TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR

Posted on Sep 17, 2020

20 September 2020

This is another one of those stories about and from Jesus that people find hard to take.

If you remember, late this summer there was the story of Jesus and the “unbelieving woman?”

She asked for healing of demonic powers for her daughter–

And Jesus tried to ignore her and then was kind of snotty to her.

When I was at Newman we had students who were assistant ministers.

One year when we had the reading of the unbelieving woman, the assistant minister

            Said to me after Mass:  “Well, that’s a Jesus I don’t like very much.”

I said, “Why?”

He said, “Well, Jesus is supposed to love EVERYone isn’t he?

                             Jesus is supposed to be good to EVERYone isn’t he?

“Is that true?” I asked.  “Well, it’s supposed to be,” he said.

I think we all have a notion of Jesus that is a bit unreal—

In some ways we are here because we’ve made Jesus out to be who we want him to be.

We have made being a disciple of Jesus what we’re comfortable with.

The truth is: Jesus is supposed to challenge and change us.

The truth is: being a disciple of Jesus is supposed to drag

us kicking and screaming out of our comfort zones.

Two things:

1) We believe that Jesus was FULLY human. 

We have to give him the privilege of being a real person rather than one

                            we construct to suit our sensibilities.

2) In being a “real” person, not one we’ve constructed, Jesus may reveal some things

                        we don’t like or agree with. 

Once, in a question and answer period with priests Pope Benedict said,

        that what we have to remember is that, “we are on a lifelong journey with Jesus.”

During that life long journey we will change much and often.

           We want Jesus to always look the same, be the same.

Question of the week:

            Is Jesus revealing something new about himself, and thus his relationship and expectations of you this week?