16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Cycle B
July 22, 2018
St. Mary Parish, Pylesville 9:30 and 11:15am
Why Follow?
This morning, I want to ask a “why?” question.
Today’s gospel says that there were so many people that Jesus and his apostles did not even have time to get a bite to eat – not even a burger at McDonalds! So, my question is: Why?
Why did so many people gather around Jesus? In a way, the answer is rather simple: these people believe in, hope in, and love Jesus.
To Believe, Hope and Love
First, these folks probably have nothing and no one in their life experience to believe in. They are ordinary, hard-working people.
They have been made to feel like second-class, maybe even low-class by the higher-ups. They have been let down often by the leaders in their society.
And so, they are open to believe in God intervening in the world in the way that Jesus is talking about. They are willing to believe in Jesus who seems so wise and compassionate.
These people also have nothing to hope for. Fifteen percent of their children die at birth, 60% before they are teens, and their life expectancy is 35 years.
They work hard on farms that they don’t own and they live under the occupation of the Roman army. They see no real future for themselves.
And so, they are attracted by the hope that Jesus is offering them – that the meek will inherit the land and that their sorrows will be turned into joy. They are willing to hope in Jesus.
And then, these people also need love. They are not treated with respect.
They do not feel valued. They have little self-esteem.
And so, they are attracted to a man who tells them that every hair on their head is valued by God and that God loves them no matter what. They are moved to love Jesus in return.
Today’s Challenge with That
Now, I wonder if today, in some ways, it has become more challenging to follow Jesus.
Today, all of our knowledge may make faith more difficult. Every month we are discovering something new in the universe and in medicine and in technology.
We may become skeptical about anything that cannot be proved scientifically. And so, we may be less inclined to believe in God and in Jesus.
Today, we also may have less need to hope. We may get immersed in the latest smartphone or flat screen TV or whatever.
We may live just for today and have no real vision of the future. And so, we may be less inclined to hope in God and in Jesus.
And, today we may even be foggy about love. We may be too quick to give up on the commitment that is involved in loving.
We may also interpret love as just giving things and not ourselves and our time to our children and to others. And so, we may be less inclined to love God and Jesus.
Our Choice to Believe, Hope, and Love
In the face of all of this, we might ask: is it still possible and even attractive to believe in, to hope in, and to love God? I think so and here’s why.
When we become aware that science does not give us all the answers and that the big questions of life and death remain a mystery, we feel different about things. We are much more inclined to believe in God and in Jesus.
When we are aware of the problems in our lives and in our world and realize that we are not fully in control, we again feel different about things. We are much more inclined to hope in God and in Jesus.
And when we are aware of our deep, inner longing for unconditional love, again we feel different about things. We are much more inclined to love God and Jesus, the One who is unconditional love.
So yes, it is possible and even attractive to believe in, to hope in, and to love God. This is the invitation and reminder that I see in today’s gospel.
