St. Peter’s River Edge - 2013-07-28, 17th
Sunday, year C
SURRENDER
(__001) Abraham approaches God. Abraham does not want
to surrender.
He is persistent. We
know that that surrender is not limited
to arenas of sport, the Electoral College[1], or American Idol.
These are some other examples
we might think of naturally.
1st – to
avoid surrender after the Declaration of Independence and the rebellion of
1776, George Washington and his soldiers were often (constantly?) on the run. They
used the bridge at New Bridge Landing here in River Edge on their retreat. They did not want to surrender to the
British.
2nd -- Meanwhile, last Sunday … on the golf
course, Phil Mickelson of the United States did not to surrender in Scotland,
to a British or any other player.
(__002) In the Gospel of this Sunday, the disciples
of our Lord and Savior are learning about surrender.
The same question
arises – to whom are they surrendering?
To whom do we surrender?[2]
If we were to
surrender, we would want to know the identity, the strength of the other
person, of the other side.
(__003) In the Gospel this Sunday, Jesus teaches his disciples –and us –the Lord’s
prayer.
Then, Jesus offers us
the further “information” …. About the terms of surrender.
This is the the parable
of the late-night – after-dark visitor. Would you or I want to sign this peace
treaty?
THESE ARE THE TERMS OF
THE AGREEMENT, THE TREATY…
A visitor goes late at
night to see a friend.
It is dark, it is
midnight, his friend is asleep.
Will this request be granted?
(__004) Would you, would I, wish to wake up…or to be
disrupted – day or night – by such a last minute request?
Of course, this request causes discomfort and inconvenience.
And, discomfort and
inconvenience are reasons we might use to justify a rejection. We might screen this call, this caller, drop
the call, or ignore the text or email.
Sorry…I did not get your message in time.
(__005) Yet, in the Gospel,Jesus offers reasons to
receive the call, open the door, open the email and respond in the affirmative,
to respond YES, positively.
(__005.a) The
first reason is, perhaps, easy, simple, obvious.
FRIENDSHIP. For some
people, we are pleased to help. They may
even, in the future, reward us, pay us back.
We__surrender__ due to
our own desire to maintain and bolster the friendship.
(__005.b) The
second reason is the challenge to you and to me.
How do we regard the persistence, the perseverance of
certain requests?
Of course, there are some –many – situations where NO
is the loving response.
(__006) On the other hand, there are times when YES
would be the loving response.
Consider the person
from whom we have been hurt by some trespass… they have trespassed against us.
The late-night or
last-minute request may be one of repentance, of admission of guilt. This
person may have, in fact, waited until the last posible moment to apologize,to
admit wrongdoing.
The eleventh-hour
request may be for pardon.
Also, we may discover
in the darkness – literally or figuratively – that forgiveness is the only for
you or for me to go back to sleep.
Surrender is Good
News.
(__007) Or …
consider the compromise we are asked to make for our spouse, a child, with Mom or
Dad, with a friend, for a person who is ill, in advanced age.
Do we always equate
surrender with defeat?
For example, isn’t it true that we can lose without
being completely deprived?
I think we would admit –accept that in a compromise…
someone gains something..and someone loses something.
This is reality.
For example, in marriage or family life, one person is
called to give in, to surrender for the good of the other.
And, doing so, one person sacrifices some comfort,
convenience, Money, time.
But, in the Good News of surrender, we are trying to
keep in mind the love of God, the love of the other person…which rather than
creating a division or competition, unites us in comunión …and helps us gain a
greater victory.
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