The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today alert us to the decision we need to make to be active participants as witnesses to the Grace we receive in our relationship with Jesus.
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| Decisions within our authority |
The reading from the Letter to the Romans is a dualistic presentation of our choice to be slaves of righteousness or of sin.
* [6:12–19] Christians have been released from the grip of sin, but sin endeavors to reclaim its victims. The antidote is constant remembrance that divine grace has claimed them and identifies them as people who are alive only for God’s interests.1
Thanksgiving for Israel’s deliverance is the theme of Psalm 124.
* [Psalm 124] A thanksgiving which teaches that Israel’s very existence is owed to God who rescues them. In the first part Israel’s enemies are compared to the mythic sea dragon (Ps 124:2b–3a; cf. Jer 51:34) and Flood (Ps 124:3b–5; cf. Is 51:9–10). The Psalm heightens the malice of human enemies by linking them to the primordial enemies of God’s creation. Israel is a bird freed from the trapper’s snare (Ps 124:6–8)—freed originally from Pharaoh and now from the current danger.2
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells the parable of the faithful and the unfaithful slaves to urge us to be vigilant.
* [12:45] My master is delayed in coming: this statement indicates that early Christian expectations for the imminent return of Jesus had undergone some modification. Luke cautions his readers against counting on such a delay and acting irresponsibly. Cf. the similar warning in Mt 24:48.3
Ann Mausbach considers the message Jesus is teaching his disciples in today’s gospel. Jesus wants us to be attentive and alert so we will take responsibility for putting good out in the world.
Being ready and alert isn’t about being hyper vigilant and defensive, ready to pounce at a moment’s notice. Rather being alert means opening our minds and hearts to God’s grace and mercy. It means noticing the gifts that are inherent in our daily lives so we can be fully present. With this open arms stance we can fully appreciate God’s presence. And once we live in this state of awareness we can’t help but act.4
Don Schwager quotes “God's great promise for faithful and wise servants,” by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD).
"'Blessed is the servant whom the Lord will find so doing when he comes. A great promise is extended to the Lord's faithful and wise stewards. It is like the promise he made to those to whom he said, 'Take authority over five cities' or 'take authority over ten cities' (Luke 19:17-19). For to be made the head 'over all his possessions' is nothing other than to be made an 'heir of God and coheir with Christ' (Romans 8:17) and to reign with Christ. The Father has given him everything he himself possesses, as Christ said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me' (Matthew 28:18). The Son of the good Father who is given authority over all his Father's possessions also shares this honor and glory with his faithful and wise stewards, so they also might be with Christ above every creature and authority. This is what he meant when he said, 'Truly I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.'" (excerpt from the COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 62)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 12:39-48 comments that since Jesus’ return will astonish everyone, we might suppose there’s no way to prepare for it. But Jesus tells us that our entire Christian life hinges on being ready.
That kind of readiness involves being attentive and flexible, holding our own agendas loosely, and trusting that God has a perfect—if sometimes mysterious—plan for our lives.
So try to be open to the surprising ways Jesus may want to speak to you, not just through his word, but through the gentle voice of the Spirit or through the actions and words of the people around you. As you go through your day, be open to the interruptions that come. Those unexpected requests from relatives, friends, or coworkers may be Jesus giving you an opportunity to serve him. You don’t have to wait for the end of the world to see him; he’s knocking at your door right now!6
Friar Jude Winkler clarifies that sin is not an act of independence, but of submission to slavery. We exercise authority in domains where we are called to be witnesses to Christ. Friar Jude reminds us to respond to the Spirit directing us to what the Master wants.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, quotes from his deceased friend Walter Wink (1935–2012), a Methodist minister, biblical scholar, theologian, and nonviolent activist, who puts religion’s struggles with gender and sexuality into historical perspective as another opportunity for learning Jesus’ way of liberation—of both oppressed and oppressors.
In the same way, women are pressing us to acknowledge the sexism and patriarchalism that pervades Scripture and has alienated so many women from the church. The way out, however, is not to deny the sexism in Scripture, but to develop an interpretive theory that judges even Scripture in the light of the revelation in Jesus. What Jesus gives us is a critique of domination in all its forms, a critique that can be turned on the Bible itself. The Bible thus contains the principles of its own correction. We are freed from bibliolatry, the worship of the Bible. It is restored to its proper place as witness to the Word of God. And that Word is a Person, not a book. [1]
Richard again: We have moved in the direction of justice and equity on many issues that were seemingly acceptable when the Scriptures were compiled: slavery, of course, but also capital and corporal punishment, bigamy, child-rearing practices, inheritance, taking interest on loans, and commerce in general. It seems to me that we as Christians should be at the forefront of ending and healing the suffering that has been caused by rejecting LGBTQIA individuals, refusing them full inclusion in our churches, and denying them equal protection under the law.7
Our decision to be about Jesus work also involves attending to the Spirit as a guide to applying Love to the cultural conflicts in our society.
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