Deacon Joe

Today’s Gospel sounds a lot like our nation today.  It seems to be all gloom and doom, especially for Christians being persecuted here in America.  We must always remember that we are so blessed to live in America compared to the rest of the world but at the same time know that the Church is being persecuted by the evil forces in the world. 

Jesus wept over Jerusalem because of the people’s refusal to worship God.  Jesus weeps over America for our refusal to worship God and strive for peace with each other. 

Origen, one of the Church Fathers, lived from 185 to 254.  We are fortunate that Origen’s homilies were preserved for us today.  Origen gives us a unique perspective on Christ’s teachings and life. 

He wrote in a homily: “When our Lord and Savior approached Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept.…  By his example, Jesus confirms all the Beatitudes that he speaks in the Gospel.  By his own witness, he confirms what he teaches. “Blessed are the meek,” he says.  He says something similar to this of himself: “Learn from me, for I am meek.”  “Blessed are the peacemakers.”  What other man brought as much peace as my Lord Jesus, who “is our peace,” who “dissolves hostility” and “destroys it in his own flesh”?  “Blessed are those who suffer persecution because of justice.” 

No one suffered such persecution because of justice as did the Lord Jesus, who was crucified for our sins.  The Lord therefore exhibited all the Beatitudes in himself.  For the sake of this likeness, he wept, because of what he said, “Blessed are those who weep,” to lay the foundations for this beatitude as well.  He wept for Jerusalem “and said, ‘If only you had known on that day what meant peace for you!  

Origen tells us that even though Jesus gave us the Beatitudes as a guide to live our lives, Jesus lived his life as an example of those Beatitudes. 

That statement really struck me as a new perspective of Jesus’ life.  I never heard it put in these words that Jesus lived the Gospel he taught.  But why wouldn’t Jesus live what he preached?  We don’t think of it in those terms. 

Origen admonishes us to be peacemakers like Jesus.  It seems that very few people attempt to make peace with others today.  We are so polarized on all fronts; political is the most obvious but ideological and philosophical too.  If you don’t think the way I think, you are wrong and you need to change to think like me. 

Let us take some time to pray and ask God to help us to be considerate and kind to others even if we don’t accept their beliefs.  Ask God for his mercy and strength to become peace makers in the world we live in today. 

We criticize our nation’s leaders rather than pray for them.  Let us begin to pray for our nation’s leaders that God will draw them and us closer to himself so we will recognize the time for our salvation and work for peace.  

In those days, a person who was unable to work or was rejected by society, such as lepers who were even unable to be with their families, were only left with begging as a means of income.  Everyone looked down on beggars in that time much as we look down on homeless people today. 

When the blind beggar asked what all the commotion was about, the crowd told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.  The blind man immediately started calling out “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!”  The crowd scoffed at him telling him to be quiet.  After all, who would even care about a poor beggar at the city gate? 

Jesus was obviously a household name by this time in his ministry.  Jesus was considered a Rabbi from Nazareth because of his teachings and miracles.  Many considered Jesus to be the Messiah that would save them from the Roman forces that were so oppressive to the Jewish people. 

Even the beggar at the gate, an outcast of society and shunned by everyone, knew about Jesus.  The beggar called to Jesus as Son of David referring to his Messianic title.  Jericho is about eighteen miles from Jerusalem.  Jesus and the crowds are on their way to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast.  Soon Jesus will be praised as King by the crowds.  And then the same crowds would turn against Jesus and demand his crucifixion. 

The blind man, who would sit at the gate begging, would hear what the people coming and going were talking about.  He understood the significance of who was passing his way.  When he cried out “Jesus, Son of David”, he is acknowledging that Jesus is the prophesized Messiah. 

The beggar called out louder and louder as the people told him to be quiet, Jesus won’t be bothered with you.  Jesus knew the beggar was there and stopped, asked for the blind man to be brought to him and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”  He replied, “Lord, please let me see.” 

In the New Jerusalem Bible, the blind man replied, “Sir, let me see again.”  We often take our physical sight for granted, but to a blind person, who can only see darkness, it is a treasure.  This is especially true if a person had sight at one time and lost it.  That person knows what they lost.  The blind man could have asked for material wealth or power.  Instead, he asked for his sight which was more valuable to him than anything else in the world. 

Jesus said to the blind beggar, “Receive your sight. Your faith has saved you.” 

If physical sight is so valuable and important to us, how much more critical is spiritual sight!  Are we willing to seek God’s will in our lives and then have the courage to walk in the path that God leads us?  Or will we take the easy way and continue on the path that we have been walking in the past? 

