Be a Servant Friend (Mk 10:1-12)

 

Today, the word “friend” covers a lot of territory.  Consider all those we call friends on our social media accounts.  This casual use of the word refers to people we associate with on a fairly routine basis, but would never reveal our secrets and private matters.  This is how Sirach identifies the many people we come to know in various ways, but do not count as friends in the truest sense.  For Sirach, friend is a term reserved for the faithful and trusted confidant who remains loyal through thick and thin, so to speak.  In Sirach’s view, a friend is a priceless treasure to be cherished as one in a thousand.

Faith and mutual trust are key elements in Sirach’s view of friend.  We see these same elements at work when Abram puts his faith and trust in the Lord.  The Book of Genesis records that “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called “the friend of God (Jm 2:23; Gen 15:6).  In other words, Abraham trusted God and put his faith in God, who trusted Abraham to remain his loyal friend.  Their mutual trust stemmed from the fact that God always keeps his promises, while Abraham was the faithful servant who always kept the Word of God.   

Faith and mutual trust are also the fundamental reason Jesus says to his disciples, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know what his master is doing.  I have called you friends because I have told you everything I have heard from my father” (Jn 15:15).  Jesus shared the secrets he learned from the Father with his disciples because his disciples had proven themselves to be trustworthy and faithful followers.  They believed in Jesus and he believed in them.  They were friends. 

Ironically, the friends of Jesus remain servants in spirit.  For, being a friend of Jesus and following his example means being a servant to all.  “I came to serve, not to be served,” Jesus tells his disciples (Mk 10:45).  Jesus emptied himself and took on the form of a slave out of love for his father and for us (Phil 2:7).  For this reason, Jesus calls his disciples friends because they keep his commandment to love and serve others by his example.

We learn from Jesus that a true servant and friend of God is someone who is in a relationship of trust with God, always serves him, and expects everything from him.  Under all circumstances, a servant of the Lord embraces his Word as a source of learning and knowledge to draw courage, strength, and guidance on how to live rightly.  Thus, a servant and friend of God wants to keep the word of God and serve Him alone (cf Ps 119).

Because of our faith in God, we too are the friends of Christ and servants of the Lord.  After all, we belong to God.  “He made us. We are his people, the flock he shepherds” (Ps 100:3).  Thus, we are no longer strangers to one another, but members of the same family and household of God (Ep 2:18-19).  

Our friendship with Christ is therefore an exalted position with great responsibility.  Jesus expects us to have an attitude of loving devotion to God and to one another.  We know what Jesus is about, and what he wants for us and for others.  We have learned from him what he learned from his father.  As challenging as it might be, carrying out our role as Servants of the Lord is made possible through our friendship with Jesus.  He trusts us to carry out his work in good faith, and we trust him to show us the way.

 

Find Yourself (Mk 8:34-9:1)

 

Jesus insists that those who wish to follow him must deny themselves.  To emphasize his point, he then calls into question the profit of gaining the whole world, and yet, lose one’s very self, one’s soul (Lk 9:25).  Answering that question will lead to an understanding of what Jesus means by self-denial.  There is an adage that hints at what Jesus has in mind in that regard:  “Shrouds do not have pockets.”  In other words, you can’t take it with you. 

By insisting on an attitude of self-denial, Jesus wants his followers to adopt a new way of being in the world by modeling our daily lives after his example.  We take on his spirit and his view of the world to pursue those things that have lasting value.  We pursue the values of God and live the truth in love (Eph 4:15).    

Taking on the values of God is to love others with real care and concern.  We know this includes love of enemy, avoiding violence and condemnation, being generous in our aid to others, giving up a desire for revenge (Mt 5:38-47).  During his earthly life, Jesus never returned insult for insult, nor did he threaten or intimidate others.  These are harmful, unloving ways of being in the world, and Jesus rejects all such behavior. 

On the other hand, following Jesus is to put on the mind of Christ and see things as Jesus sees them (Ph 2:5; Rm 13:14).  That attitude and orientation allows us to be the kind of person Jesus is—kind, compassionate and merciful toward others, especially the marginalized and vulnerable members of society.  With the mind of Christ, we in fact become a new creation.

