Minding What Matters

Gospel: Matthew 5: 17-37

After first giving us the Beatitudes, Jesus then oddly tells us that not one bit of the law is to be ignored until all has been fulfilled.  The statement is odd because we have seen, and will see, how Jesus repeatedly ignores different aspects of the law himself.  He ignores the Sabbath law when healing others or when the disciples pluck grain while traveling.  He disregards the cleansing and purification laws while interacting with those who are unclean.  So what is happening here?

Jesus goes through various parts of the law, but notice carefully what parts he emphasizes: those that involve our interaction and relationships with other people: murder, oath taking, divorce, adultery.  In each case he will quote the law and then apply the Beatitudes to them.  Do not murder means not thinking or saying anything harmful of another - the law of mercy.  Not committing adultery means not even looking at another lustfully - purity of heart.  

What matters in the law is the law of love - love God, love others.  And we only love God when we love our neighbor.  God is not loved by building shrines or adorning altars.  God does not need these things.  God needs us to love others.  If we want to build a shrine, build one within our hearts and in the hearts of others.  Use the values of the Beatitudes - mercy, meekness, purity of heart, peacemaking, empathy - to care for others, building a shrine of love in our hearts and in the hearts of those for whom we care. 

Checking Our Privilege

Gospel: Mark 8: 1-10

In today's Gospel portion, we see Jesus having compassion on the crowd that is hungry, while the disciples are indifferent to the hunger of the crowd.  We come to realize that the source of the disciples' indifference lies in the fact that they have food while no one else does.  They do not have empathy because they themselves are not and they have food.  And yet even though Jesus has access to food, he does have empathy for the crowd.  

Jesus asks the disciples to give him their food.  He multiplies it so that all now have access to food, and Jesus requires his disciples to give this food to everyone.  The disciples must have a direct encounter with those in need, and they must provide for those needs out of their own resources.  This is the fundamental mission of the Church, and Jesus continually calls us out of our lives of comfort to provide for a world hungry and starving.  

This feeding is twofold.  First, it is literal food for physical sustenance.  But it is also the food of the Eucharist that we are to provide for a hungry world as well.  For too long we have hoarded both of these things - the material wealth of the world and the gift of Eucharist and communion.  The Lord Jesus has multiplied both for us so that we might distribute it to all so that none go hungry either in body or soul.  He continually calls us to this work each and every day. 

Religious Grandstanding

Gospel: Mark 7: 31-37

Time and again in the Gospels Jesus tells people not to tell anyone about the miracle he has provided them in their lives.  In today's reading the injunction is even more pronounced: he strictly ordered them to tell no one.  But we always know better than Jesus.  Look at all the people following us!  And look at all the money coming in!  Look all we can do with it all, and look at all the influence we can have with such a large following!

That's exactly why Jesus told us not to tell anyone.  Jesus is utterly indifferent to the crowds, and quite often he is leery of them.  They - we - want to make him a king, but that is not what he is about.  And how often did Jesus condemn the love of money and reprimand the rich!  Money was also not something Jesus trusted.  And we are more likely to spend that money on episcopal palaces and private jets for the pastor than we would on care for the poor.  

If we are not willing to obey Jesus in this particular matter, in what other areas will we find ourselves in opposition to him?  If we put in our lot with the crowds and moneyed interests, we will find ourselves demeaning the poor and the marginalized; scapegoating immigrants, refugees, and migrants; justifying violence of every kind.  And we will create a twisted theology to justify all these things so that we might still call ourselves Christians...