Faith

Too blessed to be stressed – Thursday, 29th Week in ordinary time – Lk 12:49-53

This one knocked me off my feet; the Lord no less is stressed! And he seems really stressed for he exclaims, “What stress I am under”. It seems like the challenges of the modern age also resonated two thousand years ago. So what got our good Jesus so wound up?

Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem and we were given an insight into his disposition. At the end of his Galilean ministry, Luke tells us that Jesus “set his face to go to Jerusalem” (9:51). For Jesus there is no looking back on his calling to the cross. He is resolute in his decision.

Scripture tells us that Jesus was like us in all things but sin so quite clearly he was not exempted from stress, which he so readily admits to. The Greek word for stress mentioned in this text is ‘synecho’ which translates as a distress or a feeling of being squeezed or pressed in. Jesus understands fully the consequences of this resolute march to Jerusalem which he must complete.

However it is not only the Lord who walks resolutely to Jerusalem but even the disciples will have to make this long march. Following Jesus is no walk in the park. The disciple will have to make a clear choice for Jesus who is bound to set them against their own family and friends.

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Faith

Ability, Responsibility, Accountability – Wednesday, 29th week in ordinary time – Lk 12:39-48

The focus now shifts from the “oikonomos” or ‘steward who gives service to the Christian community’, represented in yesterday’s Gospel, to the ‘diligent manager’ in today’s Gospel. Luke presents Jesus as one who not only examines the diligence of the sheep but also the shepherd. Each one seems to have a responsibility in the Church that they must live up to.

The focus of today’s Gospel is the prudent manager who is tasked to look after the master’s household, especially those who work in it. His job is to ensure that they receive their allowances and food at the proper time. The infant Church of St Luke is now slowly developing leadership roles and Luke is aware that power corrupts. He presents these parables of Jesus, as He walks to his death in Jerusalem, as a reminder to all Christian leaders; their call is to be faithful disciples.

Yesterday’s Gospel had the faithful steward being rewarded with a place at the Messianic table with the Lord himself serving. In today’s Gospel the faith manager will be rewarded for his fidelity with being placed in charge of ‘all the master’s possessions’.

When the entire pericope of both the parables (faithful steward verse 32 and faithful manager verse 42) are seen together, one realises that God gives responsibilities to each according to their ability and in the same measure demands accountability. As this pericope winds down, we are reminded in verse 48 that some have been ‘given’ and some have been ‘entrusted’.

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Faith

Watch out! Tuesday, 29th week in ordinary time – Lk 12:35-38

Luke wrote this Gospel to communicate the life of Jesus as an inspiration to his community of believers and not mere to communicate a series of chronological events in Jesus’ life. Clearly at the back of his head is this fragile community who in verse 32 Jesus addresses as “little flock” exhorting them not to be afraid.

Somewhere behind the readings of this chapter is Luke’s concern for the faith of his community. The fear of persecution was real and so hope needed to be instilled in his community. Perhaps the members of this “little flock” had already begun to slide a bit, compromising on their witness if not slinking out of the sheep fold.

So Luke wants to send a message to the officials of the community who seem to be taking the demands of this new faith a bit lightly. It is they who are referred to in the parable as the stewards or slaves which in this case translates not as doulos (slave) but rather “oikonomos” or ‘one who gives service to the Christian community’.

In presenting this parable of Jesus, Luke singles out these leaders and cautions them to be examples in the community. It is they who should lead by example, ever watchful, waiting for the second coming of the master (Parousia) who could come at any time. To such leaders is reserved God’s absolute gratuity, for in an unprecedented reversal of roles, God himself will wait on these leaders at the messianic or eschatological (end times) banquet.

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The unholy trinity; Me, Myself and I – Monday, 29th week in ordinary time – LK 12:13-21

When you look at this text in the Bible you will notice it has a title which in the RSV reads as “the parable of the rich fool.” I think the pericope (literally ‘a cutting all around’ or ‘a section of’) has not one but two fools.

Jesus is in the middle of exhorting his disciples not to give in to apostasy but to confess him before rulers and authorities. Surely the air was filled with sadness and fear; the reality of persecution being proclaimed by Jesus himself must have sent shivers down the spine of his disciples. And then just out of nowhere emerges “someone from the crowd” demanding that Jesus intervene in a family property dispute.

This ‘someone’ certainly was out of step and perhaps out of his mind which prompted me to begin this exegesis with the declaration that there are two fools in today’s text. There seems to be a tremendous sense of insensitivity if not selfishness in the interruption of Jesus’ teaching and it is this selfishness driven by greed that prompts Jesus to not only break into a parable of another fool but rebuke this one albeit kindly with the word, ‘friend’.

If you look at the parable dispassionately you might begin to wonder, what exactly has this farmer done so wrong to be called a fool?  On examining the details of the parable he has not cheated any one and seems to have worked hard in order to reap a bumper harvest. He seems to be a shrewd business man who is able to invest wisely his bumper windfall by building more barns. On the surface everything seems to be in order. Then why the harsh title of fool?

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Faith

Speaking TO and working THROUGH – Saturday, 28th week in ordinary time – Lk 12:8-12

Luke’s congregation was battered by opposition from within and without; from within, the community was divided by cultural and religious differences which they professed before they became followers of Christ. To compound matters this ‘little flock’ also had to face persecution from their Roman overlords. This section of Luke’s Gospel which began in 12: 1 and ends in verse 59 will highlight the great challenges that the people of ‘the way’ were faced with.

To a community under threat, lying low would make good sense. Yet the Lord demands boldness from His disciples, a boldness to testify and acknowledge Him before men.  Luke, in recalling the words of the Master, strengthens the fledgling faith of this congregation yet at the same time holding them to the high standards of heaven.

The call of Jesus is not necessarily to be a street corner Bible wielding Christian; that ministry laudable as it is may be is not be every ones cup of tea. However a simple examination of consciousness at the end of the day will enlighten our minds of the Lord’s presence in our day. That protection, peace and presence which we take for granted, must be shared with others and in that we “acknowledge Jesus before men” (verse 8). It is not by our strength that we accomplish the many challenges of life but we do so by His Grace. When we foolishly attribute every success to ourselves then we bring condemnation upon ourselves, thus denying Him before men.

Chapter twelve is also a reminder to the disciples that the persecutions faced by the community found resonance with the persecution faced by Jesus. However there are Rubicon’s one does not cross and the Jews in their constant attack of Jesus had done that on several occasion. In their hate for Jesus they had often attributed the miracles He had worked to the evil spirit of Beelzebul when in fact it was through the Holy Spirit. It is this blasphemy that Jesus says will never be forgiven. While strengthening this community under attack, Luke also strengthens their faith, for God’s Holy Spirit is within them.

It is for this reason that they should not be afraid when dragged before synagogues and rulers for the same Spirit that worked through Jesus will work through them, “teaching them what to say at that very hour.” This text must not be misinterpreted by preachers or Bible teachers who may be in the habit of not preparing their homily; preachers who hope to find inspiration at the last minute while standing in the pulpit.

In all of this, Luke aims to strengthen and motivate his persecuted community. Through their persecution, the Lord is speaking TO them but even more working THROUGH them.

Fr Warner D’Souza

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