Jesus the Servant

In any culture, children are vulnerable; they are dependent on others for their survival and well-being. In the ancient world, their vulnerability was magnified by the fact that they had no legal protection. A child had no status, no rights. A child certainly had nothing to offer anyone in terms of honor or status. But it is precisely these little ones with whom Jesus identifies.

Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me (Mark 9:37). Christian theology has attempted to provide explanations for the “why,” and certain of these explanations have been read back into the Gospel texts. But the fact is that Jesus does not explain the “why”. We can only deduce it in reading the Gospels. Throughout his ministry, Jesus associates with the last and the least in society — Gentile women, bleeding women, lepers, raging demoniacs, tax collectors and other notorious “sinners”. He even welcomes and makes time for little children, much to the disciples’ consternation. For all of this, he is condemned as an outlaw and blasphemer by the religious authorities, who decide that he is too dangerous and must be eliminated. Jesus does not die in order for God to be gracious and to forgive sins. - Jesus dies because he declares the forgiveness of sins. - Jesus dies because he associates with the impure and the worst of sinners. - Jesus dies because the religious establishment cannot tolerate the radical grace of God that Jesus proclaims and lives.

The radical grace of God that Jesus proclaims and lives completely obliterates the world’s notions of greatness based on status, wealth, achievement, etc. Perhaps that is one reason we resist grace so much. It is much more appealing to be great on the world’s terms than on Jesus’ terms. Greatness on Jesus’ terms means being humble, lowly, and vulnerable as a child. Greatness on Jesus’ terms is risky; it can even get a person killed. But as Jesus teaches repeatedly, his way of greatness is the path of life. The definition of greatness Jesus offers seems crazy initially because it is so completely, utterly counter-cultural. He calls us to imagine that true greatness lies in service by actually taking care of those who are most vulnerable – those with little influence or power, those the culture is most likely to ignore, or even worse. This insight to Jesus the Servant, without a doubt offers, us as a congregation, a Catholic parish, a vision for our common life. But it also applies to each of us more personally.

- How are we doing, that is, with measuring our success, our greatness, not by what we take in, but by what we give away? - Not by the influence we wield, but by the service we offer? - Not by accumulating more, but by sharing what we already have? - Not by being first, but by being eager to work hard in order to see others move ahead? Make no mistake. This is hard stuff, absolutely and totally different than what the culture – whether in the first century or the twenty-first – tells us. And so, as it was hard for the disciples so now it’s also hard for us.

They didn’t understand what Jesus meant, and so they fell into the trap of putting themselves ahead of everyone else. We will often do the same: 1. Looking out for ourselves rather than others; 2. Trusting less in God for our security than we do our wealth; 3. Shutting others out rather than inviting them in; 4. Seeking our welfare rather than that of those around us. But here’s the thing: the road the disciples are traveling with Jesus when they fall into their petty arguments about who is the greatest … is the road to Jerusalem. And the last steps bring them to the cross. Even while his disciples misunderstand, don’t believe, or just plain ignore what he is saying, Jesus is walking the road to Jerusalem and to the cross … willingly … in order to sacrifice everything for them … and for us. So, what are we going to do about it? How are we going to try to be more like Jesus the Servant? While there are many, many different ways … I’m inviting you to join us on a new journey of service … to help us with launching a free legal clinic here in Union County … for the poor, vulnerable … for those like the children in Jesus’ time who had no status, and only trampled rights … I’m proud to have been a part of the foundation of The Waterfront Project and I invite Rebeccah Symes the Executive Director forward to speak to us about it now … Rebeccah …

RSM##

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Jesus the Teacher

As you know, for the month of September, our message series is focusing on: Who is Jesus? Today we look at Jesus the Teacher.

