{"id":2830,"date":"2014-07-21T19:23:25","date_gmt":"2014-07-21T19:23:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/?page_id=2830"},"modified":"2022-01-12T11:39:42","modified_gmt":"2022-01-12T16:39:42","slug":"b-26th-sunday-in-ordinary-time","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/homilies\/cycle-b\/b-26th-sunday-in-ordinary-time\/","title":{"rendered":"B: 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cutting Off What Kills<\/strong><\/h2>\n
September 28, 2003<\/h5>\n

Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48<\/h3>\n

\u00a0Louise had been married to Tom for seven years. It wasn\u2019t easy. Like most couples their marriage began romantically enough. But soon it became apparent to Louise that Tom had a drinking problem. When he came home drunk, which became more and more frequent, he became abusive. At first it was only verbal, but then it became physical as well. On several occasions Louise required medical attention and found herself making up stories to disguise the real source of her bruises from the doctors: \u201cOh, I fell down a flight of stairs,\u201d or, \u201cI walked into a door.\u201d<\/p>\n

On one occasion Tom came home particularly inebriated. He flew into a violent rage and began to throw things around the house. Their four year old son, who was awoken from his sleep, came into the room. Louise saw Tom\u2019s anger when he saw the child. He took a step towards the boy but then checked himself and retreated into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. As she picked up her son to console him, Louise could not forget the anger in Tom\u2019s eyes. Surprisingly, for the first time in her life she realized that the violence which was usually directed against her could affect her son as well.\u00a0That very night after Tom had fallen asleep, she took her son with her in the car and drove to a women\u2019s shelter. A very painful divorce followed, but Louise never looked back. In the months and years that followed as she talked to counselors and friends, they often asked her, \u201cWhy did you stay with Tom as long as you did?\u201d Louise would always give the same answer: \u201cBefore I realized that he could hurt my son, I couldn\u2019t imagine leaving Tom. Divorcing him was like rejecting a part of myself. It would have been like cutting off my hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sometimes the things that most endanger us appear to us as normal and acceptable. Sometimes the greatest threats to our lives are the things that seem a part of our very selves. Therefore the thought of leaving those things behind is unthinkable, impossible for us to imagine. It is for this reason that Jesus uses such shocking language in today\u2019s Gospel. He suggests that we cut off our hand or our foot or pluck out our eye. Jesus knows that at times there are things in our life that need to end. And even though it seems like we are cutting off a piece of ourselves, refusing to take that step would endanger something of even greater value.<\/p>\n

We might love our work. We might thrill to the excitement of accomplishing things and finding success in our job. But if the energy and time that we put into our work begins to strangle our relationship with our spouse and our children, then we might need to change our job or at least the way that we do it. That possibility might seem like eliminating a very part of ourselves. Yet it would be better to do that than to continue to work full throttle and lose our family in the process.\u00a0There may be somebody in our life who consistently manipulates us and tears us down. It could be a relative, a friend, perhaps even a parent. If, after repeated attempts to correct that relationship, we realize that this person will never change, we might have to sever ties with the one who hurts us. Although that might seem like tearing out the fabric of our lives, it would be worse to find ourselves sinking into depression or losing our mental health.\u00a0We might recognize that we have an addiction to alcohol, to drugs, to excessive overeating. It might become clear that if we are to remain healthy we need to stop the addiction. To stop, however, might seem impossible, like cutting off our hand. Yet it would worse to let that addiction control us and possibly destroy us.<\/p>\n

Jesus uses such strong language in today\u2019s gospel because he knows that removing deadly things from our life is not easy. It is like losing a piece of ourselves. He also understands that taking such strong action is not possible by willpower alone. God\u2019s grace is necessary.<\/p>\n

Here is where the good news emerges. For we believe in a God who calls us to life and happiness. We believe in a God who will assist us when we need to make hard decisions and attain those things that God has promised. We might have to wait for the right moment, but we as a people believe that God will not abandon us. We believe that God will be there to give us the strength we need to move towards life. Louise found that right moment and she seized it to save herself and her child. We need to believe that God is with us and will give us what we need to control our overwork, to protect ourselves from manipulation, to say \u201cNo\u201d to that next drink. These threats might seem so much a part of us that removing them might feel like cutting off a limb or plucking out an eye, but with God\u2019s help it can be done. For with God all things are possible.<\/p>\n

Standing on God\u2019s Side<\/strong><\/h2>\n
October 1, 2006<\/h5>\n

Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47\u201348<\/h3>\n

At the height of the American Civil War, Abraham Lincoln was invited to address a large gathering of Union Forces who were rallying in support of the war.\u00a0 The emcee who introduced the president asked him to come forward and the lead the assembly in a prayer that God might be on the Union side and help win the war.\u00a0 Lincoln came up to the podium and the first thing he said was \u201cSir, I am not really concerned about whether God is on our side. I am very concerned whether we are on God\u2019s side.\u201d<\/p>\n

