Sunday, September 19, 2021

Rescue. Ranking. Reset (2021-09-19, Sunday - 25)

___CLICK / AUDIO OF SUN. SEPT. 19, 2021 HOMILY__

Homily –  Sept.  19, 2021  /  25th Sunday (Year B)  ● Wisdom 2:12, 17-20  ●   Psalm ___ ● James 3:16 – 4:3  ●  + Mark 9:30-37 

Title:  Rescue. Ranking. Reset.

__ Click / Watch Video: Sun. 7:30 am Mass, Sept. 19 ___


[__01_]      What made a big impression on me from a family beach vacation to LBI (Long Beach Island), NJ we took in 1976 was that the house we were staying at was very close to the beach and sand.  

We had not rented the house, but another family invited us over for a few days and we were able to see the beach and waves from their front door. It was great.  The location made an impression.

          I also remember there was a small black and white TV (remember those ?)  on which we watched the Summer Olympics in Montreal. It was 1976.  The Olympics made an impression

          Those were pleasant impressions and details. But I truly would have forgotten all of them – not remembered any of these – if there had not been another impressive event for our family that week.

          One day, accidentally and inadvertently, someone got lost. My younger brother – age 4 – was separated from our group on the beach and we did not notice he was missing for a little while…

          Then, the panic started on our secton. There was a full-on search with lifeguards whistling and running … beach patrols on the sand. It was like a cross between Baywatch and Law & Order.

          My parents were frantic, of course, but also determined and searching and calling out for my brother. My brother himself did not know he was lost… he just kept walking… and someone in the crowd realized he was lost  and then learned that there was a search and he was returned to my parents. The whole “Baywatch” episode took – officially - about 25 minutes with no commercials. But, it is so memorable to me, such a big impression, it could have gone on for hours, if not days.

          For years, my mother would not even talk about it.  We were just glad it was over.

          This was a long time ago, 1976 and the big tech innovation at that time would have been if you had cable TV. That would have been the pinnacle of technology.   If Google, Facebook, Instagram, et cetera had existed, we would had have put it on social media and given the LBI lifeguards 5.0 stars with a rave review for the rescue!

          The rescue overshadowed every other detail of importance, although by seeing the “priority” of the rescue, I was also able to see other things in proper context, as part of the environment.

[__02_]      Of course, I do not always see the proper context. And neither do the disciples in this Gospel reading which I would like to reflect on as follows:  [][][]

1st. Prediction of Jesus’ Rescue

2nd  Promotion of the Disciples’ Review or Ranking (Reviewers = “the disciples” are self-promoting)

3rd.  Priority which is Reset.

 

[__02_]      1st. the Redeemer – Jesus – is predicting a rescue. In the Gospel this is also referred to as the RANSOM he pays for our lives, by giving up his own life.

          “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for the many.”  (Matthew 20:28)

          What we read is: [Mark 9:30-31] “[Jesus] was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death he will rise.”  But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him.” 

In the letter to the Romans this is written by Paul as … ,

(Romans 5:8-11) “God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. 

The disciples don't comprehend this because they have no definition or category, no file drawer or category in which to store or save a messiah or king who will be crucified and pay the ransom that way, i.e., for …[This prediction is contrary to the disciples’ mindset. There is a higher ransom value because Jesus’s sacrifice gives our lives an eternal value. We are not conquered by sin, by death.

Jesus does something – sacrificially – that is surprising to them. Why would Jesus pay a ransom to rescue to “other people” which might include ]  tax collectors, prostitutes, even Pharisees whom they don’t know personally.

The disciples were grasping why Jesus is paying the ransom – for themselves and their sins --  but not getting how this applies to others.

They're even afraid to ask any questions. Sometimes, those who are weak and vulnerable – needing a ransom - are afraid to ask questions.

The disciples do not recognize this weakness in themselves – quite yet.   When somebody doesn't ask any questions, that’s a problem.

My brother – age 4 and lost on the beach – also would not have asked any questions.  The disciples don’t ask questions, but they don’t recognize the problem yet.

 

[__03_]        2nd. What are the disciples reviewing and promoting?