If we pray and call Jesus unceasingly, he will hear us, stop, and despite the noise of the crowds, ask us what we want.  What is it that we really want?  Will we too turn against Jesus like the crowds that demanded his crucifixion?  Do we want wealth, power, or fame?  Or, will we be like the blind beggar and ask for spiritual sight from the Holy Spirit? 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us a valuable lesson on helping others.  A scholar of the law asked Jesus a question “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 

Jesus answered, like he often did, with a question: “What is written in the law?  How do you read it?” 

Listen to the scholar’s answer:
“You shall love the Lord, your God,
with all your heart,
with all your being,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind,
and your neighbor as yourself.” 

Jesus responded with: “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.”  The scholar could have walked away and lived as Jesus told him.  But he didn’t. 

How many times are we like the scholar?  We want to justify ourselves before others, so we just have to push the issue, to push the point one more step.  So, the scholar asked another question: “And who is my neighbor?” 

Jesus tells the parable we all know as the Good Samaritan.  Why do we call it the Good Samaritan?  The Jews looked down on Gentiles and Samaritans.  The Messiah would only come to bring salvation for the Jewish people, not the Gentiles nor Samaritans. 

Further, the Jewish people considered the Samaritans to lower than the dogs which were not pets as we know them today but were avoided because if a dog licked a person, that person would unclean and need to go through the purification rites to worship in the synagogue. 

Now we begin to understand why this parable is referred to as the “Good Samaritan” because all Samaritans were considered BAD.  The Samaritan’s hated the Jews and mistreated them as well.

In the parable, Jesus tells us “A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho nineteen miles from Jerusalem.  Jericho, the second city of Judea, was a city of the priests and Levites, and thousands of them lived there.  The two mentioned here are returning from serving their temple duties in Jerusalem. 

Notice that the Gospel tell us that when the priest and the Levite saw the victim on the side of the road, they passed by on the opposite side of the road.  We don’t know why they passed on the opposite side of the road.  It could have been for fear that the robbers were still close by.  It could have been that they didn’t want to touch the victim because that would make them unclean and prevent them from serving in the synagogue in Jericho.  It could have been because the victim was going to die anyway so why bother.  We just don’t know. 

Notice that the first mention about the Samaritan was that he was moved with compassion at the sight.  Gregory The Great said “He who gives outward things gives something external to himself, but he who imparts compassion and tears gives him something from his very self”. 

After Jesus told the parable, Jesus asked the scholar: “Who was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?”  The scholar answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.”  Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”  Those who have compassion for someone give something of themselves.  Jesus said for us to: “Go and do likewise”.  We must have compassion for those in need and treat them with mercy, even those whom we dislike or hate. 

The disciples were arguing amongst themselves about which of them was the greatest.  Jesus used a child to help the disciples understand the simplicity of following him.  He said, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” 

In this usage, “in my name” means the same as saying “in my behalf”.  Jesus was trying to tell the disciples that greatness was not important; but that everyone, even the smallest and frailest of the world, were to be accepted in Jesus’ name.  Those in the margins of society who have no one who even cares about them are great in Jesus’ eyes. 

A child is totally dependent on others for care and protection.  The sick, the widow, the orphan, the stranger, and the immigrant in need of help are the least of those among us. 

The person on the street corner begging, the person sleeping on the sidewalk, the woman standing on the street who is being trafficked by her pimp in the sex trade, and the child who is screaming because they are not getting their way are to be accepted as though we were receiving Jesus himself. 

Yet we typically turn our head away from them and look the other way.  This is not what Jesus wants us to do.  Jesus did not turn away.  He healed the sick, provided someone to care for the widow and the orphan, and welcomed the stranger and immigrant. 

All the least of these have one thing in common; their inability to repay us for our acts of kindness for them.  This is the message of the Gospels; love God with all your heart and others as yourself.  Jesus brought this message to his time, and it is for us today as much as it was when he spoke these words in person. 

Are we willing to stand for the rights of others?  Are we willing to speak out for those who are mistreated?  Are we willing to spend time in prayer for unity and peace in our nation and in our world? 

It’s simple.  Jesus asks us to receive all the vulnerable in his name.  When we help the vulnerable, the least of these, it will not bring us wealth of fame on earth; in fact, it might bring ridicule and hatred.  Afterall, that’s what happened to Jesus. 

Lord, help me to disregard the desire to be great on earth, and live life like you taught us, so you will receive me into eternal life in Heaven with you. 

