___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_]
No comments:
Post a Comment