLY LADY TOLD ME ABOUT HER STRUGGLE TO GIVE UP SMOKING.
HER FUTURE HUSBAND HAD TOLD HER HE DIDN'T LIKE IT, SO SHE QUIT, BUT
AFTER A FEW WEEKS, STARTED UP AGAIN. HE DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING MORE.
SHE THEN REALIZED THAT IF SHE QUIT, AND SHE GOT MAD AT HIM, SHE WOULD
START SMOKING AGAIN TO “PUNISH” HIM. SO SHE PRAYED ABOUT IT, AND
HAD NO MORE CRAVING FROM THAT MOMENT TO NOW – SIXTY NINE YEARS.
WAS THAT A MIRACLE?
SO MAYBE THAT'S HOW SATAN AND OTHER
EVIL SPIRITS USUALLY OPERATE. THEY CAN'T BRING ABOUT EVIL DIRECTLY,
BUT THEY CAN MAKE THEMSELVES MORE OBVIOUS, AND CONVINCE US THAT WE
CAN'T CHANGE, THAT WE CAN'T GIVE UP A BAD HABIT OR A DESTRUCTIVE
PERSONALITY TRAIT. AND THEY CAN BECOME MORE INFLUENTIAL AND
FRIGHTENING, BY HORRIFYING US THROUGH NATURAL EVILS. ISN'T THERE
SOMETHING SATANIC ABOUT THE ISLAMIC STATE BEHEADING INNOCENT PEOPLE?
OR BOKU HARAM CAPTURING AND ENSLAVING LITTLE GIRLS? OR FOR THAT
MATTER, ABORTION. IN FACT THERE ARE 5211 ABORTIONS A DAY IN THE
UNITED STATES. WE DON'T BELIEVE SIEZURES AND DEFORMITIES AND
ILLNESSES ARE CAUSED BY DEMONS ANYMORE, BUT MAYBE WE ARE WRONG. WHEN
I SEE PEOPLE WITH ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE, THERE IS SOMETHING DIABOLIC
ABOUT THAT.
IN THE BIBLE THERE ARE TWO COMMON
TERMS FOR THE SPIRIT OF EVIL. ONE IS SATAN, FROM “SATANUS” –
THE ACCUSER; AND THE OTHER IS DEVIL, FROM DIABOLOS, THE DIVIDER. WE
KNOW ONE WAY EVIL SPIRITS CAUSE TROUBLE IS TO DIVIDE PEOPLE, TO PUT
BARRIERS BETWEEN THEM. PARANOIA, JEALOUSY, THE SENSE OF BEING
WRONGED, BITTERNESS – THESE KIND OF EMOTIONS ARE AT THE ROOT OF
MOST DIVISIONS BETWEEN PEOPLE, AND BETWEEN A PERSON AND GOD. THE
DEVIL IS A DIVIDER. BUT SATAN WORKS THROUGH THESE EMOTIONS AS WELL
BUT BY A KIND OF SICK IMITATION OF COMMUNITY. SATAN IS BEHIND MOB
VIOLENCE, PROBLEMS BETWEEN RACES AND RELIGIONS AND NATIONS; BUT ALSO
THOUGHTLESS ENTHUSIASM – THE ADULATION OF A MOVIE STAR OR
POLITICIAN. IF YOU CAN GET A CROWD TO AGREE ON SOMETHING, YOU HAVE A
GREAT TOOL TO CAUSE MISCHIEF, EVEN CRUCIFIXION. THERE IS SOMETHING
SATANIC ABOUT HOW WE'VE GONE FROM BEING AGAINST SAME SEX “MARRIAGE”
TO PRETTY MUCH TOLERATING IT IN TEN YEARS. NO ONE LISTENS TO
PRINCIPLED LOGICAL REASONS WHY THIS IS A BAD THING, FOR THE PEOPLE
INVOLVED, FOR THE COUNTRY, AND FOR MARRIAGE IN GENERAL. WE ARE INTO
GROUP THINK. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE THOUGHT OF AS BIGOTED, YOU
SHOULD NOT PUBLICALLY SAY YOU ARE AGAINST SAME SEX MARRIAGE. SATAN,
THE ACCUSER, IS AT WORK HERE.
IN THE GOSPELS WE SEE JESUS OPPOSING
THE DEVIL, OPPOSING SATAN. HE DOES THIS BY BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER.
EVEN WHEN HE CASTS OUT UNCLEAN SPIRITS, HE IS BRINGING THAT MAN BACK
INTO THE COMMUNITY. EVEN WHEN HE DEBATES WITH THE PHARISEES, HE
INVITES THEM BY HIS QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS TO LOOK AT THEMSELVES, AND
SEE HOW THE PATH THEY ARE ON DIVIDES THEM FROM OTHER PEOPLE. ONCE
JESUS TOLD HIS FOLLOWERS THEY HAD A FALLING OUT WITH THEIR NEIGHBOR,
THEY SHOULD DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO HEAL THAT WOUND, EVEN INVOLVING
THE AUTHORITIES OF THE CHURCH. AND IF NOTHING WORKED, ONLY THEN
SHOULD THEY TREAT THAT PERSON LIKE A GENTILE – NOT ACTUALLY
HOSTILE, BUT JUST AVOIDING HIM. AND JESUS IS DISTRUSTFUL OF ANYTHING
HAVING TO DO WITH “GROUP THINK” MARK BRINGS THIS OUT WHENEVER
HE MENTIONS THE “MESSIANIC SECRET” WHICH IS WHEN JESUS TELLS
SOMEONE HE'S JUST CURED NOT TO TELL ANYONE. JESUS DOESN'T WANT
PEOPLE TO FOLLOW HIM BECAUSE OF MIRACLES; THEY HAVE TO KNOW HIM AS HE
IS AND MAKE A CONSCIOUS, INDIVIDUAL CHOICE TO FOLLOW HIM. DIVISIONS
BETWEEN PEOPLE, AS WELL AS GROUP-THINK AND MOB VIOLENCE AND RACIAL
PREJUDICE ARE ALL SOURCES OF PSYCHIC ENERGY. JESUS GOT HIS ENERGY
FROM A DIFFERENT SOURCE. WE SEE THIS IN THE GOSPELS, WHEN HE
WITHDRAWS FROM THE CROWDS TO PRAY. HE ONCE SAID, “MY MEAT AND
DRINK IS TO DO THE WILL OF MY FATHER.” WE CHRISTIANS NEED TO LEARN
TO GET OUR ENERGY FROM THAT SOURCE AS WELL, AND TURN OUR BACKS ON
DEMONIC FORCES, WHICH STILL INFEST OUR WORLD.
NOW JUST A WORD ABOUT THE READING FROM
PAUL. IT SEEMS THAT HE IS A ADVISING US NOT TO GET MARRIED. BUT IF
YOU RE-READ THIS IN VIEW OF WHAT WE'VE JUST BEEN TALKING ABOUT, YOU
WILL SEE THAT HE ISN'T AGAINST MARRIAGE; HE IS CONCERNED THAT FOR
PEOPLE WHO ARE MARRIED, THERE IS THE VERY REAL POSSIBILITY THAT THEY
WILL BE TORN BETWEEN SERVING GOD AND SERVING THEIR SPOUSE. DIVISION
BETWEEN PEOPLE AND BETWEEN A PERSON AND GOD IS “DIABOLICAL” –
THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT JESUS TEACHES. JESUS SAYS MARRIAGE IS WHEN A
MAN AND A WOMAN BECOME ONE FLESH. IF I AM ONE WITH MY SPOUSE, THEN
OUR RELATIONSHIP IS NOT ABOUT PLEASING OR SERVING EACH OTHER, IT'S
ABOUT SERVING AND PLEASING GOD TOGETHER. AND IF WE WORK TOWARDS THAT
GOAL IN OUR MARRIAGE, WE ARE TRULY LIVING THE SACRAMENT AS IT WAS
MEANT TO BE LIVED.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, cycle B
MARK 1:14-20
IN TODAY'S GOSPEL FROM MARK WE HAVE THE STORY OF JESUS CALLING FOUR DISCIPLES, PETER AND ANDREW, AND JAMES AND JOHN. IN BOTH CASES, THEY WERE INVOLVED IN THEIR TRADE, FISHING, AND WHEN HE CALLED THEM THEY FOLLOWED HIM. BUT WHAT ABOUT LAST WEEK? THAT WAS FROM THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, AND IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT STORY. JOHN THE BAPTIST POINTS TO JESUS AND SAYS, “THERE GOES THE LAMB OF GOD” AND ANDREW AND ANOTHER DISCIPLE OF JOHN'S START WALKING BEHIND JESUS, WHO SAYS, “WHAT DO YOU WANT?” AND THEY ANSWER, “WE WANT TO SEE WHERE YOU LIVE”. AND JESUS SAYS, “COME AND SEE”. THEN ANDREW GOES AND BRINGS PETER TO JESUS, SAYING, “WE HAVE FOUND THE MESSIAH.”
SO WHAT'S GOING ON? WHICH STORY IS TRUE? THEY CAN'T BOTH BE, CAN THEY? I THINK THEY CAN BE, AND IF WE LOOK AT THEM A LITTLE DEEPER WE WILL SEE HOW THE TWO STORIES MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH OUR OWN LIVES.
