26TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B ~ SEPTEMBER 29, 2024

ARE WE WITH JESUS?

The last we learnt from the Lord about humility and service as we not only welcome other people but through him, God the Father is being welcomed in our lives. In our present times maybe we’re afraid to share our faith because we don’t know what to say. Or maybe we’re sharing the Gospel, but nothing is happening; people aren’t committing their lives to Christ. St. Paul appreciates the faith of Philemon by saying “When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus. I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ. I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother”.  Are we doing something wrong about sharing Jesus with other?

A popular speaker started off a seminar by holding up a $20 bill. A crowd of 200 had gathered to hear him speak. He asked, “Who would like this $20 bill?”

200 hands went up.

He said, “I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this.” He crumpled the bill up.

He then asked, “Who still wants it?”

All 200 hands were still raised.

“Well,” he replied, “What if I do this?” Then he dropped the bill on the ground and stomped on it with his shoes.

He picked it up and showed it to the crowd. The bill was all crumpled and dirty.

“Now who still wants it?”

All the hands still went up.

“My friends, I have just showed you a very important lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. Many times, in our lives, life crumples us and grinds us into the dirt. We make bad decisions or deal with poor circumstances. We feel worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. You are special – Don’t ever forget it!

We can’t open someone’s heart to the truth of the Gospel—but God can, by His Spirit. The Apostle Paul wasn’t eloquent, but God used him because he depended on the Holy Spirit to guide him (1 Corinthians 2:1-5). God guided many others in the Bible as well—like Moses, who at first asked God to get someone else to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land, or Jonah, who didn’t think the wicked Ninevites deserved God’s mercy and tried to run the other way.

Remember that God does not call the equipped; He equips the called or he does not call the qualified but qualified the called—and as Christians, we are all called to share what Christ has done.  Christ’s last words on earth were, “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Sharing our faith isn’t just a suggestion, it’s a command. And God is with us when we obey Him.

One day, a man walked into his doctor’s office complaining…” Doctor, I have this awful headache that won’t go away. Please, could you give me a prescription for it?”

“I will,” murmured the doctor, pondering what had set off his usually calm patient. “But first, I want to check out a few things and ask you a few questions… Tell me, do you drink a lot of alcohol?” “Alcohol?” the man shouted back indignantly. “I never touch that filthy stuff. Nor do I go near people who drink it. All filthy!”

“How about smoking?” the doctor calmly inquired. “I think smoking is disgusting. I’ve never touched tobacco in my life.” “Okay,” the doctor continued, “I’m a bit embarrassed to even ask this, but… Do you run around at night seeking dangerous pleasures?” “Of course not! What do you take me for? I’m a highly spiritual and disciplined man, and I’m in bed by 10 o’clock every night.” The man spat back.

“Then, tell me…” said the doctor, “This pain in your head, is it a sharp, shooting kind of pain?” “Yes, yes!” The man eagerly replied, his eyes lighting up… “It is… a sharp, shooting kind of pain.” “Well, that’s simple, my dear fellow!” the doctor replied with a smile on his face. “The trouble is that you have your halo on too tight. All we need to do for you is loosen it up a bit; loosen you up a bit! Avoid the bad habits I mentioned earlier and enjoy some innocent pleasures in life – Create some balance. Let go of the rigidity. Live and share yourself with other and you will enjoy your life and there will be no headache at all.”

We get sick of people; we get headaches from thinking too much negative about other and sometimes we lose sleep because we are too concerned about the well being of others, rather than looking deep into our lives. What should we do then? One of the best ways to share our faith is to live a godly life. Non-Christians often look at Christians as hypocritical because we say one thing but do another. Show those close to you that you care—spend time with them, help meet their needs and offer to listen when they have problems. As St. Paul says in the Letter to Philippians “Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel”.  We might not be able to answer all of their questions, but they can’t deny the reality of what Christ has done in our life. If we find this is hard to do, perhaps God is speaking to us about our own need to walk more closely with Him every day.

Another important part of sharing our faith is to pray for those we interact with. If we can’t think of anyone who isn’t a Christian, pray for God to place someone in our life who needs Him. Also make a habit of reading the Bible, praying, and going to church. These things shouldn’t be done for attention or for the sake of doing them, but to help us grow in our own faith. Being passionate about Christ will help others see that there’s something different about us, and they will want to know what it is. We can also reflect Christ through kind words, patience, a gentle temperament, choosing to love even difficult people, carefully monitoring what we watch or listen to, and treating others with respect.