The kind of self-denial Jesus expects from his followers is to refrain or abstain from any behavior, interest, pleasure or goal that separates and isolates us from God and our brothers and sisters.  We avoid all that impedes us from recognizing and seeing God’s activity in our lives and in our world.  This attitude relies on a view of creation as radically interconnected and bound together by the love of God.[1] 

In short, when Jesus calls into question the profit of gaining the whole world, he acknowledges the spiritual futility of a self-centered life that focuses on status, material wealth and social gain alone.  As a counter to that way of life, Jesus advocates for a way of life that involves self-denial in ways that foster a healthier relationship with God, with others, and with the whole of creation.[2] 

Ironically, this approach helps us find our true selves, the way God intends for us to be in the world.  We also discover the authentic way to live in peace and harmony with others and with creation.  Jesus makes this point with the claim that “whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it” (Mk 8:35).  Without exaggeration, the choice is literally between life and death (Dt 30:19).  Jesus hopes that we choose life.

 

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[1] See “The Deeper Meaning of Self-Denial” by Fr. Rene Constanza, CSP, Feb 25, 2013.

[2] Ibid

Pilgrims of Hope (Lk 6:17, 20-26)

 

Jesus challenges us with an unexpected contrast that he creates with the beatitudes.  He creates this contrast by first calling attention to those who suffer the lack of a basic need, and then guarantees that they will be satisfied.  Those who live in poverty, for example, are promised the kingdom of God.  The hungry will be satisfied.  Those who weep will laugh. 

These guarantees are, in effect, an offer of hope because Jesus says nothing about when their satisfaction will occur, just that it will.  Notice also that he does not restrict or limit in any way the hope he offers.  Jesus simply guarantees without regard to merit that all those without hope or whose hope is diminished will be satisfied at some point, if not in this life, then surely in the next.  Such hope in the Lord is the central focus of the beatitudes (cf Lam 3:25).

To complete the contrast, Jesus then offers a warning to those who ignore, or are insensitive, to the needs of others.  Jesus hopes that those who need the warning will heed the warning.  Jesus even provides a brief list of those who can benefit from such a warning.  His list leaves us wondering, however.  Does Jesus mean that all those who are now rich, or have plenty to eat, or now laugh, are slated to suffer?  Why would that be the case?  Why will all those who are now satisfied end up suffering?

We get a better idea of what Jesus means with his parable about the rich man and Lazarus (Lk 16:19-31).  In that parable, the rich man did not share even the scraps from his table with Lazarus, a poor and destitute man right outside the rich man’s door.  After Lazarus died, Lazarus found eternal comfort in the heavenly home of Abraham, while the rich man died and went to a place of endless torment.  Seeking pity for his misery, the rich man begged Abraham to send Lazarus with some water to relieve his thirst. 

Abraham informs the rich man that his request is futile because eternal misery is just deserts for his bad behavior in life.  Lazarus, on the other hand, deserves eternal comfort for the misery he suffered.  The rich man then implores Abraham to warn his brothers so they could avoid the same fate.  Abraham responds that his brothers have the prophets and the opportunity to follow the prophet’s counsel (Lk 16:31).

The prophet Isaiah, for example, says on behalf of the Lord, “If you lavish your food on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; then your light shall rise in the darkness, and your gloom shall become like midday; Then the Lord will guide you always and satisfy your thirst in parched places…” (Is 58:10-11).  The implication is that those who do good will experience good, but those who pursue vain and useless ends without regard to the needs of their neighbor can expect commensurate consequences for their failure to act (Ps 24:4). 

Today, most of us do not face such a challenge.  We usually do not lack compassion for those in need, especially the poor.  The word “poor” sug­gests a lack of financial resources for the necessities of life, but in reality, a person can be poor in many ways—a lack of nutritious food, clothing, or shel­ter, as well as a need for spiritual, emotional and psychological support.  When we are aware of those with such needs, our response is usually very generous.  A good example of just how generous we can be is the financial, physical, emotional, and spiritual help currently being provided to the victims of the California fires. 

Rather, the challenge we face today stems from the fact that the poor are often invisible to us.  Their invisibility is due largely to geographic, occupational and social barriers that block us from seeing each other.  We feel sympathy for people who need assistance, but they are often hidden from our view.  We simply do not see them.  They live someplace else.  Socially and geographically isolated, the poor are without name or face.  You cannot just look at a person and see their poverty.

Yet, those in need are the very ones Jesus urges us to love with real care and support.  In fact, “As Christians, we are called to respond to the needs of all our brothers and sisters, but those with the greatest needs require the greatest response” (Economic Justice for All, USCCB 1986, n16).  This perspective challenges us to uphold a different vision of life where each person’s worth is determined not by appearance or income or ethnic background.  Rather, because each person is created in the image and likeness of God, each of us has a sacred worth as an inviolable and unique gift of God (Gen 1:27). 