          If you went shopping for something recently, did you read the reviews, as to what was being promoted or criticized?

We are surrounded– especially online – by reviews – in the media, in the Star-Ledger newspaper, on AMZN, Facebook, Instagram, Google… or in your e-mail in-box. There is a review waiting for you to open and read.

Reviewers talk and debate. And the disciples are really good at talking and debating. Peter was really good at talking last Sunday's gospel saying you are the Christ. That was the first time the Redeemer predicted His sacrifice. And Peter said, Great, you're the Christ, you're the Messiah. Peter gives Jesus a very positive review!  5 stars!  ☺☺☺☺☺

But Peter is not so good at listening to what Jesus says next, about the RANSOM being paid by suffering.

[Mark 9:33-34] “once inside the house, [Jesus] began to ask them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they remained silent. They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest.

In order for the disciples to compute and calculate who is the greatest, I imagine they would have to be computing and calculating and number-crunching who is the least.

There is a danger in applying this product-review mentality to our relationships and even to ourselves.

That is, do I strive for greatness – which is a good thing on its own – only in light of seeing others “fall behind”. Do I simply try to get ahead of others…. Or do I strive for what is truly good?

It seems that the diciples’ strategy is to find peace – daresay “salvation” – in their own superiority rather than in the sacrifice of Jesus’ life for them.   In short, the disciples are not paying the ransom. Jesus is.

the attainment of greatness or aspiration of excellence – even a positive review -  is good. It’s good …as long it is does not become “god” or an idol.

[__04_]    3rd. The Priority which is being Reset.

Jesus presses [RESET], in response to all this talk about superiority.

This is the [RESET]:

Jesus said,  “If anyone wishes to be first of all, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all. Taking a child, he placed the child in their midst…” (Mark 9:35)

Why is the child the Gospel solution to the diciples’  “self-promotion” and to my “self-promotion”?

What does the child signfify?

          The message is not that everyone must have his or own child, or that everyone must be  a parent.

          Yet, we are called to welcome Jesus into our lives with the heart of a mother or father.

The child signfiies God’s word and God’s grace because the child:

(1) Has POTENTIAL

(2) Needs PROTECTION

[POTENTIAL] The child – who is full of potential and energy – calls us to this, focus on BOTH what is “now” and “next”  (i.e., future).

          This is also a message for us to consider when we consider our call to forgive those who trespass against us.

To forgive another person – from the heart – requires that we consider “POTENTIAL” as more important than any past harm, of not holding on to what has gone before and thus – RESETTING our priorities and really saying …the LAST SHALL BE FIRST !

          Where does God's Word figure in my calling to forgive someone?

It seems to me that forgiveness calls me not to condescend by my own power, but rather to conceive of and to perceive of the good in another person…if it is hard to see this potential, then we can ask God to help us to see… so that the last shall be first.

[PROTECTION]

          Children need protection.

How many parents – witnessing the illness or suffering would instantly change places with the child, to alleviate the suffering?

          They would pay such a ransom in a heartbeat to shelter, to protect their young person.

          Jesus pays such a ransom for us.

          Coming among us as a child, first, he also reminds us that a child is capable – not by any intentional action but simply by the child’s mere presence of “potential energy”

reminds us that new life is a potential to be protected.  This also includes lives not yet born, a life that is potential, full and needs protection.

          The symbol of the child reminds us of our need to welcome  God’s mercy and grace as our true potential. Also, just as a child needs the protection of “structure”, “consistency” we need prayer and church and private reflection to allow the seeds of God’s word to be planted, nourished and flourish in us.

          It is good that we are here to listen to God’s word and pray… this is our protection, our shelter from the storm …or from other “channels” that may make us think that our personal superiority is all that matters.

          Jesus traded places with us in the same way a parent would with a child.

          Jesus died for you, not to make you superior to others, but to make you know that you are more important than you may realize.

In this “context”, Jesus’ greatness is our greatness. 

Jesus our Lord has made it is priority to pay the ransom for our sins. We are called to follow him, not just as a public act of “reviewing” him or promoting him, but as an intimate choice of welcoming him and knowing him as our Savior and Lord.  

This is what makes you great.  [__fin_]      

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