Sept. 16, 2018: 24th Sunday B
Sept. 16, 2018: 24th Sunday B
Is there someone you know who has not changed in all the years you’ve known him? Perhaps the person is blessed to look ageless, or his generous and loving personality has not diminished over the years. Conversely, we may know a person who hurt us years ago, and we have kept our distance from him presuming that his evil way has not changed. In a recent biographical movie, singer Bart Millard shared the story of his tumultuous relationship with his alcoholic and abusive father. The movie began with Bart’s mother leaving the family after suffering many years of abuse by her husband. She left her son behind with his father. When Bart could no longer tolerate the abuse, he moved out of the house believing he ‘paid his dues’ under his alcoholic father. After a few years, Bart returned home and his father told him that he turned his life over to Christ. Bart was skeptical and refused to forgive his father. Although Bart was a Christian musician, he believed that Christ was powerless to change his father. How many of us also doubt, time to time, whether Christ has power to effect change in our lives?
Who is Jesus for us? We say we believe in him as our Lord and Savior and recite the Creed, but really who is Jesus to us? Do we see him like a Santa Claus who gives us everything for which we ask? Is he just an image, a statue, or a picture on a book that we look at when things aren’t going so well? After asking what others said about him, Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter thought he knew the answer, but when Jesus revealed who he really was and that he would undergo great suffering on the Cross to accomplish his mission, Peter became uncomfortable. We become uncomfortable too, when we hear Jesus say to us, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For 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." ‘Wait a minute,’ we say, ‘this is not what I bargained for… I thought following Jesus meant that I would avoid troubles and suffering in my life.’
Knowing Christ and following him mean following the path of love, which is not always easy. In fact the path of Christ’s love is painful, yet it is a path that leads to spiritual growth, to greater faith, and more intimate union with Our Lord. Mother Teresa said, “True love is love that causes us pain, that hurts, and yet brings us joy. That is why we must pray to God and ask Him to give us the courage to love.” Mother Teresa taught that to love is to recognize Jesus in those around us. In particular, she said for her, Jesus is:
The Unwanted-to be wanted
The Leper-to wash his wounds
The Beggar-to give him a smile
The Drunkard-to listen to him
The Drug addict-to befriend him
The Prostitute-to remove from danger and befriend her
The Prisoner-to be visited
The Old-to be served.
It is not easy to love those who are unlovable or forgive those who have hurt us. When Bart Millard returned home after running away from his alcoholic and abusive father, he could not accept the fact Christ has transformed his father. What was even more difficult to accept was the fact that Bart himself had not changed, that his heart was still hardened and unforgiving. Christ whom Bart loved invited him to look at his father through love. When his father revealed that he had terminal cancer, Bart’s heart began to change. Perhaps Bart saw in his weak, imperfect, and broken father, his own failures, imperfection, and brokenness. Perhaps in that recognition, Bart saw the image of Jesus broken on the cross, who willingly sacrificed himself to redeem the fallen humanity. How could Bart, who had begged Jesus to forgive him many times for his pride, anger, lust, and greed, remain unforgiving to his father who was asking for his forgiveness? When his father died, Bart could not imagine his father being anywhere else than in the Paradise promised to Bart’s father by Christ. Bart composed a song that reflected his imagination of what it would be like for his father to be in Heaven and stand before God. “I can only imagine what it will be like, when I walk, by your side. I can only imagine what my eyes will see, when you face is before me. I can only imagine..Surrounded by You glory, what will my heart feel will I dance for you Jesus, or in awe of You be still. Will I stand in your presence, or to my knees will I fall,l will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all. I can only imagine”
Who is Jesus for us? If we allow our relationship with Jesus to deepen through listening to his voice in the scriptures, our personal prayers, and reception of Holy Eucharist, he becomes a living, Lord and Savior who transforms our lives. What Jesus asks of us is difficult, to deny ourselves and take up our cross. But if we respond to his call with love and trust, Jesus will help us carry the cross that we must bear in our lives. The more that we come to know Him, the more we will love Him, and His amazing love for us will transform us to recognize Jesus in others.