SOMEWHERE DURING HIS HIDDEN YEARS, JESUS MOVED FROM NAZARETH TO CAPARNUM. MAYBE IT WAS AFTER ST JOSEPH DIED; MAYBE HE BROUGHT HIS MOTHER. WE DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS, BUT THERE IS LOTS OF EVIDENCE FOR THIS IN THE GOSPELS. THIS IS THE AREA IN WHICH PETER AND ANDREW LIVED AS WELL. IN THE GOSPEL FROM LAST WEEK, ANDREW AND PETER ARE CURIOUS; THEY WANT TO GET TO KNOW THIS MAN THAT JOHN CALLS THE LAMB OF GOD; THEY WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT WHAT MAKES HIM TICK. I SUSPECT THAT OVER TIME THEY FORMED A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM, AND THE SAME MIGHT BE SAID FOR JAMES AND JOHN.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS. IN ANY HUMAN RELATIONSHIP, GOOD OR BAD, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TWO PERSONS WHO HAVE AN EFFECT ON EACH OTHER'S LIFE. IT MAY BE THE RELATIONSHIP OF ACQUAINTANCES, WHERE YOU SAY “HELLO” WHEN YOU SEE THE OTHER PERSON. OR IT MIGHT BE FRIENDSHIP, WHERE YOU HAVE REGARD FOR THE OTHER PERSON, KNOW THEM PRETTY WELL, ACCEPT THEM AS THEY ARE, EVEN WHEN THEY DON'T THINK THE WAY YOU DO. IT MAY BE A RELATIONSHIP BASED ON LOVE, AS IN THE CASE OF A HUSBAND AND WIFE, OR A PARENT AND A CHILD. JESUS LOVES EACH OF US MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE EVER COULD; WE MAY IN FACT RECIPROCATE THIS LOVE TO SOME DEGREE OR ANOTHER, AND THAT WOULD BE A RELATIONSHIP. IN OUR PARISH WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO COME TO CHURCH ON CHRISTMAS AND EASTER, AND SOME WHO ARE HERE DAILY. WHETHER ALL YOU KNOW IS THAT JESUS EXISTS, OR IF YOU ARE MADLY IN LOVE WITH HIM, YOU HAVE A RELATIONSHIP.
IN THE FIRST STORY, PETER DEVELOPS A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS BECAUSE HE KNOWS AND TRUSTS ANDREW, AT LEAST ENOUGH TO AROUSE HIS OWN CURIOSITY. YOU AND I NEED TO REMEMBER THAT WE ARE BRIDGES TO JESUS AS WELL; PEOPLE WHO HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH US ARE THOSE THAT WE CAN HOPE WILL DEVELOP A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS.
THE SECOND STORY IS VERY DIFFERENT. I BELIEVE PETER, ANDREW JAMES AND JOHN HAVE KNOWN JESUS FOR A WHILE. THEY'VE HEARD HIM PREACH, THEY'VE SEEN A MIRACLE OR TWO, AND THEY PROBABLY CONSIDER HIM A FRIEND. IT'S AT THIS POINT THAT JESUS SAYS, “COME FOLLOW ME” AND ADDS THE PROMISE, “I WILL MAKE YOU FISHERS OF MEN.” IT IS THEN THAT PETER AND ANDREW DROP THEIR NETS, JAMES AND JOHN LEAVE THEIR FATHER AND THE HIRED MEN – AND MARK SAYS THIS HAPPENS “IMMEDIATELY”. THIS IS THE POINT AT WHICH THE FOUR APOSTLES COMMIT TO ACTUALLY BECOMING DISCIPLES. NOTICE THAT BEING A DISCIPLE IS MUCH MORE THAN BEING IN A RELATIONSHIP. YOU HAVE TO BE IN A RELATIONSHIP TO BE A DISCIPLE, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO FOLLOW THE MASTER. THAT MEANS YOU'VE RESOLVED TO LEARN ALL YOU CAN FROM HIM, AND IMITATE HIM IN HOW YOU LIVE YOUR OWN LIFE. BEING A DISCIPLE IS GOING TO BE PAINFUL. YOU HAVE TO CHANGE YOURSELF, YOU HAVE TO LET SOMEONE ELSE TELL YOU WHAT YOU SHOULD DO; AND THE MORE YOU WORK ON DISCIPLESHIP, THE MORE YOUR FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES ARE GOING TO BE DISTURBED. BEING A DISCIPLE IS GOING TO HAVE ITS SHARE OF LONELINESS, OF BEING MISUNDERSTOOD.
BUT WHY BE A DISCIPLE? JESUS ANSWERS THAT AS WELL – SO THAT YOU CAN BE A FISHER OF MEN. BEING A DISCIPLE ISN'T ABOUT GETTING TO HEAVEN, IT'S ABOUT BRINGING HEAVEN TO EARTH, BRINGING THE KINGDOM OF GOD TO OTHER PEOPLE. AND THAT ISN'T EASY EITHER, BUT IT IS CERTAINLY REWARDING, IT CERTAINLY BRINGS JOY. SOMEONE WHO IS A DISCIPLE HAS SET OUT ON THE ONE PATH THAT WILL SATISFY HIS DEEPEST LONGINGS – BECAUSE WE WERE MADE IN GOD'S IMAGE AND LIKENESS, TO CARRY OUT GOD'S PLAN, AND WHEN WE DON'T DO THIS, WE MISS THE POINT OF BEING ALIVE, BEING HUMAN.
DO YOU REMEMBER THE STORY OF THE RICH YOUNG MAN? WHEN HE TOLD JESUS THAT HE HAD FOLLOWED THE COMMANDMENTS FROM HIS YOUTH, IT SAYS JESUS LOOKED AT HIM AND LOVED HIM. THERE WAS A RELATIONSHIP THERE. BUT WHEN JESUS INVITED HIM TO BE A DISCIPLE, HE WENT AWAY SAD, BECAUSE HE HAD MANY POSSESSIONS; UNLIKE PETER AND ANDREW, HE WAS AFRAID TO DROP HIS NETS.
SO WE HAVE TWO STORIES THAT AT FIRST SEEM CONTRADICTORY; BUT IN ONE, THE DISCIPLES WANT TO FORM A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS; THEY WANT TO SEE WHERE HE LIVES, WHY HE DOES WHAT HE DOES, WHY JOHN CALLS HIM THE LAMB OF GOD. OVER TIME, WE MIGHT ASSUME, THEY BECOME HIS FRIENDS, AND HE, THEIRS. AND THEN ONE DAY, HE INVITES THEM TO BE HIS DISCIPLES, AND THEY MUST MAKE A LIFE-CHANGING DECISION, NOT KNOWING WHAT WILL HAPPEN, BUT TRUSTING THIS PERSON, THIS FRIEND THIS MAN WHO THEY HAVE COME TO KNOW. AND THEY MAKE THE DECISION, THEY DROP THEIR NETS AND FOLLOW HIM.
A DISCIPLE IS SOMEONE WHO CONSCIOUSLY TRIES TO LEARN WHAT JESUS HAS TO TEACH, AND TRIES TO CHANGE HIS OR HER LIFE SO THAT THOSE TEACHINGS ARE PUT INTO PRACTICE; AND PART OF FOLLOWING JESUS AS A DISCIPLE IS TO DO WHAT HE DID, WHICH IS TO SERVE, TO HEAL, TO BRING ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. SOMEONE WHO GOES AROUND AND TALKS ABOUT DISCIPLESHIP ALWAYS ASKS THE PASTORS SHE MEETS WHAT FRACTION OF HIS PARISH HE ESTIMATES TO BE REAL DISCIPLES? THE USUAL ANSWER IS ABOUT 5%. JESUS CALLS THOSE OF US WHO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM TO DISCIPLESHIP. TODAY WE SHOULD ASK OURSELVES WHETHER WE HAVE DROPPED OUR NETS AND FOLLOWED HIM, OR GONE AWAY SAD BECAUSE WE DON'T REALLY WANT TO MAKE THE COMMITMENT.
IN TODAY'S GOSPEL FROM MARK WE HAVE THE STORY OF JESUS CALLING FOUR DISCIPLES, PETER AND ANDREW, AND JAMES AND JOHN. IN BOTH CASES, THEY WERE INVOLVED IN THEIR TRADE, FISHING, AND WHEN HE CALLED THEM THEY FOLLOWED HIM. BUT WHAT ABOUT LAST WEEK? THAT WAS FROM THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, AND IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT STORY. JOHN THE BAPTIST POINTS TO JESUS AND SAYS, “THERE GOES THE LAMB OF GOD” AND ANDREW AND ANOTHER DISCIPLE OF JOHN'S START WALKING BEHIND JESUS, WHO SAYS, “WHAT DO YOU WANT?” AND THEY ANSWER, “WE WANT TO SEE WHERE YOU LIVE”. AND JESUS SAYS, “COME AND SEE”. THEN ANDREW GOES AND BRINGS PETER TO JESUS, SAYING, “WE HAVE FOUND THE MESSIAH.”
SO WHAT'S GOING ON? WHICH STORY IS TRUE? THEY CAN'T BOTH BE, CAN THEY? I THINK THEY CAN BE, AND IF WE LOOK AT THEM A LITTLE DEEPER WE WILL SEE HOW THE TWO STORIES MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH OUR OWN LIVES.
SOMEWHERE DURING HIS HIDDEN YEARS, JESUS MOVED FROM NAZARETH TO CAPARNUM. MAYBE IT WAS AFTER ST JOSEPH DIED; MAYBE HE BROUGHT HIS MOTHER. WE DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS, BUT THERE IS LOTS OF EVIDENCE FOR THIS IN THE GOSPELS. THIS IS THE AREA IN WHICH PETER AND ANDREW LIVED AS WELL. IN THE GOSPEL FROM LAST WEEK, ANDREW AND PETER ARE CURIOUS; THEY WANT TO GET TO KNOW THIS MAN THAT JOHN CALLS THE LAMB OF GOD; THEY WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT WHAT MAKES HIM TICK. I SUSPECT THAT OVER TIME THEY FORMED A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM, AND THE SAME MIGHT BE SAID FOR JAMES AND JOHN.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS. IN ANY HUMAN RELATIONSHIP, GOOD OR BAD, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TWO PERSONS WHO HAVE AN EFFECT ON EACH OTHER'S LIFE. IT MAY BE THE RELATIONSHIP OF ACQUAINTANCES, WHERE YOU SAY “HELLO” WHEN YOU SEE THE OTHER PERSON. OR IT MIGHT BE FRIENDSHIP, WHERE YOU HAVE REGARD FOR THE OTHER PERSON, KNOW THEM PRETTY WELL, ACCEPT THEM AS THEY ARE, EVEN WHEN THEY DON'T THINK THE WAY YOU DO. IT MAY BE A RELATIONSHIP BASED ON LOVE, AS IN THE CASE OF A HUSBAND AND WIFE, OR A PARENT AND A CHILD. JESUS LOVES EACH OF US MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE EVER COULD; WE MAY IN FACT RECIPROCATE THIS LOVE TO SOME DEGREE OR ANOTHER, AND THAT WOULD BE A RELATIONSHIP. IN OUR PARISH WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO COME TO CHURCH ON CHRISTMAS AND EASTER, AND SOME WHO ARE HERE DAILY. WHETHER ALL YOU KNOW IS THAT JESUS EXISTS, OR IF YOU ARE MADLY IN LOVE WITH HIM, YOU HAVE A RELATIONSHIP.