I bet that everyone here remembers their favorite teacher … whether it was kindergarten, because s/he was so kind to us, or grammar school, because were the teacher’s pet, or high school because we seemed to catch on to the lessons given a dynamic teaching style or college/graduate school professor because we really felt connected and finally at the threshold of being a professional. My favorite teacher was from Seton Hall law school … Kathleen Boozang … who is now the dean there. She was my favorite because she kicked my butt and really challenged me in doing research and disciplined writing. I can still hear her say, You have to think and write like a lawyer! She taught me not to be lazy … to read the next article, to write, review and then re-write. She was and is my favorite because she challenged me, and even today, continues to challenge me to be the best version of myself … and sometimes that’s just not easy. Isn’t that the same with Jesus? “Who do you say that I am?” is a much harder question than we think it is. We already know that the New Testament does not paint a uniform portrait of Jesus Christ.

• Not only do we have four very different Gospels o each remarkably unique in their individual understandings of the meaning of Jesus’ ministry. But here’s an amazing fact … of the 90 times Jesus was addressed directly in the gospels, 60 times he was called Teacher.

• There are twenty-three additional books that articulate varying views and teachings of Jesus.

• Even the thirteen letters attributed to Paul adapt the function and significance of Jesus Christ depending on the circumstances that need to be addressed in our lives.

And surely, discrepancies exist. Although he never entered a classroom as we know a classroom and he never had a degree as we understand an educational degree, yet all the world was his classroom. Today, as we think about Jesus as Teacher, we can and should spend some time thinking about how we would respond to Jesus’ inquiry, considering what our answer might be. But there’s even more that Jesus is asking in this seemingly straightforward question, and perhaps it’s this “more” that is the most challenging, the most demanding, the “more” we wish we could avoid. Because “Who do you say that I am?” is at the same time, “who will you say that you are?” That’s the rub of this question, the heart of its difficulty. If it we only had to provide an answer to Jesus’ question of his identity, that would be one thing. However, answering the question of Jesus’ identity is also having to give voice to our own. When we think about Jesus as Teacher, we can’t answer Jesus’ inquiry without revealing who we are … because it’s not about getting the answer right. It’s the moment when we come face-to-face with our own commitment, our own discipleship, our own identity. It’s the moment when we have to admit to what it is that we have learned from Jesus, and how we are putting that knowledge to work in our lives and in our world. In John’s Gospel, we read: For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. How do we emulate his example? … of listening … of responding to those in need … of healing … of telling the truth, even when its hard … of healing … of doing good works … of taking up our cross How do we, his students, his disciples, follow him … today, here and now, and forever? “Who do you say that I am?” is also a question we should ask of others, of ourselves. Who, indeed, will people say we are? Are we willing to ask the question? Or do we stay silent, afraid of what people might say, perhaps worried about what truth might get uttered? Avoiding the question altogether so as to feign a kind of confidence we don’t really have? Jesus knows it’s one of the hardest questions to ask — which is why he asks it in the first place, and why he has to ask it first. Perhaps this week, in your family, in your home, with your work colleagues, with your friends, we can ask the question, Who do you say that I am? Not only of Jesus, but of ourselves. Undoubtedly the answers will be interesting, perhaps even challenging, but they may also be life-giving! Jesus challenges us to be the best version of ourselves, are we up for the challenge?

Blessings!

RSM

Jesus the Healer

For the month of September, we begin a new message series on: Who is Jesus? Surely, each of us has our own answer to the question given our personal experiences, but today we look at Jesus the Healer.

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Ephphatha is a word that fascinates me. It means be opened and is used by Jesus when he heals the deaf man in the gospel. This man, being deaf and unable to speak, resulted in virtual isolation from the community. He was cut off from hearing others and from speaking with others too.

So, when Jesus healed him and spoke the words, be opened, he literally tore down the walls that kept this man from the fullness of a healthy life. The way to life was opened by God. Now, he could hear the laughter, the conversations, the sacred stories after having been blocked from doing so. Now, he could hear the history of God’s loving relationship with Israel, the accounts of God’s action on behalf of His people, he could hear Jesus speak of God’s love for him.