In the First Reading we read that Spirit is being shared with seventy elders to prophesy. God gives us his spirit not only to live but proclaim his presence among the nations. Jesus before his passion, promised his disciples that they will be an Advocate or helper who will teach them what to say and do. In his epistles St. Paul speaks about the Holy Spirit who not only prays or intercedes for us but also helps us to call God “Abba” Father. We must always pray with King David “Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me” so that we may always learn to witness him.

In the Second Reading St. James is encouraging all of us to share what God has given us with other people. God has blessed us not only with worldly blessings but also with a lot of gifts and talents to share with other people. But sometimes we act in a non-Christian way like in the following story:

Once upon a time, there was a painter who had just completed his course. He took three days and painted beautiful scenery. He wanted people’s opinion about his caliber and his painting skills. He displayed his creation at a busy street crossing. Next to it was a caption, which read – “I have painted this piece. Since I’m new to this profession I might have committed some mistakes in my strokes. Please put a cross wherever you see a mistake.”

When he came back in the evening to collect his painting, he was completely shattered to see that the whole canvass was filled with Xs (crosses). Some people had even written their comments on the painting! Disheartened and completely broken, he ran to his master’s place and burst into tears. The young artist was breathing heavily, and master heard him saying, “I’m useless. And if this is what I have learnt to paint, I’m not worth becoming a painter. People have rejected me completely. I feel like dying,”

The Master smiled and suggested, “My Son, I will prove that you are a great artist and have learnt flawless painting. Do as I say without questioning it. It WILL work.” The young artist reluctantly agreed. Two days later, early morning he presented a replica of his earlier painting to his master. The Master took it gracefully and smiled. “Come with me.” the Master said. They reached the same street square and displayed the same painting exactly at the same place. Now the Master took out another board, which read –

“Gentlemen, I have painted this piece. Since I’m new to this profession I might have committed some mistakes in my strokes etc. I have put a box with colors and brushes just below. Please do me a favor. If you see a mistake, kindly pick up the brush and correct it.”

The Master and disciple walked back home. Both returned in the evening. The young painter was surprised to see that there was not a single correction made so far. Again, the next day they came back and found the painting untouched. The painting was kept there for a month. No correction came in!

This Sunday’s Gospel presents us with one of those characteristics that are very instructive about Jesus’ life with his disciples. They had seen a man who did not belong to the group of Jesus’ followers casting out demons in Jesus’ name, and thus they wanted to forbid him to do so. With the zealous enthusiasm typical of young people, John refers the matter to the Teacher, seeking his support. However, quite to the contrary, Jesus replies: “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us”. Don’t we act sometimes like John to stop people to do good?

John and the other disciples display a ‘closed’ attitude when faced with a circumstance that does not fit with their programme, in this case the action, although good of a person ‘outside’ the circle of followers. Jesus on the other hand, appears very free, fully open to the freedom of the Spirit of God, whose actions are not limited by any confines nor boundaries. Jesus wants to educate his disciples and us today on this inner freedom.

It is good for us to reflect on this episode and to perform a small examination of conscience. The disciples’ attitude is very human, very common, and we can observe this in Christian communities throughout history, probably in ourselves as well. In good faith, indeed with zeal, one would like to protect the authenticity of a certain experience, safeguarding the founder or leader from false impersonators. But at the same time, there is a sort of fear of ‘competition’ — and this is bad: the fear of competition, that someone may steal new followers, and we are thus unable to appreciate the good that others do: it is not good because he is ‘not one of us’, they say. And the Church, Pope Benedict used to say “does not grow through proselytism; it grows by attraction, that is, it grows by bearing witness to others with the strength of the Holy Spirit.

God’s great freedom in giving himself to us represents a challenge and an exhortation to modify our behaviours and our relationships. It is the invitation which Jesus addresses to us today. He calls us not to think according to the categories of ‘friend/enemy’, ‘us/them’, ‘those who are in/those who are out’, ‘mine/yours’, but rather to go beyond, to open our heart to be able to recognize God’s presence and action, even in unusual and unpredictable environments that are not part of our circle. It is a matter of being more attentive to the authenticity of the good, the beautiful and the true that is done, rather than to the name and the origin of the one who does it. And as the remaining part of the Gospel suggests to us today instead of judging others, we must examine ourselves and ‘sever’, without compromise, all that can scandalize those persons who are weakest in faith.

