In last week’s Gospel the disciples quarreled amongst themselves over who was the greatest. This week, they are incensed at the audacity of an “outsider” who acts as though he is part of the “insiders”; acting as though he was part of Jesus’ inner circle of the twelve disciples. But Jesus cautions John not to be so quick in his judgment of the man casting out demons in Jesus’ name.
It seems, still today, that well-meaning and upstanding disciples are routinely aghast at the thought of including “less than upstanding members of our society” in “the family of God”.
“But Lord,” they say, then as today, “what about standards? What about criteria? ” They wonder how can you admit anyone, no matter what’s contained in their past, no matter how unsuitable their present? Remember that God allows the rain to fall on the fields of the just and the unjust…it is God’s choice not ours. Each Mass we pray for the souls of
the deceased whose righteousness only God knows! Maybe some people will decide not to be associated with the
Kingdom as Jesus presents it…they may believe they have attained righteousness all by themselves, through their own
efforts and wonder how Jesus can possibly ask them to share the Kingdom with sinners, tax collectors and the like?
People, even on their best day, with their best effort, could never attain the Kingdom…except for God’s grace!
Thank you God for “your amazing grace”! I don’ know about you but I’m relying on that nonexclusive, all-saving, grace…
yesterday, today and tomorrow!
When we believe behavior excludes people of goodwill who are doing the best they can, like Eldad and Medad, like the
man in the Gospel, such exclusion becomes the very antithesis of what Jesus demonstrated in his words and actions, and is
what is demanded of us as followers of Jesus Christ!
When we do what we do in God’s name for the good of others, we become equal in each other’s sight, as we always have
been in God’s sight. Discipleship is difficult. It challenges the way we live, the way we think and the way we view “others”
and the way we view the world around us.
Discipleship calls us to be our best selves, as God has created us to be, as God has dreamt us to be in the world…to love one
another, as Christ has loved us, and to care for the world, our common home.
God gives us the grace we need to live up to that dream that God has for us and for the world as a whole. And the Eucharist
helps strengthen us for the task of living out our discipleship to the best of our abilities. Through God’s grace we can help build up the Reign of God in the here and now through our “good works” for the sake of “the other” and for the sake of the
earth itself! Discipleship demands that we use the Gospel as “the lens” through which we view the world around and by
which we judge our actions and interactions in our daily lives.
In light of today’s Gospel let us ask ourselves, do I exclude anyone from my life because I have judged them to be undeserving or inferior? Do I look down on anyone or any group of people? Can I believe that God deeply and passionately loves all of us, just as we are, even those whom I might think unworthy? And what does this mean for my faith journey and my relationship with God?
Blessings,
Fr. Tim
It seems, still today, that well-meaning and upstanding disciples are routinely aghast at the thought of including “less than upstanding members of our society” in “the family of God”.
“But Lord,” they say, then as today, “what about standards? What about criteria? ” They wonder how can you admit anyone, no matter what’s contained in their past, no matter how unsuitable their present? Remember that God allows the rain to fall on the fields of the just and the unjust…it is God’s choice not ours. Each Mass we pray for the souls of
the deceased whose righteousness only God knows! Maybe some people will decide not to be associated with the
Kingdom as Jesus presents it…they may believe they have attained righteousness all by themselves, through their own
efforts and wonder how Jesus can possibly ask them to share the Kingdom with sinners, tax collectors and the like?
People, even on their best day, with their best effort, could never attain the Kingdom…except for God’s grace!
Thank you God for “your amazing grace”! I don’ know about you but I’m relying on that nonexclusive, all-saving, grace…
yesterday, today and tomorrow!
When we believe behavior excludes people of goodwill who are doing the best they can, like Eldad and Medad, like the
man in the Gospel, such exclusion becomes the very antithesis of what Jesus demonstrated in his words and actions, and is
what is demanded of us as followers of Jesus Christ!
When we do what we do in God’s name for the good of others, we become equal in each other’s sight, as we always have
been in God’s sight. Discipleship is difficult. It challenges the way we live, the way we think and the way we view “others”
and the way we view the world around us.
Discipleship calls us to be our best selves, as God has created us to be, as God has dreamt us to be in the world…to love one
another, as Christ has loved us, and to care for the world, our common home.
God gives us the grace we need to live up to that dream that God has for us and for the world as a whole. And the Eucharist
helps strengthen us for the task of living out our discipleship to the best of our abilities. Through God’s grace we can help build up the Reign of God in the here and now through our “good works” for the sake of “the other” and for the sake of the
earth itself! Discipleship demands that we use the Gospel as “the lens” through which we view the world around and by
which we judge our actions and interactions in our daily lives.
In light of today’s Gospel let us ask ourselves, do I exclude anyone from my life because I have judged them to be undeserving or inferior? Do I look down on anyone or any group of people? Can I believe that God deeply and passionately loves all of us, just as we are, even those whom I might think unworthy? And what does this mean for my faith journey and my relationship with God?
Blessings,
Fr. Tim
RSS Feed