We all want God to be on our side.\u00a0 But how do we be on God\u2019s side?\u00a0 What does that mean?\u00a0 Today\u2019s readings reveal two truths about God\u2019s side.\u00a0 The first is this.\u00a0 God\u2019s side is always bigger then our side.\u00a0 We spend a lot of time making decisions that separate good from bad; people we trust from those we do not trust; those with whom we identify and those from whom we will push away.\u00a0 Making such decisions is necessary.\u00a0 We live in a dangerous world.\u00a0 There are things in our world which can hurt us. We need to make decisions which will protect ourselves, our family, and our country.\u00a0 But once we have made those important and necessary decisions, once we have grouped together all the people who we deem as good and those we can trust, the believer in Christ always has to admit that the group that God would draw together as good and worthy is larger than our group.<\/p>\n

God sees a goodness that we do not perceive.\u00a0 God sees possibilities that we cannot imagine.\u00a0 That\u2019s why God is God, and we must be very cautious about pretending to know who is on God\u2019s side. Joshua makes that mistake in today\u2019s first reading.\u00a0 He objects because God\u2019s power came upon two men who he thinks do not deserve it.\u00a0 John makes the same mistake in today\u2019s Gospel.\u00a0 John complains because someone who does not belong to Jesus\u2019 company was nevertheless driving out demons in Jesus\u2019 name.\u00a0 Both Moses and Jesus know better. They know that God\u2019s power cannot be limited only to those who we define as worthy.\u00a0 Both Moses and Jesus realize that there are more people on God\u2019s side than we are able to see.\u00a0 God\u2019s side is bigger than our side.\u00a0 This is a truth which all of us who believe in God must accept.<\/p>\n

This leads to the second truth in today\u2019s readings: standing on God\u2019s side is not easy.\u00a0 Making room for God\u2019s bigger vision of others is difficult.\u00a0 It means that we must commit ourselves to listen to others who we believe are wrong, just in case they might be on God\u2019s side too.\u00a0 It means we must accept those who are different from us and difficult for us, just in case they might carry a truth that we cannot see.\u00a0 It means we must love our enemies and dialogue with them, because only if we do might we discover common ground by which God intends to build the future.<\/p>\n

It is difficult to stand on God\u2019s side because we will look foolish to all those who are sure they are right.\u00a0 We will be ridiculed by those who have no interest other then circling the wagons and protecting those who they deem worthy of protecting.\u00a0Standing on God\u2019s side is difficult.\u00a0 Perhaps that is why Jesus uses the violent images that he does in today\u2019s Gospel.\u00a0 Because letting go of the security that we hold the complete truth can be as difficult as cutting off our hand.\u00a0 Pushing away stereotypes, prejudices, and false fears that tag another as an enemy can be as painful as cutting off a foot.\u00a0 Resisting the primal impulse to return violence for violence and hatred with hatred can be as unthinkable as plucking out an eye.\u00a0 But, if we want to stand with God, that is the price we pay.\u00a0 Those who follow Christ then must be humble and courageous: humble to know that God\u2019s vision is always bigger then our vision, courageous to make room for that vision even if we seem foolish or hopelessly na\u00efve.<\/p>\n

Jesus calls us to that humility and courage\u2014to believe in God\u2019s kingdom and to be agents of its dawning.\u00a0 It is difficult to stand on God\u2019s side. Perhaps that is why there are so many people who prefer simply to proclaim that God stands with them.<\/p>\n

Valuing the Other<\/b><\/h2>\n
September 27, 2009<\/h5>\n

Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48<\/h3>\n

A man and a woman in their eighties fell in love and married.\u00a0 On their wedding night as they were both excited but also a bit afraid.\u00a0 The woman came to the doorway of the bedroom and saw her husband standing by the bed. She said, \u201cHoney, how do we begin this?\u201d\u00a0 He said, \u201cDon\u2019t worry. Everything will be fine, but I\u2019ll need a few minutes to get ready.\u201d\u00a0 So having said that he took out his glass eye and put it in a box at the side of the bed.\u00a0 Then took out his teeth and placed them into the box.\u00a0 Then he sat on the bed and unscrewed his prosthetic leg and took off is toupee. Those ended up in the box as well.\u00a0 Having done all of this, he climbed into bed and said, \u201cHoney, I\u2019m ready.\u201d\u00a0 Still standing in the doorway the woman responded, \u201cThank you.\u00a0 But I\u2019m not sure whether I\u2019m supposed to get into the bed or the box.\u201d<\/p>\n

