Today\u2019s readings offer a rich variety of topics.\u00a0 The first reading from the Book of Esther is the only time in appears in our lectionary.\u00a0 It\u2019s set during the late exile after Persia has conquered Babylon.\u00a0 This is the only book in the entire Bible that does not mention God in its text.\u00a0 Yet, reading the Book of Esther is the central act of the Jewish feast of Purim.\u00a0 While Esther does not mention God, it is clear that God is at work through human beings to preserve and protect God\u2019s people from destruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the Gospel passage, the disciples are challenged to accept a wider understanding of what it means to serve in Jesus\u2019 name. In the opening verses of the reading, the Apostle John raises the question of how the disciples are to relate to outsiders who cast out demons in the name of Jesus. Jesus\u2019 success in setting people free from demonic control had been such that the very invocation of his name was determined to have healing properties. But the inner circle of disciples viewed any outsiders\u2019 use of the name as an unauthorized infringement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Previously, John had been involved with some of the other disciples in a dispute over who was the greatest among them (Mk. 9:33-34). The disciples\u2019 exclusivist attitude could reflect conflicts in Mark\u2019s community church over who was to be included in the faith community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jesus\u2019 reply reveals his lack of concern over the incident and reflects his earlier view that those who are not explicitly disciples can still do God\u2019s work (Mk. 3:31-35). What matters is that God\u2019s purposes are being fulfilled, as demons are \u201cexpelled\u201d and people set free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, the person who uses Jesus\u2019 name to obtain such results shows some sort of respect, regardless of personal commitment to Jesus. No one can claim to own the name of Jesus; instead, Jesus owns those who call upon his name. Ultimately, \u201cWhoever is not against us is for us\u201d (v. 40; cf Num. 11:24- 30). Jesus directs the disciples to reflect on their own life and ministry rather than worrying about the ministries of outsiders. Ironically, the disciples were previously unable to exorcise a demon from a young boy (Mk. 9:17-18).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thus, the community of Jesus\u2019 followers is to include everyone. Unless there is reason to believe that someone poses a negative threat, we must be willing to accept those who seek to do good in Jesus\u2019 name. In fact, whoever does the smallest service for a follower of Jesus shall surely be rewarded; for such care for one another is what true discipleship is all about (v. 41).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In verses 42-48, Jesus calls on the disciples, to examine their own behavior; for those who might cause believers \u2014 \u201cthese little ones\u201d (v. 42) \u2014 to turn away from following Jesus will bring destruction upon themselves. It would be better to die than to be the cause of another person\u2019s ruin \u2014 even, in Jesus\u2019 illustration, to be thrown into the sea with a heavy millstone around one\u2019s neck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Any actions preventing others from following God\u2019s will must be renounced (vv. 43-47). These graphic directives to cut off a hand or foot, or to tear out an eye, are not meant to be taken literally. Such exaggerated metaphors illustrate the necessity of ridding ourselves of the things in our lives that hold us back from wholehearted devotion to God. After all, if we were to follow this directive literally, we would be inundated with half-blind people who have changed their name to \u201cLefty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The word translated as \u201cstumble\u201d in these verses is used in the sense of \u201cto take offense\u201d or \u201cto scandalize.\u201d To put an obstacle in the way of another person\u2019s faith is a very serious matter indeed. Here is where the Gospel comes down hardest on those who wish to claim it as a personal possession that is available only to a select few. Sooner or later, there will be a sorting that culminates with pronouncements of who\u2019s worthy to be a part of the faith community, and those who for whatever artificial reason are excluded and become outcasts. The result is eventually those who perceive themselves as outsiders turn away in disgust. This is why so many younger people are turning their backs on the Christian religion, becoming what many theologians and church leaders are calling the \u201cNONES,\u201d although \u201cDONES\u201d would probably be a more accurate description. Ultimately, we will find ourselves being judged by the standards we held up against our brothers and sisters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of our strengths as the Church of the Mediator is that we remind ourselves of our mission and ministry in our community. We do this by repeating our congregation\u2019s mission statement every Sunday morning. Repeating our mission statement together gives us an opportunity to ask ourselves how we as individuals and collectively are trying to live into our mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Good News for us on this Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time is that it\u2019s not up to us to decide who\u2019s in or who\u2019s out \u2013 that\u2019s God\u2019s job not ours. That gives us the freedom to risk inviting everyone \u2013 friend or stranger \u2013 into our midst, welcome them, and invite them to join us at our Lord\u2019s Table. Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Whose Gospel? or Who\u2019s In and Who\u2019s Out? Today\u2019s readings offer a rich variety of topics.\u00a0 The first reading from the Book of Esther is the only time in appears in our lectionary.\u00a0 It\u2019s set during the late exile after Persia has conquered Babylon.\u00a0 This is the only book in the entire Bible that does […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"templates\/template-full-width.php","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[16],"class_list":["post-584","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-homily","tag-sermon"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediatormicanopy.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/584","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediatormicanopy.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediatormicanopy.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediatormicanopy.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediatormicanopy.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=584"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mediatormicanopy.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/584\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":585,"href":"https:\/\/mediatormicanopy.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/584\/revisions\/585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediatormicanopy.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=584"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediatormicanopy.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=584"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediatormicanopy.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=584"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}