Human Depravity

Gospel: Matthew 11: 20-24

In the Old Testament the characterization of God and mercy was that a person had to perform a certain action before receiving mercy, e.g. sacrifice a bull or such.  Or, mercy would be extended only after a harsh punishment was placed upon the people such as a plague or exile.  People would alter behavior, but only to avoid pain.  Little evidence exists that the change was deep-seeded.  It was certainly not long lasting as this cycle repeated itself over and over again.

Jesus takes a different approach.  He extends mercy in the hopes that people will respond deeply to his offer of love.  In today's Gospel portion he laments the fact that such has not been the case.  People are healed, demons are removed, people are fed and nourished.  Yet, little change of behavior can be observed.  This reality says far more about our human depravity than it does about the approaches to such depravity noted above.  No matter what the approach, we humans continue on our wayward way.

We human beings might speak of progress in our race with little actual evidence to suggest such is actually the case.  The body counts, the corruption, the hypocrisy all point to a different conclusion.  We may have progressed in our technology and the like, but our moral progress as a species has not moved positively in a forward direction.  We might well wonder what difference Jesus has made.  Only those who have responded to his love and mercy can say for sure.  It is the only solution to our human depravity.

Peacemakers Amid War

Gospel: Matthew 10: 34-11: 1

It is ironic that the message the disciples are to bring to towns and villages - "Peace be with you" - will be greeted by war and division.  The ministry of Jesus and that of the disciples is to proclaim peace, to bring the reconciliation of God to all peoples and all relationships. Yet, wherever this message goes it is greeted by opposition and rejection.  Sometimes this opposition causes the disciple to doubt and become discouraged at times in the midst of the work.

Yet, we recall that we began this journey with the Beatitudes, that we are called to be peacemakers, called to be merciful, meek, pure of heart, hungering for justice, empathetic, and patient in suffering and persecution.  The task of the disciple is not to engage in war and conflict at all.  It is to be about the deeds of mercy, the posture of meekness and empathy as we proclaim peace and work for justice in a world lacking ever so much in both.

We also recall the human propensity to prefer darkness to light, that the crowd voted for Barabbas and the path of revolution and violence over the person of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.  If such choices were made in those days it can be of no surprise that those same choices are made in our own day.  The task remains unchanged for us: we are to be about the Beatitudes, to proclaim peace and extend mercy as we make our way through the pilgrimage of our lives on earth. 

A Measuring Stick

Gospel: Matthew 13: 1-9

The Parable of the Sower is the only one where an explanation is provided afterward by Jesus.  All the other parables are left alone to be pondered and discerned.  It is likely that this parable too was originally like all the others, and that an explanatory note was added afterward.  The explanation of the parable can be seen as deterministic - that we are born a certain way with a certain outcome of our lives already preset.  But such is not the case.

The parable as it is provides us the opportunity for reflection and examination throughout our lives.  At this moment in my life, what is the state of my soul? At times we find ourselves choked off by thorns.  At other times we feel flashes of growth only to see it wither, while still other times we feel no growth at all.  We rejoice at the moments in life where we do sense real depth of progress.  And it may be that various parts of our spiritual life may be experiencing different things simultaneously.

The Parable of the Sower can then be used as a measuring stick to gauge our progress.  It is a parable for us to return to again and again to see if the Beatitudes have taken root in my life, if the flowers of mercy, meekness, purity of heart, peacemaking, righteousness, and patient suffering have emerged and grown.  God has generously strewn these seeds in the garden of our souls.  It is for us to continually check the garden for growth and progress.