Parts of our bodies are parts of ourselves. That is what makes Jesus\u2019 words so challenging in today\u2019s gospel.\u00a0 Jesus says that there can be an advantage in plucking out our eye or cutting off a hand or a foot.\u00a0 Now of course, Jesus is not speaking literally.\u00a0 He is not asking us to maim our bodies.\u00a0 He is saying that there can be certain things which we need to remove from our lives.\u00a0 And the things which need to be removed can be very close to us, almost a part of us.\u00a0 Therefore removing them can be difficult, perhaps as difficult as cutting off a hand or a foot.<\/p>\n

What are these things that we should remove from our lives?\u00a0 There can be a long list: a habit of sin, a destructive entrenched attitude, a desire for revenge, or a false and unhealthy pride.\u00a0 We could go on and on.\u00a0 But today\u2019s readings emphasize one particular thing to be removed: an attitude of intolerance.\u00a0 Intolerance is an attitude that sees no value in the action or the ideas of another person.\u00a0 Our scriptures speak against it.\u00a0 In the first reading, Joshua complains to Moses because some people who were not under Moses\u2019 authority were nevertheless prophesying.\u00a0 Moses rejects Joshua\u2019s intolerance and says that God is free to grant God\u2019s spirit, even if it does not come through Moses.\u00a0 In today\u2019s gospel, John complains to Jesus because there were some people who were using Jesus\u2019 name to cast out demons and they were not Jesus\u2019 disciples.\u00a0 Jesus rejects John\u2019s intolerance and tells him, \u201cWhoever is not against us is for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

The attitude of intolerance flourishes whenever people adopt an \u201cUs vs. Them\u201d mentality. There are sure signs that this kind of thinking is growing among us.\u00a0 Internationally we see more and more examples of one country vilifying another.\u00a0 In our country politicians who disagree with one another are more frequently turning to personal attacks.\u00a0 In our own family and relationship this attitude of \u201cUs vs. Them\u201d can also take a foothold and hurt us.\u00a0 I found an effective description of this attitude in a passage called us \u201cUs Versus Them.\u201d I would like to read it to you.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s us.\u00a0 And then there\u2019s them.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re all right.\u00a0 They\u2019re not.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re justifiably concerned for our family\u2019s livelihood. They\u2019re in it for the money.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re resting.\u00a0 They\u2019re self-indulgent.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re pragmatic.\u00a0 They\u2019re manipulative.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re teasing.\u00a0 They\u2019re mean spirited.<\/p>\n

We know the truth.\u00a0 They don\u2019t understand.\u00a0 They\u2019re ill-informed.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re concerned for the common good.\u00a0 They\u2019re out to grab whatever they can get.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t ever question our good intentions, our values or our patriotism.<\/p>\n

But watch out for them.<\/p>\n

You can trust us.\u00a0 But be afraid of them.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re all created equal.\u00a0 But some of us are more equal than others.<\/p>\n

We are all children of God.\u00a0 But we\u2019re God\u2019s favorites.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re the people of God.\u00a0 We pray for them.<\/p>\n

Now when we try to push intolerance away, we are not saying that all ideas, all intentions, or all lifestyles are equally good.\u00a0 What we are saying is that there is a value in listening to another person\u2019s opinion, in reconsidering another person\u2019s action, in understanding another person\u2019s motivation.\u00a0 If we are unwilling or unable to extend that tolerance to others, we will never be able to cooperate with others.\u00a0 If we cannot cooperate with others, we will never make progress in our families, in our country, or in our world.\u00a0 Without that progress there is little hope for peace.\u00a0 This is why Moses and Jesus speak out so loudly against intolerance.\u00a0 It is why we must make every effort to avoid that attitude\u2014even if it\u2019s difficult\u2014even if it\u2019s like cutting off a hand or a foot.<\/p>\n

God calls us to cooperation, to progress, to peace.\u00a0 But we cannot respond to that call as long as we buy into an \u201cUs vs. Them\u201d mentality.\u00a0 We cannot build the Kingdom of God unless we are willing to see value in the person who is other.<\/p>\n

Loving Irritating People<\/strong><\/h2>\n
September 27, 2015<\/h5>\n

Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48<\/h3>\n

Life would be so much better without irritating people. When we run into someone who gets under our skin, our jaws tighten and our stomachs turn. It might be someone in our own family who always rubs us the wrong way. It could be someone at school or at work who routinely says inappropriate or offensive things. It might be the hotrod on the freeway who passes us at 90 miles per hour and throws us a gesture because we are doing the speed limit. Life would be so much better if irritating people would disappear, but they don\u2019t. They keep popping into our lives and disrupting them.<\/p>\n