Today’s Gospel reminds us to be open with our faith.  Jesus said that no one lights a lamp and conceals it with a vessel or puts it under a bed.  Putting a lamp under a bed is not the safest thing for us to do because the heat from the bulb might start a fire.  When you realize that electricity didn’t exist when Jesus was teaching this lesson, it meant the lamp was an oil lamp with an open flame and the lit lamp under a bed is extremely dangerous. 

Jesus frequently used the ridiculous to make a point.  The people of that time were farmers and shepherds.  When Jesus told the parable of the shepherd who left 99 sheep to fend for themselves while he searched for one who was lost, the people wondered what he was thinking.  No one in their right mind would leave 99 sheep alone in the wild to fend for themselves.  Sheep are prone to wandering and wild animals would attack such an easy prey out in the field without any protection.  Jesus was making the point that God loves us so much that he will go to extremes to save us. 

The same is true for lighting a lamp and hiding it.  Oil was expensive so one would not waste it by covering the lamp with a vessel; let alone put it under a bed where it could start a fire and possibly burn the house down.  Jesus is telling us that our faith must be visible for all to see.  All things, the good and the bad will become visible in due time. 

Jesus is teaching us an important message in this short Gospel.  We are called to be a witness to the world around us.  We must live our lives in such a way that people will know that we are Christians.  Be a light to the world, be a shining example of love and peace to everyone we meet. 

Some people are too concerned with how others will perceive them, and whether people will accept and like them, or avoid them.  Jesus tells us not to hide our faith from those all around us.  Even if we try to hide our faith, it will eventually become known.  Jesus said that nothing will be kept secret, and when that happens, the response is usually negative. 

Do we try to conceal our faith?  Maybe we bow our head to pray over a meal when we are out in public places but not make the sign of the cross because that would identify us as Catholic.  Maybe we skip mass when we are traveling with friends, so they will think that we fit in with group. 

We must place our lamp, in other words, our life, on a lamp stand so that all will know that we are Catholic, that we are followers of Jesus.  Our light will proclaim to all that we attend mass regularly, and all will know that we defend the person who is being belittled or bullied, all will know that we are Pro-Life from conception to natural death. 

We must ask ourselves, “Is my light up on a lamp stand shining brightly for all to see?”  Or am I hiding it under a vessel to be accepted by others?

Am I a good steward?  That is really the question the Gospel is asking us today. 

We don’t use the word steward much today so what is a steward?  Merriam Webster defines steward as “one employed in a large household or estate to manage domestic concerns (such as the supervision of servants, collection of rents, and keeping of accounts).” 

Jesus came to proclaim the Good News to the poor.  When Jesus mentions the steward in the parable, everyone who was listening knew the function of the steward and the peasant farmers could even tell you the name of the steward in their lives. 

There was a very strict class system in place that defined the rich from the poor.  The peasant farmers, who rented the land, were controlled by the steward of the wealthy landowner who held the promissory note for their harvest.  As in all situations, some were good, and some were difficult to live with or even downright evil.  In today’s Gospel, the steward was caught squandering his master’s resources. 

The steward is in a bad situation because tradition was that the steward was responsible for any losses they caused their employer, the master in the parable.  The steward is extremely fortunate that the master didn’t have him thrown into jail until the loss for his mishandling of the resources was repaid.  The steward knew that he didn’t have much time until word would get out that he was fired so he had to act quickly. 

The steward position is what we would consider a management position in today’s world.  When word gets out that he was dismissed for mishandling his master’s resources, no one would hire him in that position again.  And he knew that. 

The only options left for the steward would be physical labor or begging.  The steward acknowledged that he was not strong enough for physical labor and that he was too ashamed to beg. 

In those days, it was customary for promissory notes and contracts to be written in the handwriting of the person making the promise to pay.  That explains why the steward had the person write a new note in their own handwriting. 

We have talked about the value that was placed on honor in the ancient world.  John Pilch helps us understand that the landowner is in a difficult position since the steward is the legal representative of the landowner and had the promissory notes rewritten.  He wrote:

“When the master discovers the steward’s strategy, he faces a genuine dilemma.  If he rescinds the steward’s new contracts, as he is legally entitled to do because they are unlawful, he will alienate the renters and the entire village.  They have already been celebrating the master’s generosity! 

If he allows these reduced contracts to stand, he will be short of produce this year, but his “honor” will spread far and wide (as also will the “honor” of the shrewd steward for arranging the deals).  People will praise the noble and generous landowner.” 

Notice that the dishonest steward also retains his honor if the master permits the contracts stand at the reduced amount.  That meant the steward could live without physical labor or begging through the obligation that the peasant farmers would have for him because of their reduced promissory note.  