For this reason, Jesus reminds us in many ways that compassion and justice—especially for the least of his beloved—are holy commands from the One who created us.  How and when we meet the challenge posed by compassion and justice is a strategy that Jesus leaves up to each of us.  He simply urges us to do more than wish others well and send them on their way without the necessities of life (Jm 2:16).  Jesus expects us to take an active regard for our neighbor.  With compassion and justice as our guide, we can be beacons and pilgrims of hope for those in need (Is 1:17).

Realizing this goal is the aim of Pope Francis in declaring the current jubilee year opened last December 24^th a year of hope.  All hope derives from the desire and belief that good things will come our way, despite the uncertainty of the future.  Enduring uncertainty gives special meaning to the Christian hope that nothing can separate us from God’s love (Rm 8:31-39).

As St. Paul notes, this kind of hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been given to us through the Holy Spirit (Rm 5:5).  Hope always perseveres when founded on faith and nurtured by love of God and neighbor.  Whatever our state or status in life, we need faith, hope, and love to survive (St. Augustine, Sermon 198, 2).  For this reason, these three virtues are the heart of Christian life.

Pope Francis appeals to these virtues when he calls on all Christians to be pilgrims of hope wherever hope is strained—in prisons, in hospitals, and in places where a person’s dignity has been violated and where poverty and social decay are plenty (Spes non confundit, 7).  In such cases, Pope Francis urges us to “bear credible and attractive witness to the faith and love that dwell in our hearts; that our faith may be joyful and our charity enthusiastic.”

In his view, brining hope to others very often requires little more than a smile, a gesture of friendship, a kind look, a ready ear, a good deed.  These small gestures for those who receive them can become the rich seeds of hope, especially when offered in the Spirit of Jesus (Spes non confundit, 18).  In bringing hope to others even in small ways, they will know that God is with us—and that God is with them (Mic 6:8).

Guard Your Tongue (Mk 7:31-37)

 

Many years ago, my mother advised me to guard my tongue because my words might come back to haunt me.  It took me a while to figure out what she meant, but similar advice can be found in scripture.  “Be quick to hear and slow to speak,” St. James tells us (Jm 1:19).  The ability to hear and to speak are indeed powerful tools that can either create life, or ruin lives.  In a literal sense, our words can lead either to death or to life (Prov 21). 

Consider the words of Jesus: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world” (Jn 6:51; cf Mt 26:26-28).  These are powerful, life-giving words.  Given the creative power of the spoken word, is it any wonder that the people brought a deaf mute to Jesus for healing?

In fact, the power of the spoken word inspires the evangelist John to open his gospel with the claim that, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jn 1:1).  His claim calls to mind the book of Genesis where God creates all things by the spoken word; God said, and it was so.  John goes on to assert that “the Word became flesh and lived among us as the father’s only son, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14).  John aims to show that Jesus is the embodied Word of God who continues the life-giving work of the Father in truth and in Spirit (Jn 6:63; 4:24).

Jesus also points to the power of words when he tells the crowds that, “Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile” (Mk 7:15).  What comes out of a person are the hidden beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and intentions, both good and bad, that a person expresses in speech.  This idea motivates Paul to counsel the Ephesians that the word they have heard and were taught is reason enough to live a new life in the spirit of Christ.  Indeed, Paul asserts that “faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ” (Rm 10:17). 

For that reason, Paul says very plainly that we should speak the truth to each other, especially for the edification and support of those who need it.  To that end, Paul urges us to remove all bitterness, fury, anger, shouting and all malice from our speech.  Rather, Paul urges us to be kind, compassionate and forgiving of one another as God has forgiven us.  In other words, we must speak in a way that reflects the love of Christ (Eph 4:20-35). 

As it turns out, guarding my tongue, as my mother counselled long ago, is pretty good advice.  That practice enables us to avoid the criticism that Jesus made of the Pharisees: “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Mk 7:6).  We know that God hears the cry of the poor.  In that case, we hope to be among those who are blessed because they have heard the word of God and observed it (Lk 11:28; cf Jm 1:26; Ps 141:3). 

 

 

The God of Second Chances (Mk 6:14-29)

 

John gives his final witness for Jesus when he says to his disciples that “He must increase while I must decrease” (Jn 3:30).  In one sense, the mission of John the Baptist ended soon thereafter because Herod killed him.  In another sense, however, John’s mission continues to this day.  John described his mission with the words of the prophet Isaiah, “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord” (Is 40:3; Mk 1:2).  John’s strategy in accomplishing that task was to preach repentance (Mt 3:3).  Jesus repeats this same message to the people when he says, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt 4:17).

Because sin is part and parcel of the human fabric, there remains a need for repentance.  Thus, John’s mission continues.  Repentance is the renunciation of sin.  When we sin, we miss the mark and wander off the right path.  We miss the mark and wander off the right path when we follow and imitate false gods rather than the true God.

