Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today's Scripture

It is very risky for me to preach about the readings for today’s liturgy. It is risky for two reasons. First, these readings challenge the way modern society is constructed. Society legitimately ignores the weakest among us. On the contrary, today’s readings seem to suggest that exclusion, self-righteousness, and putting limits on God’s generosity and love are contrary to God’s will. Second, issues such as life, immigration and health care is polarizing our society in serious ways. In this contemporary scenario, preaching against exclusion and preaching peace and love is risky. I am sure that there are people in this congregation who represent every shade of opinion. And yet the gospel must be proclaimed.

Today’s readings are about exclusion and inclusion. In the first reading, God gives the gift of prophecy to Eldad and Medad – two people not among the seventy that were set apart as prophets. Some complained about this, others got upset and Joshua tried to put pressure of Moses to stop them from prophesying. Moses confronts the exclusivism of these men and opens their mind to the wideness of God’s immense gifts. We see a similar instance in the gospel reading. The disciples are upset that some “non-disciples” were driving out demons in the name of Jesus. I get the impression that the non-disciples were even successful. Once again, Jesus confronts the exclusivism of the disciples. “Do not prevent them,” Jesus says, “…For whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mk 9:39-40). The tragedy of Jesus life is that he himself was taken outside the city and crucified as an excluded criminal. In spite of this, Jesus did not exclude his enemies but brought them in prayer before the Father. Jesus did what he preached – just as he asked his disciples to cut off their hands if they caused them to sin, he cut off everything that would lead him into the sin of unforgiveness and exclusion. The second reading speaks of another kind of exclusion and I will deal with this in the practical implications.  

Here are three practical implications that I would like to draw from today’s readings:

a)    If we look at the history of the world, we see those people and movements that built walls of exclusion and those that destroyed the walls of exclusion. Someone somewhere began the caste system; someone somewhere came up with racism; someone somewhere decided to employ ethnic cleansing; someone somewhere decided to exploit another person for profit. But then there were also those who refused to hide behind these walls of division; First and foremost among them is Jesus, the Son of God. Not only does he refuse to exclude the sinners but he broke down the walls of separation between God and humanity. As a result, all of humanity is now welcomed into intimacy with God. There were others too who preached social inclusion - Buddha, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Dorothy Day and Archbishop Romero. What side of humanity are we on? In our attitudes, in our conversation, in our work and in our worship let us make a commitment to destroy the dynamics of exclusion played out in our society.  

b)    Let me now talk about the second reading. St James addresses the wall of exclusion that existed between the rich and the poor in his community. His words are harsh. Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries. Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire. You have stored up treasure for the last days.”  (Jam 5:1-3). Not only are there wide disparities between the rich and poor countries but just in the United States alone 2.5 million people went under the poverty line in just the last five years. Being rich is not the sin. But being insensitive to needs of the poor is sin. If wealth becomes the cause for exclusion, for judgment, for selfishness, for self aggrandizement, then there is sin. If affluence does not make people sensitive to other peoples’ needs, then the separation that they create becomes the sin. A number of issues come to my mind. If minimum wage is $7.25 cents yet CEO bonuses top at $ 40 million, then we have a problem. The fact that top bankers receive millions of dollars in bonuses while worker health insurance becomes unaffordable is a sin. The fact that poor laborers are exploited in developing countries so that we can shop cheaper in richer countries is a sin. In our own personal lives we have to make room for those in need.

c)     I would like to return to the theme of radical discipleship. Jesus says some very radical stuff in today’s gospel reading. “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one hand, one foot and one eye than with two…. "(Mk 9:42-47). In these words, Jesus invites us to take our discipleship to the next level. We are being called not just to discipleship. We are being called to Radical Discipleship. This week let us radically think like Jesus, talk like Jesus and act like Jesus. This week, then, let us radically be on the side of life. This week let us radically include our enemies in our prayers. This week let us radically include the poor in our live. This week let us radically keep God in our consciousness. This week let us bring God into the very centre of everything we do. This week let us think like Jesus, talk like Jesus, act like Jesus – radically.

The Eucharist is a radical event. The Eucharist is radical giving. The Eucharist is radical love. As we participate in the Eucharist let our lives reflect the thought, words and actions of Jesus. Amen

-          Fr. Satish Joseph