Gospel Reflection for Sunday February 27th, 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time By Brian Maher OMI
When Jesus began his ministry his message was a simple one. “The time has come…” he said, “…The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the Good News.” (Mk 1:14-15)
There is little doubt in my mind that Jesus, like many Jews of his time, believed that. Under the cruel, harsh rule of Rome, the chosen people were no longer in exile and living as slaves, but they were still not free. Jerusalem and the Temple itself, the place where God dwelt with his people, was under Roman rule.
Something had to change. God’s promise to his people would be fulfilled. The Messiah would come, ushering in the Kingdom of God, overthrowing all earthly Kingdoms. Roman, Greek, Syrian empires, it didn’t matter, they would be gone forever and God would reign as King and, at last, peace, justice and love would flourish forever.
Jesus felt that the time was now, and more than that, he grew in the conviction that it was through him that God would announce its coming. It was a huge and bold claim he was making, guaranteed to alienate him from many factions who felt God’s Kingdom could not possibly be announced by a carpenter’s son.
I think it is important that we look at the miracles, parables and sayings of Jesus in this light. Everything Jesus says and does shouts loudly that “the time has come and the Kingdom of God is beginning here and now.”
The wonderful beatitudes we read two weeks ago; “Happy are the poor, the hungry, those who weep and suffer, say to his hearers, “This is who the Kingdom of God is for; the poor, the captive, the downtrodden.”
And he was not offering weak moral guidelines or pious platitudes. He was speaking with authority, saying to them that “this has begun…it’s here…and it’s wonderful.”
Likewise, his warnings (Woe to you who are rich and powerful, etc) say to his hearers, “There is no room in God’s Kingdom for power and injustice, hypocrisy and greed. If this is the life you live, repent now, while you can, because it’s beginning.”
Today’s Gospel, two final warnings, speaks of the hypocrisy of double standards, and the need to ensure that our actions match our words. Luke does not give us the context of either story but I am sure those listening knew who he had in mind.
The first story, the splinter and the plank, begins with an amusing image of two blind men leading each other and walking straight into a pit! However, the warning is clear. We are all the same and we must judge one another by the same rules. The Kingdom of God will have no favourites, and there will be no room for the proud and arrogant who judge themselves better than others.
I have no doubt that many would have felt uncomfortable hearing that. Indeed, I feel a bit uncomfortable myself, mentioning it now!
The second story is stark and uncompromising. In another place Jesus talks about “whited sepulchres”, clean and white on the outside but full of rotting bodies on the inside. The imagery of rotting trees and rotting fruit might be slightly less dramatic but still fairly strong. It is what is within us, what is in our hearts that matters. The words we use, even the things we do, are meaningless unless they are matched by deep and sincere intentions.
Now I’m uncomfortable again!
Unlike us, every person listening to Jesus, was waiting, impatiently, knowing the Messiah would come, knowing that God would free his people, judge all nations and peoples and rule forever in justice and peace. Some were impressed my the words of Jesus and followed him. Others rejected him or stayed curious but at a distance.
John the Baptist taught that the Kingdom of God was at hand too, but for him the chosen people had become corrupt and false and nothing less than complete destruction and starting over would work.
Jesus spoke from among the people. He ate and drank with them, attended the synagogue each Sabbath, and he healed, fed and forgave them. The God he showed us, likewise, was a God who healed and fed and forgave. The Kingdom which was now beginning would be a Kingdom of welcome and forgiveness where are would be accepted. But it would not be a Kingdom like any we know. It was a Kingdom for the poor, the gentle, the compassionate, the sincere, the just and those who “hunger and thirst for what is right”.
The warnings of Jesus are as much invitations as threats. For Jesus, the Kingdom is arriving but there is still time to “repent” and prepare ourselves to accept it.
The really interesting thing, is that for Jesus and those listening to him, God’s Kingdom would not come after the “end of the world” and the destruction of all creation. No! the Kingdom of God would come into the world, transforming it into a Kingdom of peace and justice and love.
The resurrection of Jesus is God’s confirmation that he spoke in and through Jesus. God became flesh, became one of us, to usher in the Kingdom of God.
For us it means that the Kingdom of God is now among us and not something way off in the future when everything is destroyed.
In the Lord’s Prayer we say, “Thy Kingdom come.” The Good News is that it has come, in and through Jesus. It is not yet complete and just maybe the Gospels of the last few weeks, the sayings of Jesus, are the signposts by which we will recognise it. It will not be in places where we find hypocrisy, greed, hatred, prejudice and double standards. The Kingdom of God will be found in communities where the poor, the captive and the downtrodden are welcomed and accepted. Do such places exist? Of course they do! Maybe our own family is already part of this Kingdom.
If not, wouldn’t Lent be a good time to actively do something to make God’s Kingdom shine a bit brighter for all to see.
Many thanks,
Brian.
If you have any comments, questions or thoughts on this scripture reflection you would like to share, I would be delighted to hear from you – please feel free to email me at b.maher@oblates.ie
| Gospel | Luke 6:39-45 © |
|---|
