Christianity Without Frontiers!

(Homily for the 26^th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B)

     A voyage back to history lane reveals that there has been an incessant craving in man to stand out from others, to manifest his tendencies of superiority and inequality especially towards those he considers outside of his own ‘group’. For instance, in the Christian religion, many a times the different denominations do not agree on certain issues of faith and manner of worship. Sometimes this degenerates into a sort of division and sense of inequality. However, attempts have been made in various quarters to close the gap and overcome the often exaggerated division. Yet this sense of inequality still persists, often times degenerating into fanaticism and intolerance. Similarly, it is this craving that propelled the apostles of Jesus to make such divisional remarks in today’s Gospel. The striking phrase of the readings of this Sunday is: “someone who is not one of us” as evidenced in the Gospel passage. This phrase too was the force propelling the reaction of the anonymous young man and Joshua in the context of the first reading. Many a times, a good number of us repeat a similar phrase too, either to ascertain our authority or to sustain our feelings of superiority and inequality. This of course, is a statement that divides and separates, instead of unifying. But Jesus’ intervention can be condensed in the phrase “communion with all”. Thus, Jesus invites his disciples and followers to pass from an ideological contraposition to a joyful and disarming proposal of the Good News. Goodness is not tied to one temple. Truly, God can operate even outside the sacraments. Incumbent upon that, the common thread that runs through the first reading and the Gospel is the fact that the spirit blows where it wills (Jn.3:8). It was Dietrich Bonhoeffer a German theologian who came up with a puzzling thought of “non-religious-Christianity”, this seems to be connected with K. Rahner’s “anonymous Christians”, though their outlook on the terms differ. This new theological outlook of Bonhoeffer is not a denial of the Church. Instead the “non-religious Christian” is by extension a follower of Christ, but in a different new way. How?

     In the first reading (Nm. 11:25-29) we are presented with a somewhat confusing story. After Moses’ appointment of the seventy elders to assist him in governing the people in the wilderness, they received a share of Moses’ spirit. This gave rise to a temporary manifestation of charismatic prophecy among them. Later on, it ceased, and then two men Eldad and Medad engaged in the charismatic prophecy, but given that they were not part of the seventy elders, an overzealous young man brought this to the notice of Joshua, who told Moses to stop them for exercising an unauthorized ministry, but Moses refused and responded in a rather strong manner, thus: “Are you jealous on my account? If only all Yahweh’s people were prophets, and Yahweh had given them his spirit” (v.29). This is equally a lesson for us today. The spirit cannot be confined to a particular group, the spirit blows where it wills. Every good and authentic Christian has to guide against every form of intolerance towards those who are not Christians and do not belong to the Church. Rather there is need for openness, openness also to welcome the seeds of truth and goodness that the Lord spread in every man and woman, in every race and culture. That is the semina verbi, the seed of the divine Word, of God’s wisdom. However, the necessity of obedience and spirit of submission to ecclesiastical authorities cannot be overemphasized.

     The Gospel passage (Mk. 9:38-43.45.47-48) of this Sunday is loaded with many admonitions from the Master. The teachings of Jesus in today’s Gospel periscope can be divided into three: ●First, an invitation not to stop those who perform miracle in the name of Jesus, but are not his followers. ●Second, a call to guide against being a scandal to the little ones in the faith. ●Third, the invitation to cut off anything in us or around us that may lead us to sin (this indeed is a proactive advice to us as well).

     In this passage, Jesus continued his instruction to his disciples and apostles; he pointed out to them what should be their comportment towards those who are not part of the band of apostles and disciples, those who are not “one of them”. He invited them to guide against any form of intolerance. Those who belong to him should not think of having the monopoly or exclusivity of truth and goodness. God is free and generous, and He can plant truth and goodness even in the hearts of those who are not Christ’s disciples. This teaching of Jesus was a fellow up to the reaction of the apostles to those who do not belong to their circle. John reported: “Master, we saw someone who is not one of us driving out devils in your name, and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him” (v.38). Certainly, John must have expected to receive a pat on the back from his Master for his zeal, instead Jesus said: “You must not stop him; no one who works a miracle in my name could soon afterwards speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us” (vv. 39-40). He further added, that anyone who does a good and generous work, no matter how small and insignificant, like giving a cup of water, in his name will receive his reward (v. 41). In the apostles one notices the tendency to reserve healing and exorcism for themselves. Probably they wanted to be seen to be more important and more equal than others in his name. They wanted to be seen as superiors in his name. They seem to have forgotten too early the lesson he taught them with that child in the centre of their circle (cf. Mk. 9:36-37). In their intervention, they were not motivated by values like, goodness, unity and harmony; rather they were carried away by their quest for the observation of rules and feelings of superiority.

