In our gospel today, people in Samaria did not want to receive
Jesus and His disciples. James and John thought this would be a great
opportunity for Jesus to show His power and rain down fire on the Samaritans. They
didn’t like those people anyway. The Jews considered the Samaritans half-breeds, part Jewish and part
pagan. If Jesus wanted, James and John would be more than willing to perform
the act of vengeance for Him. These Sons
of Thunder, the ludicrous name that Jesus gave them, had no idea of what
Jesus’ real power was. He had greater concerns than some Samaritan villages. He
wanted to save the world from the grip of evil. That is why Jesus ignored the
disciples and went on to Jerusalem. Jesus was completely committed to making
the power of God’s love real among mankind[1].
Why did they do it, these followers of the Lord? Why did they follow Jesus to their own
deaths. All his closest disciples would be killed, with the exception, according
to tradition, of John. After they received the Holy Spirit on Pentecost the
disciples, now apostles, accepted their own deaths as a way of giving witness
to the new reality of the Kingdom of God. Why? Well, they had experienced Love
Incarnate, and wanted to bring this Love to others. They answered the demands
of the Kingdom. They gave up the comforts of life, foxes have dens and birds of the skies have nests, but the Son of Man
has nowhere to rest His head. They gave up their families and committed
themselves completely to the Lord. Like Elisha they did not look back and
return to their past lives. Why
did they do it? They did it because they possessed Jesus Christ, and His Love,
and could only keep His Love by answering the demands of Love, by giving
themselves up totally to the Love of God.
Why do we do it? Why do we worship as a community on
Sundays when others are out fishing, or having picnics, or simply, staying in
bed? Why do we walk away from the
negativity of the world? Why do we
avoid joining the drunks and druggies? Why do we battle against the temptation
to use sex for our own selfishness? Why do we stand for morality in a nation
that places value on the right of people to be immoral? Why do we fight against
those factions of our government and those aspects of our media that mocks us
for wanting morality to be the foundation of our nation? In fewer words: why do
we profess faith in Jesus Christ and live that faith?
Well, we do it because we have been given the greatest
gift people could ever receive. We have been given Jesus Christ. He is united
to us, and we are united to Him. We leave the plow and oxen and material
trappings of the world behind and live for the Lord because we are on fire with
His Love. We march on with Him to Jerusalem because we never want to leave His
Presence. We exalt in the power of God because His love gives meaning and
purpose to our lives. We live by
the Spirit and do not let the flesh control us, because the flesh will die, but
the Spirit is forever.
Why do we do it?
Why do we live our faith?
We do it because we are loved by the Tremendous Lover. Our prayer this
morning is for courage. May we have the courage to sell out for God. May we
have the courage to commit ourselves to the Kingdom of God here on Earth ■
[1]
Sunday 30th June, 2013, 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Readings: 1 Kings 19:16,
19-21. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Ps 15(16):1-2, 5, 7-11. Galatians 5:1, 13-18. Luke 9:51-62. [First Martyrs of
the Church of Rome].
