October 4, 2018
Paulist Fr. Rich Andre preached this homily on the 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year B) on September 30, 2018, at St. Austin Parish in Austin, TX. The homily is based on the day’s readings: Numbers 11:25-29; Psalm 19; James 5:1-6; and Mark 9:38-48.
In our gospel today, Jesus mentions a place called Gehenna. It was the ravine where people in Jerusalem threw their trash. Because they burned their trash, it was a place of eternal fire. Jesus also makes a reference to the last verse of Isaiah, indicating that he is talking of a not-so-pleasant way to spend eternity.
Our Scripture passages feature two very devoted disciples misunderstanding what it means to be devoted to God – Joshua, Moses’ right hand man, complains that God has given the gift of prophecy to two men who were not gathered with the rest of the elders. John, one of Jesus’ closest companions, complains about someone not of the Twelve who was casting out demons in Jesus’ name.
These complaints may seem to be silly or childish at first. But most of us assure ourselves that we are right because we belong to the correct group. However, the passage ends with Jesus giving us stern advice about how we can better live lives of holiness. And with holiness, there is mercy.
Lord Jesus, you came to reconcile us to one another and to the Father. Lord, …
Christ Jesus, you heal the wounds of sin and division. Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, you intercede for us with your Father. Lord, have mercy.
Today, we’re given a lot of food for thought about “insiders” and “outsiders” in the kingdom of God. What’s required to be a good disciple?
Joshua and John quickly condemned people who did good things but didn’t belong to the same group. Jesus is completely opposed to that. But it’s a common mistake, to think that people have to belong to the same group as us in order to be good disciples. Being from Pennsylvania, I probably haven’t experienced this quite as vividly as those of you who grew up in the American South. I’ve been told that one of the first questions people may ask you upon meeting you in the South is “What church do you go to?” Now, there’s nothing wrong with this question, unless we think the answer serves as an indicator of someone’s level of discipleship. How in the world can we tell if someone’s a good disciple from a short, casual conversation?
And even if we could evaluate someone else’s level of discipleship, it shouldn’t change how we treat them. How we treat someone else is much more about our discipleship than it is about the other person’s discipleship. As Christian disciples, we’re supposed to love our neighbor, no matter what… just as God loves us, no matter what!
Jesus reserves his condemnation for the person who leads other people into sin. He says that “it would be better… if a great millstone were put around [that person’s] neck and he [or she] were thrown into the sea.” Before we make lists of people to throw into the sea, hold on! Jesus condemns leading others into sin, but he doesn’t necessarily call for us to cast these people out of the community.
“Wait a minute,” you may say. “What about Jesus’ sayings that you should cut off a hand, a foot, or an eye if it causes you to sin? Doesn’t that mean we should cut off people if they are egregious sinners? Isn’t this an extension of Paul’s ‘Body of Christ’ metaphor?” I don’t think so. I think we’re mixing our metaphors.
In the past few weeks, Mark has told us a lot about discipleship with Jesus. We must die to ourselves and pick up our crosses. We must serve others. We need to stop thinking about who is the greatest among us. But Jesus has said nothing about what we should do if we think others are not good disciples.
And yet, we live in an environment where we keep cutting people out of our own spheres of influence. In politics – and in religion – people on each side of a conflict are quick not only to fight those who oppose them, but also to declare that some of the people who agree with them are not ideologically “pure” enough.
So that body that sins? Each of us gets a glimpse of it when we look in the mirror. Now, before anyone starts mutilating themselves in the name of God, let’s try to update Jesus’ metaphor to our contemporary experiences. Let’s try this:
“If your cell phone causes you to sin, cut off your internet connection. It is better for you have face-to-face conversations with strangers than to waste hours on social media.”
“If people around you cause you to gossip, change the subject of the conversation. It is better for you to experience a few awkward pauses at lunch than to contribute to the downward spiral of negativity.”
“If drinking alcohol causes you to sin, stop going to events where alcohol is served. It is better for you to have to look harder for social opportunities than to engage in reckless behavior.”
Just because someone practices their religion differently than us – or because they vote for different politicians than us – doesn’t mean he or she is a lousy disciple. Just because someone worships here on a regular basis doesn’t mean that he or she is a good disciple.
None of us are perfect. If only sinless people were allowed to come to church and receive the Eucharist, we’d all be “outsiders.” There wouldn’t be any parking problems at St. Austin Parish!
But the good news is this: we have each been gifted with the ultimate insider of the faith. The Holy Spirit dwells inside each of us, giving us the ability to grow in our discipleship. And if sometimes you feel at the end of the week that you’ve been a lousy disciple, that’s OK. You are still welcome to come inside the church walls. The Eucharist we share is our food for the journey of discipleship.