27th Sunday Year B - Homily 3

Homily 3 - 2012

The Gospels tend to raise questions rather than answer them or lay own regulations.  Jesus aimed at getting people thinking for themselves, reflecting in their hearts, getting in touch with and forming their consciences.

Take last week's Gospel for example: "If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off".  That is not a regulation – but raises a question.  What is Jesus concerned about? What is he saying? What is he interested in?  Or take the second section of today's Gospel: "Anyone who does not welcome the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it".  It teases us, inviting us to think for ourselves.

What is Jesus concerned about?  Elsewhere in the Gospel, he says it is our intentions that are important.  Why? … because they are the indicators of the kind of person we are.  Why I do things is the crucial issue. What does my behaviour mean?  The Pharisees all did the right thing.   They all marched perfectly in step.  But Jesus constantly challenged them.  God's Kingdom is not about marching in step.

What is Jesus concerned about then? What do you think?  Essentially, I believe he is concerned about relationships: to live justly, to love tenderly, to walk humbly with your God – as he did.  He sees that as the way to personal maturity and blossoming, as well as to the development of the common good of society at large.

Life is complex.  Life in our twentieth century global world is becoming increasingly complex – much more complex than in rural Galilee of the first century where Jesus lived.

How do you understand today's Gospel?  Is it answers, regulations? or challenge to think and to reflect, and in  the process to form our consciences?  Why did Jesus say what he did? What was he hoping? What was his vision? What really mattered to him? What does it mean to live justly, to love tenderly, to walk humbly with your God in the area of married relationships?

I imagine that today's Gospel arouses strong responses, stirring deep  questions for many of you – perhaps for yourselves personally, or for ones close to you within the extended family.  It is touching very important, quite profound issues.

But your situations are all so different.  How do you work out what you think? Why are the questions important? What are the values at stake?  Where do I stand? Where do you stand? and why?

Where do I stand?  I don't believe that in a brief homily with such a diverse congregation, I can do justice to the important issues involved.  There is so much that I would like to reflect one, or talk about.  Even the Scriptural tradition itself is confused – but it would take too long to expound.  Given the complexity of people's lives, I am prepared, however, to talk with anyone and everyone seeking to clarify where they stand, searching and needing to be honest with themselves.

Jesus raised questions.   He stimulated reflection.  His aim always was not "people in step" but people listening for and responding honestly to the call of God in the various situations in which they found themselves.