Religious Red Herrings

Gospel: Luke 13: 31-35

The Pharisees try to get rid of Jesus through a lie that they hope leads to fear in Jesus.  They tell him that Herod is seeking to kill him.  Jesus is not afraid.  He does not run away or cower.  He sees the lie for what it is.  Jesus reminds them that he must continue to go about healing people of their infirmities and liberating them from the demons that hold them bound in chains.  Fear and intimidation would not deter Jesus from this mission of love and care for others.

How often is it the case that religious authorities will consort with the powers of the world in order to prevent Jesus from his mission in our own day!  Time and again we see churchmen consort with political leaders in order to maintain their own power, influence, and wealth.  They would keep people in their infirmities and chained to their demons rather than risk losing their privileged status.  When one is more comfortable in the praetorium than a prison, then one is not following the Lord Jesus.

So today we have a lot to reflect upon both as individuals and as institutions.  Are we about the work of Jesus - healing, liberating, and feeding people through deeds of love and mercy?  Or are we about the work of the imperial powers of the world for the sake of our own status and power?  If the former, then the apron, towel, and basin are our daily tools.  If the latter, then they are mere props to be worn a time or two a year for optics.  

The Next Up

Gospel: Luke 6: 12-16

Jesus spent an entire night in prayer with God before selecting twelve individuals for a special task in being sent out to carry on his work in the world.  By now we know all too well their faults and misdeeds, both individual and collective.  This collection of men is unremarkable, coming from fishing towns, tax collector booths, and family members.  We might well wonder what criteria Jesus used in deciding who would carry on his work in the world.

Perhaps, though, there is no criteria, and perhaps that is the point.  Jesus chooses people almost at random, and the only criterion is whether they respond to the call.  There is work that has to be done.  People need to be healed.  They need to be liberated from their demons.  They need to be fed in body and soul.  Someone has to do this work, or else people will remain infirm, in bondage, and hungry.  The only criterion is whether we are willing and able to do the work.

Despite all their faults and failings, these people answered the call.  They wanted to do the work of Jesus in the world.  They had no special status or talents - and neither do we or anyone else.  Nothing can prepare a person for this work except following Jesus and watching what he does, imitating his example and carrying it out in our time and place.  The apostles and saints of the past stepped in to answer the call.  Now it is our turn.  We are the next ones up.   

What is the Kingdom Like?

Gospel: Luke 13: 18-21

Consider the mustard seed.  It is a tiny seed, but once planted, fed, and cultivated it becomes a large tree shrub that provides shelter and food for birds of all kinds.  This small, unassuming, and humble little seed somehow grows into this large entity.  Everything within that large tree shrub exists within that tiny little seed.  All that is needed for the transformation to take place is being embedded in the right soil and the proper cultivation.  

In the same way the kingdom of God within us is a tiny organism of faith.  It too is small, humble, and unassuming.  But given the right conditions and cultivation, this humble seed can grow to become a great entity with branches that provide shelter and nourishment for all.  The kingdom of God is not an exclusive club for the few, but rather a vast, wide tree with large branches that is open to all people who need shelter and food.  

If our faith is authentic, if we are on the right track in our pilgrimage to the kingdom of heaven, then our faith must mirror the mustard seed.  Our development must be along the lines of this parable.  Our growth in the spiritual life should be one of greater and greater expansion of love so that our branches extend outward to all, enabling everyone to nest and find nourishment.  Today's parable invites us to reflect on our development and growth of the kingdom of God within us.