Original sin, described in the book of Genesis, has been the traditional understanding of the cause of our separation from God, the moment the human person isolated himself from the source of life, love and grace. Locked into our own wills and deaf to the voice of God, we can really become self-absorbed and can seem to be unable to break free from the bondage to the self. The result is sin – bringing sadness, fear and anger, and an emotional, spiritual and physical destructiveness inflicted on ourselves and those around us.

To get beyond that, we need the healing touch of Christ – to be healed from our physical, spiritual and emotional brokenness - and to hear the words, be opened! This is a direct command from the Lord and has the power to release us from our bondage to all those things that separate us from God’s love.

At our baptism, the priest or deacon signed our ears and mouth with the cross and announced, Ephphatha. With that sign our ears were opened to hear the word of God and our lips were opened to proclaim, under the power of the Holy Spirit, that Jesus Christ is Lord. Each day we are called to live out the truth of our baptism and nurture the graces of that sacrament.

Saint Bonaventure, in his life of Saint Francis of Assisi, describes how at prayer in a lonely place one day and full of sorrow for his sins, the joy of the Holy Spirit suddenly came upon Francis and his heart was expanded and the horizons of his mind were enlarged. This was an ephphatha moment for Francis when the graces of his baptism flowered freely and abundantly in his spirit. This is the grace we seek – that the spiritual energies in our soul, given to us at baptism and confirmation may be released to flow freely and powerfully within us – and heal us from all of our different infirmities.

We all experience distress in all sorts of ways—as sadness, anxiety, addictions, unproductive obsessions, unwanted compulsions, repetitive self-sabotaging behaviors, physical ailments, boredom, and various angry, bleak, and agitated moods.

What helps relieve this distress? What helps a person to heal? For the believer it’s our faith in Jesus the Healer … a faith that encourages and supports the other resources available to us in this modern age – counseling, medication, self-help groups and the like. While there are plenty of other tips for healing, here I offer just a few:

1. Be yourself

We must be our authentic true ourselves – the person God created in God’s image and likeness. This means asking for what we need in prayer, setting boundaries, having our own beliefs and opinions, standing up for our values, and developing our adult faith life as we listen to the voice of the Lord.

2. Invent yourself

We all come with attributes, capacities and proclivities and we have been molded in a certain environment. But at some point, as well-adjusted adults we must say, Okay, this is what is original to me and this is how I have been formed, but now who do I want to be? We reduce our emotional distress and find healing by deciding to become a person who will experience less distress: a calmer person, a less critical person, a less egoistic person, a more productive person, a less self-abusive person, and so on.

3. Love and be loved

Part of our nature requires solitude, prayer, alone time, and a substantial rugged individualism. But this isn’t the whole story of our nature. We feel happier, warmer and better, live longer, and experience life as more meaningful if we love and let ourselves be loved. The man in the Gospel was unable to love and be loved until the Lord opened his ears and touched his tongue. We must ask for the same.

4. Flip the anxiety switch off

Rampant anxiety ruins our equilibrium, colors our mood, and makes all the already hard tasks of living that much harder. There are many anxiety management strategies we can try—breathing, relaxation, exercise, and so on—but what will make all the difference is if we can locate that “inner switch” that controls our anxious nature and, deciding that we prefer to live more calmly, flip it to the off position.

5. Deal with circumstances

Circumstances matter. Our economic circumstances matter; our relationships matter; our work conditions matter; our health matters; whether our nation is at peace or occupied by invaders matters. Many circumstances are completely out of our control, but many are within our control. We can change jobs or careers, we can end a relationship, we can reduce our calorie intake, we can stand up or keep quiet, we can do exactly as much as we can do to improve our circumstances. As a result of those improvements, we will feel better. Healing requires that we rely on our faith while we take real action in the real world.

Isaiah the prophet reassures us in quoting the LORD who said:

Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not!

Here is your God, he comes with vindication.

With divine recompense he comes to save you.

It’s the message to each us from Jesus the Healer – be strong, fear not, our God comes to save us.

Spiritual writer CS Lewis once said:

You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending!

Find comfort in those words … as we begin anew …

Blessings!

RSM