19th in ORD. TIME (B-5) (Not delivered) Typecast me as a witness!
Have you known someone, then years pass, and you see each other
again, and they treat you as if you haven’t grown into the “you” you are?
Do you feel that it’s fair? Of course not! Do you have parents who never
let you grow up, treating you as if you were the age of their last noting
you grew? Is that fair? Of course not! Don’t you hate it when it happens?
If you’ve felt like this, then you know how Jesus felt when he heard
his hometown people say, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we
not know his father and mother? How can he claim to have come down
from heaven?” What a mistake they made! “Stop murmuring!” he said.
Weeks ago we heard about a prophet not being accepted by one’s
own people. We’re all guilty of judging people with set criteria, tending
not to let them out, or grow up. We hold them back from becoming who
they are becoming, at least in our eyes.
Steps in St. Paul! He’s God’s check and balance for us. He said, “Do
nothing to sadden the Holy Spirit with whom you were sealed ...Get rid
of all bitterness, passion, anger, harsh words, slander & malice of every
kind. In place of these, be kind to one another, compassionate, and
mutually forgiving, just as God has forgiven you in Christ.”
Paul’s telling us to take down the walls or masks which separate us.
He’s saying: “drop the categories of false judgment; do as Jesus did:
‘Love, be kind, and forgive one another as I have loved, been kind, and
forgiven you.’”
We gather here rich/poor, male/female, old/young, gay/straight,
conservative/liberal, healthy/dysfunctional, all called to come and eat
and drink. Jesus once said, “Come to me all you who labor and are heavy
burdened, and I will give you rest.” He said all. And this table is the
symbol of that invitation to come and eat of the bread of life, the bread
spoken about in John’s “Bread of Life” discourse in Chapter 6.
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Jesus likens himself to the manna which saved the Hebrew people’s
life in Moses’ day. Hence, he came to save our lives as well. He wants to
save our lives like he did the Samaritan woman of Chapter 4 in John. He
also wants us to understand that our salvation must be wrapped up in
understanding that his food was to do the will of the Father, who sent
him, and to complete his work. Hence, our food is to do the will of the
one who sends us and complete his work.
Who sends us? Jesus! And what is his work? To show us how much
we are loved and forgiven, just like Paul describes. Hence, our bread is
one that’s not just received, but offered to become what it signifies: life
and call. We are called to say yes to becoming bread for a hungry world.
We are called to say yes to being kind, compassionate, and forgiving of
one another and thus living out our being children of the living God,
having discovered God’s love in worship, prayer, study and good works.
What say you? Do you feel excited to be invited? Let’s leave here
different people for our God never type-casts us, never prejudges us,
never harbors 1st impressions, and never discards us. God loves us, cares
for us, suffers with and for us, and forgives us, always. Let us rejoice and
be glad!
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