HOMILY FOR  7TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME-B

WHILE THERE ARE MANY LESSONS THAT CAN BE GAINED FROM TODAY’S READINGS, I WANT TO FOCUS IN ON TWO THAT COME FROM TODAY’S GOSPEL.  THE FIRST LESSON IS THAT THE FACT THAT GOD BECAME MAN, THE CRITICAL FACT THAT JESUS EXISTED, MEANS WE HAVE TO REEXAMINE ALL OF OUR ATTITUDES AND BELIEFS, ALL THE IDEAS WE HOLD DEAR, AND, IN FACT, ALL OF WHAT WE THINK WE KNOW IN THE LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT GOD CAME TO EARTH.  THE EARTH IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE OF THAT AN.  THE SECOND LESSON IS THAT FAITH, OUR FAITH, THE FAITH THAT GOT US HERE THIS MORNING IN THIS BUILDING IS NOT SOMETHING WE CAN TAKE SOLE CREDIT FOR.  WE ARE STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF THE CHRISTIANS WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE US.

TODAY’S GOSPEL FROM THE SECOND CHAPTER OF MARK IS ACTUALLY PART OF A BIGGER MESSAGE THAT THE LORD IS HAVING MARK CONVEY TO US.  THE TOWN OF CAPERNAUM IS WHERE THE ACTION IS.  JESUS IS THERE AND DOES 5 THINGS THAT SHAKE UP THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES.  ONE, HE CURES AND EXPELS DEMONS; TWO, HE FORGIVES SINS; THREE, HE EATS WITH SINNERS; FOUR, HE DOESN’T MAKE HIS DISCIPLES FAST WHEN EVERYONE ELSE IS; AND FINALLY, HE ALLOWS HIS DISCIPLES TO PICK CORN ON THE SABBATH.

JESUS JUST DOESN’T FIT THAT PACKAGE THAT EVERYONE WANTS TO PUT HIM IN.  WHAT THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES DON’T REALIZE IS THAT JESUS HAS BROKEN THE MOLD.  THE WAY MARK PUTS IT LATER IN THE CHAPTER IS THAT JESUS AND HIS TEACHINGS ARE NEW WINE AND THE OLD WINE SKINS JUST CAN’T CONTAIN THIS NEW POTENT AND HEADY WINE.  IT’S A NEW WORLD NOW, A WORLD WITH AN INCARNATE GOD.  THE OLD WAYS OF THINKING JUST DON’T FIT ANY MORE.  OLD IDEAS HAVE TO BE OVERTURNED AND EVERYTHING REEVALUATED BECAUSE OF JESUS.

WE ARE CHALLENGED THE SAME WAY THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES WERE.  MARK IS TELLING US WE HAVE TO EVALUATE OUR IDEAS, IN FACT OUR VERY LIVES, IN THE LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT JESUS LIVED AND DIED FOR US.

DO WE HAVE A FAVORITE LITTLE PREJUDICE?  JESUS DIDN’T SEEM TO LIKE PREJUDICES.  DO WE PUT RULES AHEAD OF PEOPLE’S WELFARE?  JESUS DIDN’T LIKE THAT EITHER.  THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT WE MUST HAVE THE INCARNATION, MUST HAVE JESUS, AS THE AXIS, THE ORGANIZING PRINCIPLE, OF OUR LIVES.
YOU KNOW THERE IS A HORRIBLE IRONY IN TODAY’S GOSPEL.  THE SCRIBES AND PHARISESS SAW JESUS FORGIVE THE SINS OF THE PARALYTIC AND SAID “WHO BUT GOD CAN CURE SINS?”  EXACTLY!  THEY WERE DEALING WITH GOD AND JUST DIDN’T RECOGNIZE IT.  THEY WANTED GOD TO FIT THEIR IDEAS AND, SINCE HE DIDN’T, THEY FAILED TO RECOGNIZE HIM ALTHOUGH THEY WERE STARING HIM IN THE FACE.  THEY MISSED THE MAIN CHANCE.  HOPEFULLY, WE’RE SMARTER AND MORE BLESSED.

THE SECOND LESSON WE CAN GET FROM TODAY’S GOSPEL IS THAT WE DON’T DO IT ON OUR OWN.  IN TODAY’S GOSPEL THE PARALYTIC HAD CURED OF HIS DISEASE AND HAD HIS SINS FORGIVEN.  BUT THAT HAPPENED NOT BECAUSE OF ANYTHING THE PARALYTIC DID.  THE GOSPEL SAYS THE PARALYTIC WAS NOT CURED BECAUSE OF HIS FAITH BUT BECAUSE OF THE FAITH OF THOSE WHO BOUGHT HIM TO CHRIST.  THE SAME THING IS TRUE OF US.  WE WOULD NOT BE HERE BUT FOR THE FAITH OF THOSE WHO WENT BEFORE US, THE WELL-KNOWN AND THE UNKNOWN, THE FAMOUS SAINT AND THE PERSON WHOSE NAME IS FORGOTTEN BUT WHO SACRIFICED AND PUT MONEY IN THE COLLECTION PLATE TO BUILD THIS CHURCH MANY YEARS AGO.  WHILE FORGOTTEN ON EARTH THEY ARE REMEMBERED BY THE LORD.

LIKEWISE IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO INTRODUCE OTHERS TO THE FAITH.  IN MARRIAGE, HUSBAND AND WIFE ARE TO LEAD EACH OTHER TO CHRIST.  PARENTS HAVE THAT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR CHILDREN.  AND WE ALL HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO ATTRACT PEOPLE TO CHRIST BY OUR SACRIFICE AND BEHAVIOR.

WE ARE NOT IN THIS ALONE.  WE ARE IN THIS AS THE BODY OF CHRIST AND IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THE BODY OF CHRIST NOT ONLY MAINTAINS ITS HEALTH BUT ALSO GROWS.