What makes things worse is that Jesus expects us to love them. Throughout the gospels, he is constantly admonishing us to love our enemies, to turn the other cheek, to go the extra mile. It is hard enough at times to love the people we care about. How are we to love these people who drive us crazy? Here is where Jesus\u2019 words in today\u2019s gospel are helpful. Jesus says that anyone who gives a cup of water to drink to someone because they belong to Christ will not lose his or her reward. There are many ways to interpret Jesus\u2019 saying, but certainly this saying has relevance in dealing with difficult people.<\/p>\n

It has relevance in two ways. First of all, the action that Jesus describes is a small one: to offer a cup of water. Jesus is saying that the way to deal with difficult people is to use small gestures rather than big ones. We do not need to become close friends with them or invite them to go on vacation with us. But when we see them doing something well, perhaps we can offer a compliment: \u201cGood work. Well done.\u201d When their stapler becomes stuck at the office, perhaps we can offer them ours. When someone pulls ahead of us into the parking space we have been waiting for, perhaps we can do nothing, just take a deep breath and go on looking for another space. Jesus is suggesting that when it comes to loving difficult people, we should aim small. We should offer them a simple action of kindness.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut,\u201d you say, \u201cWhat good will that do? The person might not appreciate the action or even recognize it.\u201d True. This is in part what makes them such irritating people. But here is where a second part of Jesus\u2019 saying comes into play. Jesus says that we are to offer a simple action of kindness because the person belongs to Christ. We offer the compliment or the stapler not because the person will recognize our kindness, but because Jesus will. We lay off the horn as the jerk passes us on the freeway not because it will make him a better driver, but because Jesus will see our effort and approve it.<\/p>\n

So the next time you have to face an irritating person, try offering a simple action of kindness because they belong to Christ. Your action will not change the world, but it could change your heart. The person to whom you offer the action might not love you in return, but Jesus will. And that is no small matter.<\/p>\n

Outside the Lines<\/strong><\/h2>\n
September 30, 2018<\/h5>\n

Numbers 11:25-29<\/h3>\n

Francine was a bright, outspoken six-year-old who often surprised her parents with her insightful remarks. So much so, in fact, that at times her parents would push her a little, just to see what she would say. One day Francine was working on her coloring book. She was coloring a picture of a puppy, and she was coloring the puppy bright purple. When she finished her work, she went to her mother and said, \u201cLook at my picture.\u201d \u201cWow,\u201d her mother said, \u201cI really like that color.\u201d But then, just to see what Francine might say, her mother said, \u201cFrancine, look: here and here you\u2019ve colored outside of the lines.\u201d Francine looked at her picture, then she looked at her mother, and then she said, \u201cBut Mom, this purple is too beautiful to stay within the lines.\u201d<\/p>\n

I think that God would identify with Francine\u2019s attitude. God knows that the good things he wishes to give us are too beautiful to stay within the lines we have drawn. In today\u2019s first reading from the Book of Numbers, God gives his spirit not only to the seventy elders who are assembled to receive it, but also to two others who are outside of that group. In today\u2019s gospel, God gives his healing power not only to the twelve apostles but also to another person who is outside of Jesus\u2019 company. This shows our God to be a God of generous abundance. God knows that the good things he has to give are too beautiful to be limited to only a few people and places. This means that we should expect God\u2019s blessings, even if at times we do not feel that we are the right people or that we are in the right place.<\/p>\n

At school, you might not be in the most popular group, the group that everybody admires. But God\u2019s love is too beautiful to be limited only to that group. Already God is acting so that you might find friends in your own group, friends with whom you can share your life. At work, you might not be the star salesman or the person that everyone looks to in the office. But that does not mean that God has forgotten you. God continues to be with you to make sure that your efforts will support your family and that your work will make a contribution. When you see that something is wrong and needs to be changed, you may not have the outspoken quality of this person or the courage of that person, but God is still with you to help you find your own voice, so that you can speak out and insist that what is unjust must be changed.<\/p>\n

We live in a world of groups, boundaries, and divisions. But God\u2019s love is too beautiful to abide by any of these. God delights in blessing us. God delights in coloring us with his Spirit, whether we find ourselves standing inside or outside the lines that have been drawn.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cutting Off What Kills September 28, 2003 Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48 \u00a0Louise had been married to Tom for seven years. It wasn\u2019t easy. Like most couples their marriage began romantically enough. But soon it became apparent to Louise that Tom had a drinking problem. When he came home drunk, which became more and more frequent, … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5879,"featured_media":0,"parent":585,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2830"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5879"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2830"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2830\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5621,"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2830\/revisions\/5621"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buildingontheword.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2830"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}