     Afterwards, Jesus advanced a teaching about scandal in relation to the little ones that believe. In biblical language, scandal signifies an obstacle, on which one can stumble and fall. In this context, the little ones that believe are not children, but believers who are fragile and insecure. In order to help the apostles understand the intensity of this admonition, Jesus pronounced threat to those who become obstacle, for others to believe or worst still, who make the little ones to lose their faith, “But anyone who is the downfall of one of these little ones who have faith, would be better thrown into the sea with a great millstone hung round his neck” (v.42). Here, Jesus calls us to live our Christian life in a coherent and authentic way, warding off whatever may mislead others, especially the little ones in the faith. The admonition of Jesus obliges every Christian to lead an exemplary life, such that those who have little faith will be reinforced and those who do not have will be encouraged to embrace it.

     The third teaching of Jesus has to do equally with scandal, the obstacle that we can set for ourselves. While the second teaching has to do with obstacle to the faith of others, this admonition has to do with one’s faith. “If your hand should be your downfall, cut it off…if your foot should be your downfall, cut it off…if your eyes should be your downfall, tear it out…” (vv.43.45.47). Jesus gives us guidelines on how to overcome evil, temptation and sin. Here, Jesus speaks in metaphorical terms, when he invites us to cut off our hand or foot or pluck our eyes, he is inviting us to avoid the occasions of sin, whatever or whoever that may induce us to sin. It is an invitation for intus legere (to read inside), to examine our lives and to reflect deep within ourselves in order to see if there are things or persons that are leading us astray. The parts of the body mentioned here, hand, leg and eye, are the avenues through which human beings carry out their activities. If your hand should…, that is if you commit acts that will distance you from the faith, if your foot…, that is if you walk on paths that are dangerous for your faith; if your eye should…, that is if you watch or read things that will endanger your faith. Faith is a supernatural gift that we have to try and avoid anything that will compromise it in us and in others.

     The admonitions of Jesus therefore, become very much important in our world today flooded with occasions and realities that can easily lure us to sin, ranging from drugs, alcohol, the events and realities portrayed on the media. Worried as she was over this situation, Mother Teresa of Calcutta said about television: “we have a tabernacle to Jesus in the Church and we have a tabernacle to the Satan in the home”. Thus, Jesus invites us to avoid the occasion of sin and to strengthen ourselves against evil. He constantly invites us to follow his examples. Of a truth, Christian discipleship must have a Christological basis, Christ must be at the foundation and at the centre, in that the disciple has to become what the Master is. Little wonder the cost of discipleship is high. No Christianity at a slashed price!

     In the second reading (Jm. 5:1-6) we encounter yet another admonition. Therein St. James blows hot against the rich. He spoke against the rich, certainly not all, but those that enrich themselves by means of injustice, oppression and fraud. He decried about the employers that exploit their employees and those who use their riches for themselves alone, instead of sharing with the poor and the needy. This indeed, is one of those few New Testament passages that address the issue of social justice. In the words of St. James: “on earth you have had a life of comfort and luxury; in the time of slaughter you went on eating to your heart’s content” (v.5). The author equally provided a sort of a theological basis for his social ethics, thus: “The cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord Sabaoth” (v.4b). This admonition of St. James is not only to be understood individually, but also collectively, and as such also valid for the rich nations towards the poor ones, especially those who continue to enrich themselves at the expense of the poor nations. To those individuals and nations who are insensitive to the plight of the poor, he says: “Your wealth is rotting; your clothes are all moth-eaten” (v.2).

     In all, the readings of today invites us to guide against what could be called religious and social divides, as manifested in the first reading and in the Gospel. It is the tendency to segregate and separate ourselves from those we term non-Christians or those who do not belong to our religious circle. Let us not forget that a real Christian is one who follows the example of Jesus, we cannot brag about being Christians by mere belongingness. The dividing line is not between those who go to church and those who do not, rather it is between those that follow His examples and those who do not, those who use their resources to help the poor and the needy (cf. Mt. 25: 31-46) and those who do not like those insensitive rich in the second reading. In no small way the admonition of James buttresses the fact raised in the other two readings. For we have rich Christians who do not help the poor, and as well rich non-Christians or even atheists who are sensitive to the plight of the poor. So, goodness is not tied to only one temple, the Spirit blows where it wills. Lord Jesus help us always to recognize your presence even when it is hidden! Amen!!

(Fr. Vitus Chigozie, SC)