Jesus stresses on the act of charity that we must be open to share and regard people who share their blessings with us. And, on the other hand, warns us to be careful from becoming stumbling block for other. The lives of saints in our catholic faith are examples of sharing Jesus with other without putting other people down. The instructions of Jesus in the Gospel come with hard applications to learn that God has called us to share his love with other to attain eternal life.  Jesus visits us everyday in different way but do we recognize him? 

One day, I woke early in the morning to watch the sunrise. Ah! … the beauty of God’s creation is beyond description. As I watched, I praised God for His beautiful work. As I sat there, I felt the Lord’s presence with me. He asked me, “Do you love me?” I answered, “Of course, God! You are my Lord and Saviour!”

Then He asked, “If you were physically handicapped, would you still love me?”

I was perplexed. I looked down upon my arms, legs and the rest of my body and wondered how many things I wouldn’t be able to do and thought about the things that I take for granted. I answered, “It would be tough Lord, but I would still love You.”

Then the Lord said, “If you were blind, would you still love my creation?”

How could I love something without being able to see it? Then I thought of all the blind people in the world and how many of them still loved God and His creation. So I answered, “It’s hard to think of it, but I would still love you.”

The Lord then asked me, “If you were deaf, would you still listen to my word?”

How could I listen to anything being deaf? Then I understood. Listening to God’s Word is not merely using our ears, but our hearts. I answered, “It would be tough, but I would still listen to Your word.”

The Lord then asked, “If you were mute, would you still praise My Name?”

How could I praise without a voice? Then it occurred to me, God wants us to sing from our very hearts and souls. It never matters what we sound like. And praising God is not always with a song, but when we are persecuted, we give God praise with our words of thanks. So I answered, “Though I could not physically sing, I would still praise Your Name.”

And the Lord asked, “Do you really love Me?”

With courage and a strong conviction, I answered boldly, “Yes Lord! I love You because You are the one and true God!”

I thought I had answered well, but God asked, “Then why do you sin?”

I answered, “Because I am only human. I am not perfect.”

“Then why in times of peace do you stray the furthest? Why only in times of trouble do you pray the earnest?”

I had no answers … only tears.

The Lord continued. “Why only sing at fellowships and retreats? Why seek Me only in times of worship? Why ask things so selfishly? Why ask things so unfaithfully?”

The tears continued to roll down my cheeks. “Why are you ashamed of Me? Why are you not spreading the good news? Why in times of persecution, you cry to others when I offer My shoulder to cry on? Why make excuses when I give you opportunities to serve in My Name?”

“You are blessed with life. I made you not to throw this gift away. I have blessed you with talents to serve Me, but you continue to turn away. I have revealed My Word to you, but you do not gain in knowledge. I have spoken to you, but your ears were closed. I have shown My blessings to you, but your eyes were turned away. I have heard your prayers, and I have answered them all. Do you truly love me?

I could not answer. How could I? I was embarrassed beyond belief. I had no excuse. What could I say to this? When my heart had cried out and the tears had flowed, I said, “Please forgive me Lord. I am unworthy to be Your child.”

The Lord answered, “That is My Grace, My child.”

I asked, “Then why do you continue to forgive me? Why do You love me so?”

The Lord answered, ” Because you are My creation. You are my child. I will never abandon you. When you cry, I will have compassion and cry with you. When you shout with joy, I will laugh with you. When you are down, I will encourage you. When you fall, I will raise you up. When you are tired, I will carry you. I will be with you until the end of days, and I will love you forever.”

Never had I cried so hard before. How could I have been so cold? How could I have hurt God as I had done? I asked God, “How much do You love me?”

The Lord stretched out His arms, and I saw His nail-pierced hands. I bowed down at the feet of Christ, my Savior. And for the first time, I truly prayed.

Are we with Jesus or against him?

Other Sermons In This Series

Solemnity of Holy Trinity Year A ~ June 4, 2023

June 02, 2023

3rd Sunday of Lent Year A ~ March 12, 2023

March 10, 2023

5th Sunday of Lent Year B ~ March 17, 2024

March 14, 2024