IN THE FIRST STORY, PETER DEVELOPS A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS BECAUSE HE KNOWS AND TRUSTS ANDREW, AT LEAST ENOUGH TO AROUSE HIS OWN CURIOSITY. YOU AND I NEED TO REMEMBER THAT WE ARE BRIDGES TO JESUS AS WELL; PEOPLE WHO HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH US ARE THOSE THAT WE CAN HOPE WILL DEVELOP A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS.
THE SECOND STORY IS VERY DIFFERENT. I BELIEVE PETER, ANDREW JAMES AND JOHN HAVE KNOWN JESUS FOR A WHILE. THEY'VE HEARD HIM PREACH, THEY'VE SEEN A MIRACLE OR TWO, AND THEY PROBABLY CONSIDER HIM A FRIEND. IT'S AT THIS POINT THAT JESUS SAYS, “COME FOLLOW ME” AND ADDS THE PROMISE, “I WILL MAKE YOU FISHERS OF MEN.” IT IS THEN THAT PETER AND ANDREW DROP THEIR NETS, JAMES AND JOHN LEAVE THEIR FATHER AND THE HIRED MEN – AND MARK SAYS THIS HAPPENS “IMMEDIATELY”. THIS IS THE POINT AT WHICH THE FOUR APOSTLES COMMIT TO ACTUALLY BECOMING DISCIPLES. NOTICE THAT BEING A DISCIPLE IS MUCH MORE THAN BEING IN A RELATIONSHIP. YOU HAVE TO BE IN A RELATIONSHIP TO BE A DISCIPLE, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO FOLLOW THE MASTER. THAT MEANS YOU'VE RESOLVED TO LEARN ALL YOU CAN FROM HIM, AND IMITATE HIM IN HOW YOU LIVE YOUR OWN LIFE. BEING A DISCIPLE IS GOING TO BE PAINFUL. YOU HAVE TO CHANGE YOURSELF, YOU HAVE TO LET SOMEONE ELSE TELL YOU WHAT YOU SHOULD DO; AND THE MORE YOU WORK ON DISCIPLESHIP, THE MORE YOUR FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES ARE GOING TO BE DISTURBED. BEING A DISCIPLE IS GOING TO HAVE ITS SHARE OF LONELINESS, OF BEING MISUNDERSTOOD.
BUT WHY BE A DISCIPLE? JESUS ANSWERS THAT AS WELL – SO THAT YOU CAN BE A FISHER OF MEN. BEING A DISCIPLE ISN'T ABOUT GETTING TO HEAVEN, IT'S ABOUT BRINGING HEAVEN TO EARTH, BRINGING THE KINGDOM OF GOD TO OTHER PEOPLE. AND THAT ISN'T EASY EITHER, BUT IT IS CERTAINLY REWARDING, IT CERTAINLY BRINGS JOY. SOMEONE WHO IS A DISCIPLE HAS SET OUT ON THE ONE PATH THAT WILL SATISFY HIS DEEPEST LONGINGS – BECAUSE WE WERE MADE IN GOD'S IMAGE AND LIKENESS, TO CARRY OUT GOD'S PLAN, AND WHEN WE DON'T DO THIS, WE MISS THE POINT OF BEING ALIVE, BEING HUMAN.
DO YOU REMEMBER THE STORY OF THE RICH YOUNG MAN? WHEN HE TOLD JESUS THAT HE HAD FOLLOWED THE COMMANDMENTS FROM HIS YOUTH, IT SAYS JESUS LOOKED AT HIM AND LOVED HIM. THERE WAS A RELATIONSHIP THERE. BUT WHEN JESUS INVITED HIM TO BE A DISCIPLE, HE WENT AWAY SAD, BECAUSE HE HAD MANY POSSESSIONS; UNLIKE PETER AND ANDREW, HE WAS AFRAID TO DROP HIS NETS.
SO WE HAVE TWO STORIES THAT AT FIRST SEEM CONTRADICTORY; BUT IN ONE, THE DISCIPLES WANT TO FORM A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS; THEY WANT TO SEE WHERE HE LIVES, WHY HE DOES WHAT HE DOES, WHY JOHN CALLS HIM THE LAMB OF GOD. OVER TIME, WE MIGHT ASSUME, THEY BECOME HIS FRIENDS, AND HE, THEIRS. AND THEN ONE DAY, HE INVITES THEM TO BE HIS DISCIPLES, AND THEY MUST MAKE A LIFE-CHANGING DECISION, NOT KNOWING WHAT WILL HAPPEN, BUT TRUSTING THIS PERSON, THIS FRIEND THIS MAN WHO THEY HAVE COME TO KNOW. AND THEY MAKE THE DECISION, THEY DROP THEIR NETS AND FOLLOW HIM.
A DISCIPLE IS SOMEONE WHO CONSCIOUSLY TRIES TO LEARN WHAT JESUS HAS TO TEACH, AND TRIES TO CHANGE HIS OR HER LIFE SO THAT THOSE TEACHINGS ARE PUT INTO PRACTICE; AND PART OF FOLLOWING JESUS AS A DISCIPLE IS TO DO WHAT HE DID, WHICH IS TO SERVE, TO HEAL, TO BRING ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. SOMEONE WHO GOES AROUND AND TALKS ABOUT DISCIPLESHIP ALWAYS ASKS THE PASTORS SHE MEETS WHAT FRACTION OF HIS PARISH HE ESTIMATES TO BE REAL DISCIPLES? THE USUAL ANSWER IS ABOUT 5%. JESUS CALLS THOSE OF US WHO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM TO DISCIPLESHIP. TODAY WE SHOULD ASK OURSELVES WHETHER WE HAVE DROPPED OUR NETS AND FOLLOWED HIM, OR GONE AWAY SAD BECAUSE WE DON'T REALLY WANT TO MAKE THE COMMITMENT.
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, cycle B
JOHN 1:35-42
WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE I WAS A BIOLOGY MAJOR, BUT I WAS FASCINATED BY THEOLOGY AND PHILOSOPHY AS WELL, SO I MINORED IN PHILOSOPHY. IN MEDICAL SCHOOL I HAD A SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR, AND I REMEMBER TRYING TO GET HIM TO DISCUSS WITH ME SOME OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD ABOUT THEOLOGY. I WAS CURIOUS AND WANTED TO SATISFY MY HUNGER FOR KNOWLEDGE. BUT, EVEN THOUGH HE HAD A DOCTORATE IN THEOLOGY, HE SHOWED NO INTEREST IN ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS. HE KEPT LEADING ME BACK TO FIGURING OUT WHERE I WAS IN MY SPIRITUAL GROWTH AND WHAT I NEEDED TO DO TO GROW. IT TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO FIGURE OUT THAT THIS WAS A LOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN KNOWING STUFF.
TODAY, WE HAVE AN EXAMPLE IN THE GOSPEL OF DIFFICULTIES TRANSLATING SOMETHING FROM GREEK INTO ENGLISH. WHEN JESUS ASKS ANDREW AND THE OTHER DISCIPLE OF JOHN “WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?” THEY REPLY, “WHERE ARE YOU STAYING?” NOW THAT SEEMS LIKE A STRANGE QUESTION. IF TWO STRANGERS WERE FOLLOWING ME AND ASKED ME THAT QUESTION, I MIGHT BECOME HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS ABOUT WHY THEY WANTED TO KNOW WHERE I LIVED. AND EVEN IF JESUS WASN'T PUT OFF BY THEIR QUESTION, HE COULD HAVE JUST SAID, “I LIVE AT 21 FRONT STREET IN CAPARNUM” AND GONE ON.
THE POINT IS, THE DISCIPLES WERE USING A WORD THAT IS TRANSLATED IN OTHER PARTS OF SCRIPTURE AS ABIDE, REMAIN IN, LIVE, ENDURE, AWAIT, CONTINUE – AND ONE OF THE REASONS OLDER TRANSLATIONS OF THE BIBLE USE THE ODD WORD “ABIDE” IS BECAUSE THE GREEK WORD IS NOT EASILY TRANSLATED. JOHN'S GOSPEL USES THIS WORD OVER AND OVER AGAIN – 69 TIMES. HE MUST MEAN SOMETHING BY IT, BECAUSE NOWHERE ELSE IN SCRIPTURE DO YOU HAVE THAT WORD USED NEARLY SO OFTEN. IN THIS PASSAGE ALONE, YOU WOULD HEAR IT THREE TIMES – WHERE DO YOU ABIDE? AND THEN, “SO THEY WENT AND SAW WHERE JESUS WAS ABIDING, AND THEY ABIDED WITH HIM THAT DAY. SO MAYBE THE DISCIPLES MEANT SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN “WHERE ARE YOU STAYING.” THEY MIGHT HAVE MEANT “WHY ARE YOU THE LAMB OF GOD?” OR “WHAT MAKES YOU TICK, JESUS?” THEY WANTED THEIR CURIOSITY SATISFIED. AND JESUS DID NOT GIVE THEM A STRAIGHT ANSWER, HE SAID, “COME AND SEE.” IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT I AM ALL ABOUT, YOU CAN ONLY LEARN THIS FIRST-HAND, BY FOLLOWING ME AROUND.”