We get an idea of what a false god is in the Psalm that reads:  “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.  They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see; ears, but do not hear; hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk...”  In other words, objects of human making adored as having boundless value are really nothing but useless idols that cannot give life.  For that reason, the passage ends with the warning that “Those who make them become like them; as do all who trust in them” (Ps 115:4-8). 

A case in point is the golden calf made by the Israelites when they wandered in the desert.  Discouraged over their long sojourn, they lost faith in the true God and looked for another god to trust, one made from their own hands.  They handed over all their individual gold pieces that really had some practical value in exchange for an object that had no value, let alone the value of life. 

All of this is to say that sin is not simply a matter of breaking rules by doing this, or not doing that.  Rather, sin is a mindset, an orientation away from the true God of love toward a false god of illusion.  False gods are the illusions each of us holds dear, and each of us knows what those illusions are.  We know what captures our attention, and how we devote our time and energy.  There is a line to cross with legitimate attention and effort on one side and the illusion of idol worship on the other.  There is no rule of religion or theology that draws this line.  Each of us knows where the line is and when we cross it.  Making that determination is therefore a moral matter for each of us to decide (CCC 1782-89; CCC for Adults, p. 315)

When we choose to go in the wrong direction, however, God is still our hope, for he is a God of second chances eager to forgive our unfaithful behavior.  In fact, the word “pardon” first appears in the golden calf story when Moses says to God, “If I find favor with you, Lord, please…pardon our wickedness and sins, and claim us as your own.”  God does as Moses requests, thus revealing himself to be a God of mercy and forgiveness (Num 14:20).  Awareness of such a loving and merciful God is often the inspiration we need to remain faithful and avoid handing ourselves over to useless idols and false gods. 

Stay the Course (Mk 6:14-29)

John gives his final witness for Jesus when he says to his disciples that “He must increase while I must decrease” (Jn 3:30).  In one sense, the mission of John the Baptist ended soon thereafter because Herod killed him.  In another sense, however, John’s mission continues to this day.  John described his mission with the words of the prophet Isaiah, “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, make straight the way of the Lord” (Is 40:3; Mk 1:2).  John’s strategy in accomplishing that task was to preach repentance (Mt 3:3).  Jesus repeats this same message to the people when he says, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt 4:17).

Repentance is the renunciation of sin, and because sin is part and parcel of the human fabric, there remains a need for repentance.  Thus, John's mission continues.  The word “sin” literally means to miss the mark, to wander off the right path.  We miss the mark and wander off the right path when we follow and imitate false gods rather than the true God.

So, what is a false god?   We find a hint in the Psalm that reads:  “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.  They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see; ears, but do not hear; hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk...”  The meaning is clear.  Objects of human making adored as having boundless value are really nothing but lifeless idols that cannot give life.  For that reason, the passage ends with the warning that “Those who make them become like them; as do all who trust in them” (Ps 115:4-8). 

A case in point is the golden calf made by the Israelites when they wandered in the desert.  Discouraged over their long sojourn, they lost faith in the true God and looked for another god to trust, one made from their own hands.  To that end, Aaron collected all their gold pieces and fashioned a golden calf for the people to adore as though it had life-giving power.  Oddly enough, they handed over all their individual gold pieces that really had some practical value in exchange for an object that had no value, let alone the value of life.  This is one reason why John advises the early Christians to stay away from idols of any kind (1 Jn 5:21).

All of this is to say that sin is more than simply breaking rules by doing this, or not doing that.  Rather, sin is a mindset, an orientation away from the true God of love toward a false god.  In modern terms, false gods are the illusions each of us holds dear, and each of us knows what those illusions are.  We know what captures our attention, what we rely on, and how we devote our time and energy.  There is a line to cross with legitimate attention and effort on one side and the illusion of idol worship on the other.  There is no rule of religion or theology that draws this line.  Each of us knows where the line is and when we cross it.  Making that determination is therefore a moral matter for each of us to decide (cf. CCC 1782-89; CCC for Adults, p. 315)

When we choose to go in the wrong direction, God is still our hope, for he is a God of second chances who is eager to forgive our unfaithful behavior.  In fact, the word “pardon” first appears in the golden calf story when Moses says to God, “If I find favor with you, Lord, please…pardon our wickedness and sins, and claim us as your own.”  God does as Moses requests, thus revealing himself to be a God of mercy and forgiveness (Num 14:20).  Awareness of such a loving and merciful God is often the inspiration we need to remain faithful and avoid handing ourselves over to useless idols and false gods.