Is there someone you know who has not changed in all the years you’ve known him? Perhaps the person is blessed to look ageless, or his generous and loving personality has not diminished over the years. Conversely, we may know a person who hurt us years ago, and we have kept our distance from him presuming that his evil way has not changed. In a recent biographical movie, singer Bart Millard shared the story of his tumultuous relationship with his alcoholic and abusive father. The movie began with Bart’s mother leaving the family after suffering many years of abuse by her husband. She left her son behind with his father. When Bart could no longer tolerate the abuse, he moved out of the house believing he ‘paid his dues’ under his alcoholic father. After a few years, Bart returned home and his father told him that he turned his life over to Christ. Bart was skeptical and refused to forgive his father. Although Bart was a Christian musician, he believed that Christ was powerless to change his father. How many of us also doubt, time to time, whether Christ has power to effect change in our lives?
Who is Jesus for us? We say we believe in him as our Lord and Savior and recite the Creed, but really who is Jesus to us? Do we see him like a Santa Claus who gives us everything for which we ask? Is he just an image, a statue, or a picture on a book that we look at when things aren’t going so well? After asking what others said about him, Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter thought he knew the answer, but when Jesus revealed who he really was and that he would undergo great suffering on the Cross to accomplish his mission, Peter became uncomfortable. We become uncomfortable too, when we hear Jesus say to us, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For 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." ‘Wait a minute,’ we say, ‘this is not what I bargained for… I thought following Jesus meant that I would avoid troubles and suffering in my life.’
Knowing Christ and following him mean following the path of love, which is not always easy. In fact the path of Christ’s love is painful, yet it is a path that leads to spiritual growth, to greater faith, and more intimate union with Our Lord. Mother Teresa said, “True love is love that causes us pain, that hurts, and yet brings us joy. That is why we must pray to God and ask Him to give us the courage to love.” Mother Teresa taught that to love is to recognize Jesus in those around us. In particular, she said for her, Jesus is:
The Unwanted-to be wanted
The Leper-to wash his wounds
The Beggar-to give him a smile
The Drunkard-to listen to him
The Drug addict-to befriend him
The Prostitute-to remove from danger and befriend her
The Prisoner-to be visited
The Old-to be served.
It is not easy to love those who are unlovable or forgive those who have hurt us. When Bart Millard returned home after running away from his alcoholic and abusive father, he could not accept the fact Christ has transformed his father. What was even more difficult to accept was the fact that Bart himself had not changed, that his heart was still hardened and unforgiving. Christ whom Bart loved invited him to look at his father through love. When his father revealed that he had terminal cancer, Bart’s heart began to change. Perhaps Bart saw in his weak, imperfect, and broken father, his own failures, imperfection, and brokenness. Perhaps in that recognition, Bart saw the image of Jesus broken on the cross, who willingly sacrificed himself to redeem the fallen humanity. How could Bart, who had begged Jesus to forgive him many times for his pride, anger, lust, and greed, remain unforgiving to his father who was asking for his forgiveness? When his father died, Bart could not imagine his father being anywhere else than in the Paradise promised to Bart’s father by Christ. Bart composed a song that reflected his imagination of what it would be like for his father to be in Heaven and stand before God. “I can only imagine what it will be like, when I walk, by your side. I can only imagine what my eyes will see, when you face is before me. I can only imagine..Surrounded by You glory, what will my heart feel will I dance for you Jesus, or in awe of You be still. Will I stand in your presence, or to my knees will I fall,l will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all. I can only imagine”
Who is Jesus for us? If we allow our relationship with Jesus to deepen through listening to his voice in the scriptures, our personal prayers, and reception of Holy Eucharist, he becomes a living, Lord and Savior who transforms our lives. What Jesus asks of us is difficult, to deny ourselves and take up our cross. But if we respond to his call with love and trust, Jesus will help us carry the cross that we must bear in our lives. The more that we come to know Him, the more we will love Him, and His amazing love for us will transform us to recognize Jesus in others.