ALL OF US CATHOLICS SHOULD BE INTERESTED IN SPREADING THE GOSPEL. MOST OF US TRY TO LIVE OUR GOSPEL VALUES IN OUR LIVES. UNFORTUNATELY, ALTHOUGH WE TRY TO BE ETHICAL AND AVOID COMMITTING SINS, WE TEND TO BE VERY QUIET ABOUT WHAT MAKES US TICK. BUT NOW AND THEN, SOMEONE IS CURIOUS, AND ASKS OF US, “WHY DO YOU BELIEVE THAT STUFF? WHAT GOOD IS RELIGION? WHY ARE YOU A CATHOLIC? AND OTHER QUESTIONS ALONG THOSE LINES. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE, INCLUDING OUR CHILDREN, WHO DON'T KNOW WHY ANYONE WOULD BELIEVE WHAT WE BELIEVE OR SPEND TIME EVERY SUNDAY SITTING IN A PEW AND PARTICIPATING IN AN OLD RITUAL. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T SEE WHY ANYONE SHOULD EMBRACE VALUES THAT WE ASSOCIATE WITH OUR CHURCH – BEING PRO-LIFE, LOOKING AFTER THE POOR, THE ELDERLY, THE DISADVANTAGED; GIVING SOME OF OUR MONEY AWAY TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE; FASTING DURING LENT, CELEBRATING EASTER – THE LIST GOES ON. WE LIVE IN A SECULAR SOCIETY TODAY; WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, ABOUT 90% OF AMERICANS CLAIMED TO BE AFFILIATED WITH A RELIGION, AND MOST WERE CHRISTIAN, AT LEAST VAGUELY FAMILIAR WITH THE GOSPEL STORY. TODAY, AMONG THOSE UNDER 30, INCLUDING PEOPLE WHO WERE RAISED IN CATHOLIC FAMILIES, THAT NUMBER IS MORE LIKE 50%. AND MANY OF THESE AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH THE STORY OF JESUS. BUT THESE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO SERIOUS TIES TO RELIGION ARE CURIOUS, AND SOME WILL ASK, “WHAT MAKES YOU TICK?” WHERE DO YOU GET ALL THIS? WHAT IS BEHIND HOW YOU LIVE?”
IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL IF WE INVITED THAT KIND OF QUESTION. IF I SAY GRACE BEFORE MY LUNCH WITH A COLLEAGUE; IF I INVITE SOMEONE TO PRAY WITH ME BEFORE DOING SOMETHING IMPORTANT; IF I SPEAK UP WHEN SOMEONE MAKES AN IGNORANT COMMENT ABOUT THE CHURCH, IF I GO OUT OF MY WAY TO DEFEND SOMEONE WHO IS GETTING UNJUST TREATMENT, WE WILL INVITE THOSE QUESTIONS. AND IF I'M REALLY BOLD, I'LL INVITE QUESTIONS BY ASKING A QUESTION: WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD? AND WHEN THEY BEGIN TO ASK QUESTIONS OF US, WHAT DO WE DO THEN?
JESUS KNEW THAT ANDREW AND THE OTHER DISCIPLE WERE NOT IN A POSITION TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HE HAD TO TEACH THEM, NOT RIGHT THEN. BUT HE ALSO KNEW THAT THE FIRST STEP WAS TO FORM A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM. AND HE INVITED THEM INTO THAT RELATIONSHIP WHEN HE SAID, “COME AND SEE.” AND THAT'S A MODEL FOR US AS WELL. FOR MOST PEOPLE WHO HAVE LITTLE OR NO CONNECTION TO OUR CATHOLIC FAITH, OUR FORMING A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM IS THE BRIDGE TO THEM FORMING A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS, WHICH IS THE GOAL OF EVANGELIZING.
AND BESIDE BEING A BRIDGE FOR THEM, WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES WHAT WE WOULD DO IF THEY SOMEDAY SAID, “I WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOUR FAITH.” IN THE COURSE OF MY LIFE, I'VE BEEN INVITED TO ATTEND SERVICES IN OTHER CHURCHES; THEY WERE HOPEFUL THAT IF I CAME AND SAW WHAT WAS GOING ON, I'D BECOME ONE OF THEM. WOULD WE INVITE SOMEONE WHO WAS SERIOUS ABOUT FINDING A FAITH INTO OUR CHURCH? WOULD THEY BE WELCOMED, WOULD THEY FIND ENTHUSIASM, WOULD THEY SEE A CONGREGATION WHO TRULY ENTERED INTO WORSHIP – WOULD WE PROUDLY SAY TO THEM, “COME AND SEE?”
ONE OF THE STATISTICS THAT CAME OUT OF A RECENT MASSIVE STUDY ON RELIGON IN AMERICA IS THIS: ON A GIVEN SUNDAY, THERE ARE USUALLY TWO OR THREE PEOPLE WHO COME TO A CATHOLIC MASS OUT OF CURIOSITY; SOME ARE UNCHURCHED, SOME BELONG TO OTHER FAITHS, SOME ARE LAPSED CATHOLICS. ARE YOU AND I DOING ANYTHING TO WELCOME THESE PEOPLE, TO BEGIN TO BUILD A BRIDGE? AND ANOTHER STATISTIC. WHEN YOU STUDY PEOPLE WHO USED TO BE ACTIVE CATHOLICS BUT LEFT THE CHURCH, SOMETIMES TO BECOME ANOTHER KIND OF CHRISTIAN, SOMETIMES TO DROP OUT ENTIRELY, THEY TAKE AN AVERAGE OF TWO YEARS BEFORE MAKING THAT DECISION. DO WE HAVE THE KIND OF PARISH THAT RECOGNIZES THEM AND MINISTERS TO THEM BEFORE THEY MAKE THAT DECISION?
IF THE ANSWER TO THESE QUESTIONS IS NO, THEN PART OF OUR JOB AS EVANGELISTS IS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY TO CHANGE THINGS.
WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE I WAS A BIOLOGY MAJOR, BUT I WAS FASCINATED BY THEOLOGY AND PHILOSOPHY AS WELL, SO I MINORED IN PHILOSOPHY. IN MEDICAL SCHOOL I HAD A SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR, AND I REMEMBER TRYING TO GET HIM TO DISCUSS WITH ME SOME OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD ABOUT THEOLOGY. I WAS CURIOUS AND WANTED TO SATISFY MY HUNGER FOR KNOWLEDGE. BUT, EVEN THOUGH HE HAD A DOCTORATE IN THEOLOGY, HE SHOWED NO INTEREST IN ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS. HE KEPT LEADING ME BACK TO FIGURING OUT WHERE I WAS IN MY SPIRITUAL GROWTH AND WHAT I NEEDED TO DO TO GROW. IT TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO FIGURE OUT THAT THIS WAS A LOT MORE IMPORTANT THAN KNOWING STUFF.
TODAY, WE HAVE AN EXAMPLE IN THE GOSPEL OF DIFFICULTIES TRANSLATING SOMETHING FROM GREEK INTO ENGLISH. WHEN JESUS ASKS ANDREW AND THE OTHER DISCIPLE OF JOHN “WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?” THEY REPLY, “WHERE ARE YOU STAYING?” NOW THAT SEEMS LIKE A STRANGE QUESTION. IF TWO STRANGERS WERE FOLLOWING ME AND ASKED ME THAT QUESTION, I MIGHT BECOME HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS ABOUT WHY THEY WANTED TO KNOW WHERE I LIVED. AND EVEN IF JESUS WASN'T PUT OFF BY THEIR QUESTION, HE COULD HAVE JUST SAID, “I LIVE AT 21 FRONT STREET IN CAPARNUM” AND GONE ON.
THE POINT IS, THE DISCIPLES WERE USING A WORD THAT IS TRANSLATED IN OTHER PARTS OF SCRIPTURE AS ABIDE, REMAIN IN, LIVE, ENDURE, AWAIT, CONTINUE – AND ONE OF THE REASONS OLDER TRANSLATIONS OF THE BIBLE USE THE ODD WORD “ABIDE” IS BECAUSE THE GREEK WORD IS NOT EASILY TRANSLATED. JOHN'S GOSPEL USES THIS WORD OVER AND OVER AGAIN – 69 TIMES. HE MUST MEAN SOMETHING BY IT, BECAUSE NOWHERE ELSE IN SCRIPTURE DO YOU HAVE THAT WORD USED NEARLY SO OFTEN. IN THIS PASSAGE ALONE, YOU WOULD HEAR IT THREE TIMES – WHERE DO YOU ABIDE? AND THEN, “SO THEY WENT AND SAW WHERE JESUS WAS ABIDING, AND THEY ABIDED WITH HIM THAT DAY. SO MAYBE THE DISCIPLES MEANT SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN “WHERE ARE YOU STAYING.” THEY MIGHT HAVE MEANT “WHY ARE YOU THE LAMB OF GOD?” OR “WHAT MAKES YOU TICK, JESUS?” THEY WANTED THEIR CURIOSITY SATISFIED. AND JESUS DID NOT GIVE THEM A STRAIGHT ANSWER, HE SAID, “COME AND SEE.” IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT I AM ALL ABOUT, YOU CAN ONLY LEARN THIS FIRST-HAND, BY FOLLOWING ME AROUND.”
ALL OF US CATHOLICS SHOULD BE INTERESTED IN SPREADING THE GOSPEL. MOST OF US TRY TO LIVE OUR GOSPEL VALUES IN OUR LIVES. UNFORTUNATELY, ALTHOUGH WE TRY TO BE ETHICAL AND AVOID COMMITTING SINS, WE TEND TO BE VERY QUIET ABOUT WHAT MAKES US TICK. BUT NOW AND THEN, SOMEONE IS CURIOUS, AND ASKS OF US, “WHY DO YOU BELIEVE THAT STUFF? WHAT GOOD IS RELIGION? WHY ARE YOU A CATHOLIC? AND OTHER QUESTIONS ALONG THOSE LINES. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE, INCLUDING OUR CHILDREN, WHO DON'T KNOW WHY ANYONE WOULD BELIEVE WHAT WE BELIEVE OR SPEND TIME EVERY SUNDAY SITTING IN A PEW AND PARTICIPATING IN AN OLD RITUAL. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T SEE WHY ANYONE SHOULD EMBRACE VALUES THAT WE ASSOCIATE WITH OUR CHURCH – BEING PRO-LIFE, LOOKING AFTER THE POOR, THE ELDERLY, THE DISADVANTAGED; GIVING SOME OF OUR MONEY AWAY TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE; FASTING DURING LENT, CELEBRATING EASTER – THE LIST GOES ON. WE LIVE IN A SECULAR SOCIETY TODAY; WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, ABOUT 90% OF AMERICANS CLAIMED TO BE AFFILIATED WITH A RELIGION, AND MOST WERE CHRISTIAN, AT LEAST VAGUELY FAMILIAR WITH THE GOSPEL STORY. TODAY, AMONG THOSE UNDER 30, INCLUDING PEOPLE WHO WERE RAISED IN CATHOLIC FAMILIES, THAT NUMBER IS MORE LIKE 50%. AND MANY OF THESE AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH THE STORY OF JESUS. BUT THESE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO SERIOUS TIES TO RELIGION ARE CURIOUS, AND SOME WILL ASK, “WHAT MAKES YOU TICK?” WHERE DO YOU GET ALL THIS? WHAT IS BEHIND HOW YOU LIVE?”
IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL IF WE INVITED THAT KIND OF QUESTION. IF I SAY GRACE BEFORE MY LUNCH WITH A COLLEAGUE; IF I INVITE SOMEONE TO PRAY WITH ME BEFORE DOING SOMETHING IMPORTANT; IF I SPEAK UP WHEN SOMEONE MAKES AN IGNORANT COMMENT ABOUT THE CHURCH, IF I GO OUT OF MY WAY TO DEFEND SOMEONE WHO IS GETTING UNJUST TREATMENT, WE WILL INVITE THOSE QUESTIONS. AND IF I'M REALLY BOLD, I'LL INVITE QUESTIONS BY ASKING A QUESTION: WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD? AND WHEN THEY BEGIN TO ASK QUESTIONS OF US, WHAT DO WE DO THEN?
JESUS KNEW THAT ANDREW AND THE OTHER DISCIPLE WERE NOT IN A POSITION TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HE HAD TO TEACH THEM, NOT RIGHT THEN. BUT HE ALSO KNEW THAT THE FIRST STEP WAS TO FORM A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM. AND HE INVITED THEM INTO THAT RELATIONSHIP WHEN HE SAID, “COME AND SEE.” AND THAT'S A MODEL FOR US AS WELL. FOR MOST PEOPLE WHO HAVE LITTLE OR NO CONNECTION TO OUR CATHOLIC FAITH, OUR FORMING A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM IS THE BRIDGE TO THEM FORMING A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS, WHICH IS THE GOAL OF EVANGELIZING.
AND BESIDE BEING A BRIDGE FOR THEM, WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES WHAT WE WOULD DO IF THEY SOMEDAY SAID, “I WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOUR FAITH.” IN THE COURSE OF MY LIFE, I'VE BEEN INVITED TO ATTEND SERVICES IN OTHER CHURCHES; THEY WERE HOPEFUL THAT IF I CAME AND SAW WHAT WAS GOING ON, I'D BECOME ONE OF THEM. WOULD WE INVITE SOMEONE WHO WAS SERIOUS ABOUT FINDING A FAITH INTO OUR CHURCH? WOULD THEY BE WELCOMED, WOULD THEY FIND ENTHUSIASM, WOULD THEY SEE A CONGREGATION WHO TRULY ENTERED INTO WORSHIP – WOULD WE PROUDLY SAY TO THEM, “COME AND SEE?”
ONE OF THE STATISTICS THAT CAME OUT OF A RECENT MASSIVE STUDY ON RELIGON IN AMERICA IS THIS: ON A GIVEN SUNDAY, THERE ARE USUALLY TWO OR THREE PEOPLE WHO COME TO A CATHOLIC MASS OUT OF CURIOSITY; SOME ARE UNCHURCHED, SOME BELONG TO OTHER FAITHS, SOME ARE LAPSED CATHOLICS. ARE YOU AND I DOING ANYTHING TO WELCOME THESE PEOPLE, TO BEGIN TO BUILD A BRIDGE? AND ANOTHER STATISTIC. WHEN YOU STUDY PEOPLE WHO USED TO BE ACTIVE CATHOLICS BUT LEFT THE CHURCH, SOMETIMES TO BECOME ANOTHER KIND OF CHRISTIAN, SOMETIMES TO DROP OUT ENTIRELY, THEY TAKE AN AVERAGE OF TWO YEARS BEFORE MAKING THAT DECISION. DO WE HAVE THE KIND OF PARISH THAT RECOGNIZES THEM AND MINISTERS TO THEM BEFORE THEY MAKE THAT DECISION?
IF THE ANSWER TO THESE QUESTIONS IS NO, THEN PART OF OUR JOB AS EVANGELISTS IS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY TO CHANGE THINGS.
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Baptism of the Lord, 2015
MARK 1:7-11
I KNOW AN ELDERLY MAN WHO SPENDS MUCH OF HIS TIME WITH HIS WIFE, WHO HAS SEVERE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. I DON'T THINK SHE'S EVEN AWARE THAT HE'S THERE, AT LEAST NOT IN ANY WAY YOU COULD DETECT. HE COULD BE DOING OTHER THINGS, AND SHE WOULDN'T KNOW. BUT HE'S THERE, BEING PRESENT TO HER, ACCEPTING HE AS SHE IS. I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S DOING HER ANY GOOD, BUT SHE ALLOWS HIM TO FEED HER HER LUNCH, AND WHEN HE'S THERE SHE IS CALM. WHEN HE'S NOT, SHE SEEMS A BIT ANXIOUS AND HAS MOMENTS OF AGITATION. HIS PRESENCE SEEMS TO HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT ON HER.
TO A GREATER OR LESS DEGREE, MOST OF US DESIRE TO BE ACCEPTED. IT MOTIVATES US, ESPECIALLY IN THE EARLY PART OF OUR LIVES. WHEN A NEW BABY IS BORN INTO A FAMILY, THE OLDER SIBLINGS OFTEN CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIORS – SOMETIMES FOR THE WORSE, CALLING ATTENTION TO THEMSELVES, SOMETIMES FOR THE BETTER, HOPING TO DRAW SOME OF THAT ATTENTION AWAY FROM THE BABY TO THEMSELVES. AND THIS GOES ON; THE DESIRE TO BE ACCEPTED BY PEERS IS FELT ACUTELY BY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. CLIQUES QUICKLY FORM; THE ATHLETES, THE POPULAR KIDS, THE NON CONFORMISTS, THE GEEKS – AND EVEN THE GEEKS NEED ACCEPTANCE – I KNOW, BECAUSE I WAS ONE. THE DESIRE FOR ACCEPTANCE SOMETIMES IMPACTS ON YOUR LIFE CHOICES. YOU FIND THAT OTHERS ENCOURAGE YOU TO PURSUE THIS PATH OR THAT IN LIFE, AND WHEN YOU DO, YOU FEEL ACCEPTANCE. WHEN WE GET MARRIED THAT'S DRIVEN IN PART BY THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ACCEPTED BY SOMEONE YOU HAVE COME TO REALLY LOVE.
PEOPLE WHO FEEL ACCEPTED SEEM TO HAVE ADVANTAGES OVER THOSE WHO DON'T. THEY ARE MORE RELAXED FOR ONE THING, MORE SELF-CONFIDENT. AND FROM THAT VANTAGE POINT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF ACCOMPLISHING MORE. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT WHEN YOU FEEL ACCEPTED, YOU PASS ON THIS ACCEPTANCE TO OTHERS; THAT'S ESPECIALLY TRUE IN FAMILIES WHERE THE PARENTS HAVE A LOVING AND STRONG RELATIONSHIP; THE CHILDREN SEEM TO DO BETTER IN ALL WAYS ON THE AVERAGE.
TODAY WE SEE A TURNING POINT IN THE LIFE OF JESUS. SINCE THE BEGINNING OF CHRISTIANITY PEOPLE HAVE ASKED, WHY DID JESUS ALLOW HIMSELF TO BE BAPTIZED? HE HAD NOTHING FROM WHICH TO REPENT – HE WAS SINLESS. DID HE GET BAPTIZED AS AN EXAMPLE FOR US? BUT THEN HE WOULD JUST BE GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS. THAT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE JESUS.
WHEN WE THINK OF HIS BAPTISM, THOUGH, WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT HE WAS A HUMAN BEING. WE CHRISTIANS HAVE A HARD TIME WITH THIS IDEA; WE TEND TO BE DOCETISTS – HERETICS WHO BELIEVED THAT GOD THE SON APPEARED TO BE A HUMAN BEING, BUT WASN'T REALLY. BUT IF JESUS IS REALLY A HUMAN BEING, HE'S LIKE YOU AND I AND HAS CERTAIN PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS AS WELL AS PHYSICAL ONES. JESUS NEEDED TO KNOW THAT HE WAS ACCEPTED.
JESUS UNDERWENT BAPTISM IN ONE SENSE BECAUSE HE WANTED TO BE IN SOLIDARITY WITH HUMAN BEINGS. EVEN THOUGH HE WAS SINLESS, HE WANTED TO ACCEPT IN HIMSELF THE CONSEQUENCES OF OUR SINS. EVEN THOUGH HE MIGHT HAVE CALLED UPON ANGELS TO ATTEND TO HIS NEEDS, HE CHOSE TO MEET THOSE NEEDS LIKE HUMAN BEINGS DID, THROUGH HIS OWN EFFORTS. HE LED OUR LIFE SO THAT WE COULD LEAD HIS; THAT'S THE MEANING OF HOLY COMMUNION, WHEN WE INVITE JESUS TO BECOME ONE WITH US.
BUT ON ANOTHER LEVEL, JESUS' BAPTISM WAS A MOMENT WHEN HE FELT THE ACCEPTANCE OF GOD THE FATHER, WHEN HE HEARD THE WORDS “YOU ARE MY BELOVED SON, IN YOU I AM WELL PLEASED.” THE REST OF HIS PUBLIC MINISTRY WAS A CONSEQUENCE OF THIS PROFOUND ACCEPTANCE – HE WENT ABOUT SHOWING PEOPLE THAT NO MATTER HOW DEFORMED, ILL, SINFUL OR HOPELESS, JESUS ACCEPTED YOU, AND SINCE JESUS WAS GOD, WHEN HE ACCEPTED YOU, IT WAS A SIGN THAT THE FATHER DID AS WELL. IN A SHORT TIME WE WILL WATCH THAT SCENE WHERE JESUS STRETCHES OUT HIS HAND AND TOUCHES A LEPER. THAT WAS UNHEARD OF, THAT WAS AGAINST ALL THE RULES; BUT JESUS, WHO FELT THE DEEP AND ABIDING ACCEPTANCE OF THE FATHER, COULD REACH OUT AND ACCEPT THIS POOR CREATURE. ON THE CROSS JESUS CRIED OUT, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORESAKEN ME?” AND PERHAPS IN THAT MOMENT THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE FATHER WAS NO LONGER FELT; BUT HIS COMPOSURE SOON RETURNED AND HE SAID, “INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMEND MY SPIRIT”.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CHRISTIANS NEED TO KEEP GOING BACK TO. MOST OF US DON'T REMEMBER OUR BAPTISM. I HAVE A CERTIFICATE AT HOME THAT I COULD LOOK AT SO THAT I WOULD AT LEAST KNOW THE DAY I WAS BAPTIZED AND BY WHOM. BUT I HAVE NO PERSONAL MEMORY OF IT. BUT THERE IS SOMETHING WE ALL SHOULD REFLECT ON. WHEN WE WERE BAPTIZED, WE, LIKE JESUS, WERE ACCEPTED BY THE FATHER. AND LIKE JESUS, THAT ACCEPTANCE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT WE HAD DONE OR WHO WE WERE. JESUS RECEIVED THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE FATHER BEFORE HE STARTED HIS PUBLIC MINISTRY; THE FATHER CALLED HIM “SON” AT THAT MOMENT, NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT HE WOULD DO, BUT BECAUSE OF WHO HE WAS. AND HE DOES THE SAME WITH US. IF I HAD SUPERNATURAL HEARING WHEN I WAS BAPTIZED, I WOULD HAVE HEARD THE SAME LOVING STATEMENT FROM THE FATHER; “YOU ARE MY BELOVED, IN YOU I AM WELL PLEASED.”