Does this mean that dishonesty is right or condoned?  Definitely not!  While it may seem that the dishonest steward is being held up as an example, the dishonest steward is still dishonest.  Jesus is telling us that we must be honest in all our dealings, with people and with God. 

Dennis Hamm, a Jesuit emeritus professor at Creighton University, reminds us that the Aramaic word “Mammon” means wealth or property.  Today’s Gospel ends with Jesus saying: “You cannot serve both God and mammon.” 

John Kavanaugh, a Jesuit professor at St Louis University, expanded on Jesus’ words when he said, “Our attitudes to the poor and our attitudes about security are the best indications of our discipleship.”

If this is true, the steward in today’s parable is only concerned about his own security.  He is only looking out for himself, not the poor who will be able to keep more of their harvest, nor his master who is going to lose even more of his resources because of the steward’s rewriting of the promissory notes. 

Are we really that much different from the steward in the Gospel?  We live in America, the best country in the world.  While our freedoms are being eroded as time goes on, we still have more freedom and wealth than any other country in the world.  We are so blessed and should thank God for these blessings he has given us. 

This sense of comfort and security also makes it easy for us to become complacent with the level of security that we have attained.  It is easy for us to focus on the retirement funds and business dealings, in other words – the mammon – the wealth and property, that will support us now and when we retire. 

Jesus makes the point that while the dishonest steward was commended for his shrewdness, we are required to attain a higher level of service to God and all of God’s children. 

We don’t like to think about the starving in Africa or Latin America because it makes us squeamish.  It doesn’t fit our idea of security. 

We generously support school children in Jamaica, but do we really understand the dire needs of the Jamaican people who live in poverty and fear of the crime all around them?  Or the people in Haiti who are starving because they never recovered from the earthquake in 2010 that destroyed their infrastructure?  Jesus is telling us to wake up from our complacency, to wake up from our love of mammon and truly care for those in the world around us. 

John Kavanaugh’s statement really made me think: “Our attitudes to the poor and our attitudes about security are the best indications of our discipleship.” 

It made me examine my life, and I invite each of you to take a moment and do the same.  Am I more interested in security for myself and my family than the plight of the poor?  Am I more interested in Mammon than eternal dwellings?  

There is a paragraph in today’s Gospel that should stand out to every Catholic. 

“Lord, do not trouble yourself,
for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. 
Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you;
but say the word and let my servant be healed. 

Does it sound familiar? 

What was Jesus’ reply? 

“I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 

Jesus was impressed by the faith of a centurion, a Roman Army officer in charge of one hundred soldiers.  Jesus healed his slave without even seeing or touching the slave because of this Gentile’s faith.  It’s no wonder that Jesus said: “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 

Jesus’ reply is incredible.  He said that this Roman Gentile had greater faith than anyone in his own faith, the people of his fathers: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Jewish people Jesus was so desperately trying to reach. 

What do the words of the Centurion mean for us today?  These words are so important that we repeat them at every mass.  At the Communion Rite, the Priest holds the Body of Christ over the Chalice of his Blood and says:

Behold the Lamb of God
behold him who takes away the sins of the world.  
Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.

And we say:

Lord, I am not worthy
that you should enter under my roof,
but only say the word
and my soul shall be healed. 

I am not worthy. 

In one of his homilies, Father Richard Rohr reminds us of the radical and transformational power of forgiveness:  

“When all is said and done, the gospel comes down to forgiveness. I’d say it’s the whole gospel. It’s the beginning, the middle, and the end. People who know how to forgive have known how good it feels to be forgiven, not when they deserved it, but precisely when they didn’t deserve it. 

If we’re Christian, we’ve probably said the “Our Father” ten thousand times. The words just slip off our tongues: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” By saying this prayer, we’ve asked and prayed for forgiveness. Notice the full correlation between how we give and how we receive: “Forgive us as we forgive.” They’re the same movement. We need to know that we need mercy, we need understanding, and then we also need to know how to give it. Each flows with the energy of the other.”

He ended with: “If we’re honest, none of us have lived the gospel.  None of us have loved as we could love, or as we have been loved by God.  I talk about it from the pulpit much better than I live it.  And yet that very recognition—that I have not yet lived love—allows me to stand under the waterfall of infinite mercy.  It’s only then that I know how to let mercy flow through me freely.  That I receive it undeservedly allows me to give it undeservedly.” 

This applies to each of us.  I know how true it is for me.  And yet, God still forgives me.

I am not worthy, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.