IF WE TRULY UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE HIS BELOVED SONS AND DAUGHTERS, IT SHOULD HAVE AN EFFECT ON OUR OWN BEHAVIOR. INSTEAD OF TRYING TO PLEASE GOD TO WIN HIS FAVOR, THE MOTIVE FOR OUR GOOD WORKS SHOULD BE OUT OF GRATITUDE THAT WE ARE LOVED AND THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE LIKE OUR FATHER. IF WE TRULY UNDERSTAND THAT GOD ACCEPTS US WITHOUT RESERVE, THAT HE COULDN'T LOVE US MORE THAN HE DOES, REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE DO, THEN WE SHOULD HAVE A DESIRE TO HELP OTHERS REALIZE THIS AS WELL. AND IF WE REALLY KNOW IN OUR HEARTS THAT WE ARE LOVED, THEN WE BEGIN TO SEE EACH OTHER THROUGH OUR FATHER'S EYES – THAT THIS ONE IS HIS BELOVED, AND SO IS THAT ONE.
SO TODAY MEDITATE ON YOUR OWN BAPTISM, AND TRY TO HEAR THOSE WORDS WHICH THE FATHER SPOKE TO YOU THEN, AND SPEAKS TO YOU EVEN NOW, “YOU ARE MY BELOVED, IN YOU I AM WELL PLEASED.” AND WHEN YOU ALLOW YOURSELF TO ACCEPT THIS AS ABSOLUTELY AND UNCONDITIONALLY TRUE, IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
I KNOW AN ELDERLY MAN WHO SPENDS MUCH OF HIS TIME WITH HIS WIFE, WHO HAS SEVERE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. I DON'T THINK SHE'S EVEN AWARE THAT HE'S THERE, AT LEAST NOT IN ANY WAY YOU COULD DETECT. HE COULD BE DOING OTHER THINGS, AND SHE WOULDN'T KNOW. BUT HE'S THERE, BEING PRESENT TO HER, ACCEPTING HE AS SHE IS. I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S DOING HER ANY GOOD, BUT SHE ALLOWS HIM TO FEED HER HER LUNCH, AND WHEN HE'S THERE SHE IS CALM. WHEN HE'S NOT, SHE SEEMS A BIT ANXIOUS AND HAS MOMENTS OF AGITATION. HIS PRESENCE SEEMS TO HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT ON HER.
TO A GREATER OR LESS DEGREE, MOST OF US DESIRE TO BE ACCEPTED. IT MOTIVATES US, ESPECIALLY IN THE EARLY PART OF OUR LIVES. WHEN A NEW BABY IS BORN INTO A FAMILY, THE OLDER SIBLINGS OFTEN CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIORS – SOMETIMES FOR THE WORSE, CALLING ATTENTION TO THEMSELVES, SOMETIMES FOR THE BETTER, HOPING TO DRAW SOME OF THAT ATTENTION AWAY FROM THE BABY TO THEMSELVES. AND THIS GOES ON; THE DESIRE TO BE ACCEPTED BY PEERS IS FELT ACUTELY BY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. CLIQUES QUICKLY FORM; THE ATHLETES, THE POPULAR KIDS, THE NON CONFORMISTS, THE GEEKS – AND EVEN THE GEEKS NEED ACCEPTANCE – I KNOW, BECAUSE I WAS ONE. THE DESIRE FOR ACCEPTANCE SOMETIMES IMPACTS ON YOUR LIFE CHOICES. YOU FIND THAT OTHERS ENCOURAGE YOU TO PURSUE THIS PATH OR THAT IN LIFE, AND WHEN YOU DO, YOU FEEL ACCEPTANCE. WHEN WE GET MARRIED THAT'S DRIVEN IN PART BY THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ACCEPTED BY SOMEONE YOU HAVE COME TO REALLY LOVE.
PEOPLE WHO FEEL ACCEPTED SEEM TO HAVE ADVANTAGES OVER THOSE WHO DON'T. THEY ARE MORE RELAXED FOR ONE THING, MORE SELF-CONFIDENT. AND FROM THAT VANTAGE POINT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF ACCOMPLISHING MORE. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT WHEN YOU FEEL ACCEPTED, YOU PASS ON THIS ACCEPTANCE TO OTHERS; THAT'S ESPECIALLY TRUE IN FAMILIES WHERE THE PARENTS HAVE A LOVING AND STRONG RELATIONSHIP; THE CHILDREN SEEM TO DO BETTER IN ALL WAYS ON THE AVERAGE.
TODAY WE SEE A TURNING POINT IN THE LIFE OF JESUS. SINCE THE BEGINNING OF CHRISTIANITY PEOPLE HAVE ASKED, WHY DID JESUS ALLOW HIMSELF TO BE BAPTIZED? HE HAD NOTHING FROM WHICH TO REPENT – HE WAS SINLESS. DID HE GET BAPTIZED AS AN EXAMPLE FOR US? BUT THEN HE WOULD JUST BE GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS. THAT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE JESUS.
WHEN WE THINK OF HIS BAPTISM, THOUGH, WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT HE WAS A HUMAN BEING. WE CHRISTIANS HAVE A HARD TIME WITH THIS IDEA; WE TEND TO BE DOCETISTS – HERETICS WHO BELIEVED THAT GOD THE SON APPEARED TO BE A HUMAN BEING, BUT WASN'T REALLY. BUT IF JESUS IS REALLY A HUMAN BEING, HE'S LIKE YOU AND I AND HAS CERTAIN PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS AS WELL AS PHYSICAL ONES. JESUS NEEDED TO KNOW THAT HE WAS ACCEPTED.
JESUS UNDERWENT BAPTISM IN ONE SENSE BECAUSE HE WANTED TO BE IN SOLIDARITY WITH HUMAN BEINGS. EVEN THOUGH HE WAS SINLESS, HE WANTED TO ACCEPT IN HIMSELF THE CONSEQUENCES OF OUR SINS. EVEN THOUGH HE MIGHT HAVE CALLED UPON ANGELS TO ATTEND TO HIS NEEDS, HE CHOSE TO MEET THOSE NEEDS LIKE HUMAN BEINGS DID, THROUGH HIS OWN EFFORTS. HE LED OUR LIFE SO THAT WE COULD LEAD HIS; THAT'S THE MEANING OF HOLY COMMUNION, WHEN WE INVITE JESUS TO BECOME ONE WITH US.
BUT ON ANOTHER LEVEL, JESUS' BAPTISM WAS A MOMENT WHEN HE FELT THE ACCEPTANCE OF GOD THE FATHER, WHEN HE HEARD THE WORDS “YOU ARE MY BELOVED SON, IN YOU I AM WELL PLEASED.” THE REST OF HIS PUBLIC MINISTRY WAS A CONSEQUENCE OF THIS PROFOUND ACCEPTANCE – HE WENT ABOUT SHOWING PEOPLE THAT NO MATTER HOW DEFORMED, ILL, SINFUL OR HOPELESS, JESUS ACCEPTED YOU, AND SINCE JESUS WAS GOD, WHEN HE ACCEPTED YOU, IT WAS A SIGN THAT THE FATHER DID AS WELL. IN A SHORT TIME WE WILL WATCH THAT SCENE WHERE JESUS STRETCHES OUT HIS HAND AND TOUCHES A LEPER. THAT WAS UNHEARD OF, THAT WAS AGAINST ALL THE RULES; BUT JESUS, WHO FELT THE DEEP AND ABIDING ACCEPTANCE OF THE FATHER, COULD REACH OUT AND ACCEPT THIS POOR CREATURE. ON THE CROSS JESUS CRIED OUT, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORESAKEN ME?” AND PERHAPS IN THAT MOMENT THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE FATHER WAS NO LONGER FELT; BUT HIS COMPOSURE SOON RETURNED AND HE SAID, “INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMEND MY SPIRIT”.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CHRISTIANS NEED TO KEEP GOING BACK TO. MOST OF US DON'T REMEMBER OUR BAPTISM. I HAVE A CERTIFICATE AT HOME THAT I COULD LOOK AT SO THAT I WOULD AT LEAST KNOW THE DAY I WAS BAPTIZED AND BY WHOM. BUT I HAVE NO PERSONAL MEMORY OF IT. BUT THERE IS SOMETHING WE ALL SHOULD REFLECT ON. WHEN WE WERE BAPTIZED, WE, LIKE JESUS, WERE ACCEPTED BY THE FATHER. AND LIKE JESUS, THAT ACCEPTANCE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT WE HAD DONE OR WHO WE WERE. JESUS RECEIVED THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE FATHER BEFORE HE STARTED HIS PUBLIC MINISTRY; THE FATHER CALLED HIM “SON” AT THAT MOMENT, NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT HE WOULD DO, BUT BECAUSE OF WHO HE WAS. AND HE DOES THE SAME WITH US. IF I HAD SUPERNATURAL HEARING WHEN I WAS BAPTIZED, I WOULD HAVE HEARD THE SAME LOVING STATEMENT FROM THE FATHER; “YOU ARE MY BELOVED, IN YOU I AM WELL PLEASED.”
IF WE TRULY UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE HIS BELOVED SONS AND DAUGHTERS, IT SHOULD HAVE AN EFFECT ON OUR OWN BEHAVIOR. INSTEAD OF TRYING TO PLEASE GOD TO WIN HIS FAVOR, THE MOTIVE FOR OUR GOOD WORKS SHOULD BE OUT OF GRATITUDE THAT WE ARE LOVED AND THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE LIKE OUR FATHER. IF WE TRULY UNDERSTAND THAT GOD ACCEPTS US WITHOUT RESERVE, THAT HE COULDN'T LOVE US MORE THAN HE DOES, REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE DO, THEN WE SHOULD HAVE A DESIRE TO HELP OTHERS REALIZE THIS AS WELL. AND IF WE REALLY KNOW IN OUR HEARTS THAT WE ARE LOVED, THEN WE BEGIN TO SEE EACH OTHER THROUGH OUR FATHER'S EYES – THAT THIS ONE IS HIS BELOVED, AND SO IS THAT ONE.
SO TODAY MEDITATE ON YOUR OWN BAPTISM, AND TRY TO HEAR THOSE WORDS WHICH THE FATHER SPOKE TO YOU THEN, AND SPEAKS TO YOU EVEN NOW, “YOU ARE MY BELOVED, IN YOU I AM WELL PLEASED.” AND WHEN YOU ALLOW YOURSELF TO ACCEPT THIS AS ABSOLUTELY AND UNCONDITIONALLY TRUE, IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Feast of the Epiphany, 2015
MATTHEW 2:1-12
THE GOSPEL STORY WE'VE JUST HEARD SETS UP AN INTERESTING CONTRAST. ON THE ONE HAND, THERE ARE SOME PAGANS FROM THE EAST, WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THE ARISTOCRACY. THE MAGI IN PERSIAN SOCIETY WERE WISE MEN, ADVISORS TO THE RULERS; THEY WERE SCIENTISTS, GOOD AT OBSERVING NATURE; AND THEY WERE PROBABLY THE EQUIVALENT OF PRIESTS, OFFICIATING IN THE CEREMONIES OF THEIR RELIGION. IN OTHER WORDS, LIFE WAS GOOD FOR THEM. YOU WOULD NOT EXPECT THEM TO PACK EVERYTHING UP AND TAKE A JOURNEY OF NEARLY A THOUSAND MILES ONE WAY. THAT WOULD BE A MAJOR HARDSHIP AND TAKE A GREAT DEAL OF TIME. IT WOULD BE DANGEROUS AS WELL. AND WHY DID THEY DO IT? THEY HAD OBSERVED A STAR IN THE SKY AND WONDERED WHAT IT MEANT, AND AFTER THINKING ABOUT IT, STUDYING THE HOLY BOOKS THEY HAD AVAILABLE TO THEM, PROBABLY EVEN PRAYED, AND CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THIS ALL POINTED TO AN EVENT OF GREAT IMPORTANCE – THE BIRTH OF THE NEWBORN KING OF THE JEWS. AND THEY DECIDED THAT THEY WERE BEING CALLED TO HONOR HIM AND BRING HIM GIFTS, PRECISELY, GOLD BECAUSE HE WAS KING; FRANKINCENSE BECAUSE HE WOULD BE THE GREAT HIGH PRIEST; AND MYRHH, BECAUSE HE WOULD ACCOMPLISH HIS DESTINY THROUGH HIS OWN DEATH. EACH OF THEM HAD A GIFT TO BRING.
HEROD AND ALL JERUSALEM, HOWEVER, WERE TROUBLED. THEY TOO WERE AWARE THAT SOMETHING BIG WAS HAPPENING. AFTER ALL, THEIR OWN SCRIPTURES WERE FULL OF REFERENCES TO THE COMING OF THE HEIR OF DAVID, THE SUFFERING SERVANT REFERRED TO BY ISAIAH, THE SON OF MAN THAT DANIEL THE PROPHET TALKED ABOUT. THE WISE MEN OF THE JEWS HAD ALL THIS INFORMATION AT HAND, INCLUDING AN IDEA OF ABOUT WHEN ALL THIS WOULD HAPPEN; AFTER ALL, DANIEL HAD MADE THAT PREDICTION. BUT THEY HAD DONE NOTHING. YOU WOULD THINK THAT SINCE THE PROPHET MICAH HAD EVEN NAMED THE CITY, THERE WOULD BE PEOPLE IN BETHLEHEM JUST WAITING FOR THIS EVENT TO HAPPEN. BUT THEY WERE ALL TROUBLED. THEY WERE TROUBLED BECAUSE IF THE PROPHECIES WERE ABOUT TO BE FULFILLED, THEY WOULD HAVE TO MAKE SOME CHOICES; THEY MIGHT HAVE TO CHANGE THEIR LIVES. AND HEROD, WHO HAD DEMONSTRATED THAT HE COULD EVEN HAVE HIS OWN SONS EXECUTED ON SUSPICION THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO TAKE OVER HIS THRONE, WAS WILLING TO GO TO GREAT LENGTHS TO KEEP HIS POWER, EVEN IF, AS WE WILL SEE LATER, IT MEANS EXECUTING ALL THE BOYS UNDER TWO YEARS OLD. HEROD BELIEVED JUST AS STRONGLY AS THE MAGI THAT A SINGULAR MOMENT IN HISTORY HAD COME; BUT HE WANTED NO CHANGE.
DO YOU KNOW HOW GOD WORKS? WELL, I DON'T EITHER. BUT SAINT PAUL TELLS US THAT EVERY BAPTIZED CHRISTIAN IS GIVEN A GIFT, NOT FOR HIMSELF, BUT FOR THE CHURCH. THESE INCLUDE WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE, FAITH, HEALING, PROPHECY … AND SO ON. I THINK THAT IS FOR THE MOST PART HOW GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS – THROUGH THE GIFTS HE GIVES US TO GIVE TO EACH OTHER. AND IF WE WANT TO USE THESE GIFTS, WE HAVE TO BECOME DISCIPLES, OTHERWISE, WE WON'T REALLY BE AWARE OF GOD'S WILL FOR US. AND BECOMING A DISCIPLE DOESN'T JUST HAPPEN; IT TAKES GOD'S GRACE, BUT IT TAKES OUR COOPERATION; AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT TAKES A LIFETIME. THE MAGI GAVE UP EVERYTHING TO FOLLOW THE STAR, TO DO WHAT THEY HAD DISCERNED WHAT GOD WANTED THEM TO DO.
JESUS HIMSELF TOLD US HOW TO BE DISCIPLES. FIRST, WE NEED TO LOVE GOD MORE THAN ANYONE OR ANYTHING ELSE. THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE TURN OUR BACK ON THOSE WE LOVE; IN FACT, IF WE LOVE GOD MORE THAN WE LOVE OUR DEAREST LOVED ONES, WE LOVE THEM MORE THAN IF WE DON'T LOVE GOD THE MOST. LOVING GOD BLESSES OUR LOVE FOR EACH OTHER. PUTTING GOD FIRST PURIFIES OUR LOVE FOR OUR SPOUSES, OUR CHILDREN, OUR FRIENDS. SECOND, JESUS TELLS US THAT HIS DISCIPLES MUST DENY THEMSELVES AND TAKE UP THEIR CROSSES AND FOLLOW HIM. THIS FOLLOWS FROM STEP ONE; ONCE I'VE DECIDED TO LOVE GOD ABOVE ALL THINGS, I'VE GOT TO DO THE HARDEST THING FOR A HUMAN BEING TO DO – MOVE MYSELF FROM FIRST PLACE TO THIRD. DENYING MYSELF MEANS EXACTLY THAT – I HAVE TO STOP BEING THE CENTER OF MY UNIVERSE SO THAT GOD CAN FILL THAT SPACE. AND LIKE THE MAGI, I HAVE TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF SHAPING MYSELF TO BE MORE LIKE CHRIST; I'VE GOT TO MAKE THE COMMITMENT TO LEARN MORE AND MORE ABOUT CHRIST, AND THEN TO START TO SHAPE MY LIFE IN HIS IMAGE. THAT IN ITSELF IS A WORK THAT NEVER ENDS, BUT THE SAINTS ARE OUR INSPIRATIONS; THEY SHOW US THAT YOU CAN BE RICH OR POOR, MALE OR FEMALE, SMART OR MENTALLY CHALLENGED, A KING OR A MARTYR, AND IN ALL THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, YOU CAN BE LIKE CHRIST. ANYONE CAN BE A SAINT, IF HE OR SHE WANTS TO BE. THE THIRD REQUIREMENT IS TO FORSAKE ALL WE HAVE. THIS DOESN'T MEAN TO TAKE A VOW OF POVERTY; IT DOES MEAN TO CHANGE THE WAY WE SEE WHAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO US. IT ISN'T OURS, IT BELONGS TO GOD; AND ITS TO BE USED TO BUILD UP GOD'S KINGDOM. FINALLY, JESUS TELLS US THAT IF WE ARE TO BE DISCIPLES, WE MUST COUNT THE COST. YOU CAN'T BE 50% A DISCIPLE. YOU HAVE TO GO ALL THE WAY. BILLY GRAHAM SAID “SALVATION IS FREE, BUT DISCIPLESHIP COSTS EVERYTHING.” WE HAVE TO GIVE UP EVERYTHING THAT STANDS BETWEEN US AND JESUS, AND IT'S HARDEST TO GIVE UP OUR HABITS, ESPECIALLY THOSE THINGS THAT WE CONFESS WEEK AFTER WEEK, AND NEVER SEEM TO BE ABLE TO GET AHEAD OF. IT'S EASIER TO STOP COMMITTING MAJOR SINS THAN IT IS TO BREAK THE HABITS THAT REINFORCE OUR SELFISHNESS.
WE ARE BEGINNING A NEW YEAR. WE SHOULD ASK, HAVE WE MADE REAL PROGRESS IN OUR JOURNEY TO BECOME A TRUE DISCIPLE OF JESUS THIS PAST YEAR? OR ARE WE PRETTY MUCH THE SAME AS WE WERE LAST NEW YEARS. AND IN THE COURSE OF MAKING RESOLUTIONS, PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT RESOLUTION WE CAN MAKE IS THAT THIS YEAR WE WILL TAKE CONCRETE STEPS TO BECOMING NOT JUST GOOD PEOPLE, NOT JUST CHURCH GOERS, BUT TRUE DISCIPLES, WHO WILL BRING OUR GIFTS TO THE SERVICE OF EACH OTHER, SO THAT GOD'S INTENTIONS FOR THE WORLD CAN BE REALIZED THROUGH US. WHAT A WONDERFUL DESTINY AWAITS US IF WE ACCEPT IT.. HOW SAD IT WILL BE IF NEXT YEAR THIS TIME WE ARE NO CLOSER TO BEING DISCIPLES, BUT ARE A YEAR CLOSER TO RUNNING OUT OF TIME.
THE GOSPEL STORY WE'VE JUST HEARD SETS UP AN INTERESTING CONTRAST. ON THE ONE HAND, THERE ARE SOME PAGANS FROM THE EAST, WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THE ARISTOCRACY. THE MAGI IN PERSIAN SOCIETY WERE WISE MEN, ADVISORS TO THE RULERS; THEY WERE SCIENTISTS, GOOD AT OBSERVING NATURE; AND THEY WERE PROBABLY THE EQUIVALENT OF PRIESTS, OFFICIATING IN THE CEREMONIES OF THEIR RELIGION. IN OTHER WORDS, LIFE WAS GOOD FOR THEM. YOU WOULD NOT EXPECT THEM TO PACK EVERYTHING UP AND TAKE A JOURNEY OF NEARLY A THOUSAND MILES ONE WAY. THAT WOULD BE A MAJOR HARDSHIP AND TAKE A GREAT DEAL OF TIME. IT WOULD BE DANGEROUS AS WELL. AND WHY DID THEY DO IT? THEY HAD OBSERVED A STAR IN THE SKY AND WONDERED WHAT IT MEANT, AND AFTER THINKING ABOUT IT, STUDYING THE HOLY BOOKS THEY HAD AVAILABLE TO THEM, PROBABLY EVEN PRAYED, AND CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THIS ALL POINTED TO AN EVENT OF GREAT IMPORTANCE – THE BIRTH OF THE NEWBORN KING OF THE JEWS. AND THEY DECIDED THAT THEY WERE BEING CALLED TO HONOR HIM AND BRING HIM GIFTS, PRECISELY, GOLD BECAUSE HE WAS KING; FRANKINCENSE BECAUSE HE WOULD BE THE GREAT HIGH PRIEST; AND MYRHH, BECAUSE HE WOULD ACCOMPLISH HIS DESTINY THROUGH HIS OWN DEATH. EACH OF THEM HAD A GIFT TO BRING.
HEROD AND ALL JERUSALEM, HOWEVER, WERE TROUBLED. THEY TOO WERE AWARE THAT SOMETHING BIG WAS HAPPENING. AFTER ALL, THEIR OWN SCRIPTURES WERE FULL OF REFERENCES TO THE COMING OF THE HEIR OF DAVID, THE SUFFERING SERVANT REFERRED TO BY ISAIAH, THE SON OF MAN THAT DANIEL THE PROPHET TALKED ABOUT. THE WISE MEN OF THE JEWS HAD ALL THIS INFORMATION AT HAND, INCLUDING AN IDEA OF ABOUT WHEN ALL THIS WOULD HAPPEN; AFTER ALL, DANIEL HAD MADE THAT PREDICTION. BUT THEY HAD DONE NOTHING. YOU WOULD THINK THAT SINCE THE PROPHET MICAH HAD EVEN NAMED THE CITY, THERE WOULD BE PEOPLE IN BETHLEHEM JUST WAITING FOR THIS EVENT TO HAPPEN. BUT THEY WERE ALL TROUBLED. THEY WERE TROUBLED BECAUSE IF THE PROPHECIES WERE ABOUT TO BE FULFILLED, THEY WOULD HAVE TO MAKE SOME CHOICES; THEY MIGHT HAVE TO CHANGE THEIR LIVES. AND HEROD, WHO HAD DEMONSTRATED THAT HE COULD EVEN HAVE HIS OWN SONS EXECUTED ON SUSPICION THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO TAKE OVER HIS THRONE, WAS WILLING TO GO TO GREAT LENGTHS TO KEEP HIS POWER, EVEN IF, AS WE WILL SEE LATER, IT MEANS EXECUTING ALL THE BOYS UNDER TWO YEARS OLD. HEROD BELIEVED JUST AS STRONGLY AS THE MAGI THAT A SINGULAR MOMENT IN HISTORY HAD COME; BUT HE WANTED NO CHANGE.
DO YOU KNOW HOW GOD WORKS? WELL, I DON'T EITHER. BUT SAINT PAUL TELLS US THAT EVERY BAPTIZED CHRISTIAN IS GIVEN A GIFT, NOT FOR HIMSELF, BUT FOR THE CHURCH. THESE INCLUDE WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE, FAITH, HEALING, PROPHECY … AND SO ON. I THINK THAT IS FOR THE MOST PART HOW GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS – THROUGH THE GIFTS HE GIVES US TO GIVE TO EACH OTHER. AND IF WE WANT TO USE THESE GIFTS, WE HAVE TO BECOME DISCIPLES, OTHERWISE, WE WON'T REALLY BE AWARE OF GOD'S WILL FOR US. AND BECOMING A DISCIPLE DOESN'T JUST HAPPEN; IT TAKES GOD'S GRACE, BUT IT TAKES OUR COOPERATION; AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT TAKES A LIFETIME. THE MAGI GAVE UP EVERYTHING TO FOLLOW THE STAR, TO DO WHAT THEY HAD DISCERNED WHAT GOD WANTED THEM TO DO.
JESUS HIMSELF TOLD US HOW TO BE DISCIPLES. FIRST, WE NEED TO LOVE GOD MORE THAN ANYONE OR ANYTHING ELSE. THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE TURN OUR BACK ON THOSE WE LOVE; IN FACT, IF WE LOVE GOD MORE THAN WE LOVE OUR DEAREST LOVED ONES, WE LOVE THEM MORE THAN IF WE DON'T LOVE GOD THE MOST. LOVING GOD BLESSES OUR LOVE FOR EACH OTHER. PUTTING GOD FIRST PURIFIES OUR LOVE FOR OUR SPOUSES, OUR CHILDREN, OUR FRIENDS. SECOND, JESUS TELLS US THAT HIS DISCIPLES MUST DENY THEMSELVES AND TAKE UP THEIR CROSSES AND FOLLOW HIM. THIS FOLLOWS FROM STEP ONE; ONCE I'VE DECIDED TO LOVE GOD ABOVE ALL THINGS, I'VE GOT TO DO THE HARDEST THING FOR A HUMAN BEING TO DO – MOVE MYSELF FROM FIRST PLACE TO THIRD. DENYING MYSELF MEANS EXACTLY THAT – I HAVE TO STOP BEING THE CENTER OF MY UNIVERSE SO THAT GOD CAN FILL THAT SPACE. AND LIKE THE MAGI, I HAVE TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF SHAPING MYSELF TO BE MORE LIKE CHRIST; I'VE GOT TO MAKE THE COMMITMENT TO LEARN MORE AND MORE ABOUT CHRIST, AND THEN TO START TO SHAPE MY LIFE IN HIS IMAGE. THAT IN ITSELF IS A WORK THAT NEVER ENDS, BUT THE SAINTS ARE OUR INSPIRATIONS; THEY SHOW US THAT YOU CAN BE RICH OR POOR, MALE OR FEMALE, SMART OR MENTALLY CHALLENGED, A KING OR A MARTYR, AND IN ALL THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, YOU CAN BE LIKE CHRIST. ANYONE CAN BE A SAINT, IF HE OR SHE WANTS TO BE. THE THIRD REQUIREMENT IS TO FORSAKE ALL WE HAVE. THIS DOESN'T MEAN TO TAKE A VOW OF POVERTY; IT DOES MEAN TO CHANGE THE WAY WE SEE WHAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO US. IT ISN'T OURS, IT BELONGS TO GOD; AND ITS TO BE USED TO BUILD UP GOD'S KINGDOM. FINALLY, JESUS TELLS US THAT IF WE ARE TO BE DISCIPLES, WE MUST COUNT THE COST. YOU CAN'T BE 50% A DISCIPLE. YOU HAVE TO GO ALL THE WAY. BILLY GRAHAM SAID “SALVATION IS FREE, BUT DISCIPLESHIP COSTS EVERYTHING.” WE HAVE TO GIVE UP EVERYTHING THAT STANDS BETWEEN US AND JESUS, AND IT'S HARDEST TO GIVE UP OUR HABITS, ESPECIALLY THOSE THINGS THAT WE CONFESS WEEK AFTER WEEK, AND NEVER SEEM TO BE ABLE TO GET AHEAD OF. IT'S EASIER TO STOP COMMITTING MAJOR SINS THAN IT IS TO BREAK THE HABITS THAT REINFORCE OUR SELFISHNESS.
WE ARE BEGINNING A NEW YEAR. WE SHOULD ASK, HAVE WE MADE REAL PROGRESS IN OUR JOURNEY TO BECOME A TRUE DISCIPLE OF JESUS THIS PAST YEAR? OR ARE WE PRETTY MUCH THE SAME AS WE WERE LAST NEW YEARS. AND IN THE COURSE OF MAKING RESOLUTIONS, PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT RESOLUTION WE CAN MAKE IS THAT THIS YEAR WE WILL TAKE CONCRETE STEPS TO BECOMING NOT JUST GOOD PEOPLE, NOT JUST CHURCH GOERS, BUT TRUE DISCIPLES, WHO WILL BRING OUR GIFTS TO THE SERVICE OF EACH OTHER, SO THAT GOD'S INTENTIONS FOR THE WORLD CAN BE REALIZED THROUGH US. WHAT A WONDERFUL DESTINY AWAITS US IF WE ACCEPT IT.. HOW SAD IT WILL BE IF NEXT YEAR THIS TIME WE ARE NO CLOSER TO BEING DISCIPLES, BUT ARE A YEAR CLOSER TO RUNNING OUT OF TIME.
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