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Eleventh Sunday June 13, 2010 2 Sam 12: 7-13 Ps.32 Galatians 2:16-21 Luke 7:36- 8:3 Theme: The Healing 1. “Sin” is the first word that comes to mind after listening to the readings. We revel in sin in more senses than one. We do have a monopoly on guilt.
we see signs of truth, “we can do better with the help of God” we see signs of the mercy and compassion of God. 2. In order to get the full meaning of the first reading from the book of Samuel, we must know the parable that precedes it. It is told to David by the prophet Nathan. A rich man who has a whole flock of sheep, robs a poor man who has only one sheep. The poor man treats the sheep like a child. He is distraught when the sheep is taken away from him. David is enraged with this story and proclaims that the rich man should be put to death. At this stage Nathan turns around and says, “David, that man is You!”
3. By calling David was anointed by God. By Baptism we belong to God Hence Sin and occasions of sin must be put away. But the emphasis is not on guilt and shame, we seem easily prone to that, but on Christ who is willing to go the extra mile as he did in the Gospel today. He knew that she was a sinner. Scholars even suggest that she had been forgiven even before she came into the Pharisee’s house. There is nothing to suggest that she was a prostitute. There is nothing to suggest that she was Mary Magdalene. All we hear is that here is a woman showing gratitude for being forgiven. Jesus refused to pull his feet back. Jesus refused to embarrass here. It was all about the woman and her love. Jesus would let her have the stage. Jesus would let her play the scene out. He would offer no excuse. He would offer no explanation. He would not pander to petty minds. How often we misread, misinterpret, and jump to unwarranted conclusions. For some of us, this is the only mental exercise we do. 4. We could do this if we follow Paul’s example in the second reading – the letter to the Galatians. The Galatian church was faced with the problem of those who wanted to hold on to the old and obsolete ways. The insisted that the new Christians should follow the Jewish traditions of circumcision, keeping the Sabbath and other Jewish rituals. They went further and questioned Paul’s authenticity as an apostle. Things have not changed today. How often parishioners will come and say to me “my protestant or Hindu neighbour tells me that we Catholics have to do this or practice that! Is it true?” They leave Catholics confused and discombobulated. We should politely say, “thank you for your advice. But would it not be profitable for you to be more perfect in the practice of your faith, rather than waste energy in telling me what to do in mine?” Paul said the same and in more vigorous terms. He told the group of Galatians, “you will not be justified by the law. You will be condemned by it because you fail to keep it.” 5. Paul gave encouragement to his community by saying we are justified by faith in Christ. Underlying this idea is the fact that our salvation does depend so much on our act of faith but rather the faith OF Christ shown in his obedience to the Father. This obedience would cause him to endure suffering and be put to death by those who did not accept Jesus or his teaching. Because of the action of Christ, Paul could make that daring statement “it is no longer I who live, but rather Christ lives in me. Like David in the first reading and the forgiven woman in the Gospel, Paul shows humility, Paul acknowledges his weakness and dependence on Christ, his mercy and his life. 6. Our challenge is to Open our hearts: There are much sins and occasions of sins in our lives and in those around us. The repercussions are noted each day in the headlines of our papers, in our TV and in the latest flash breaking news. However, besides these nightmares, there is also the Good News, the Gospel. There is forgiveness and there is healing. But these go unmentioned. Our church doors: Like Jesus we should not pull back our feet, embarrass our neighbour, withdraw from ministry to others or being ministered to – by others. The wonderful and delightful, Pope John 23rd, would say Observe everything Overlook a lot Change a little. Our communities: In our parish we have the CWL, the Knights of Columbus, the SVP, and other church fraternal groups. Yet we can be selective in our membership, and requirements to join these groups. There are subtle ways of making sure that “undesirables like the sinful woman of the Gospel” are kept out of our groups. They would only be a nuisance. They would only cause a scene. our mission statement says all are welcome… not only those who wash our feet with their tears, and wipe them with their hair, and anoint them with rich perfume.
SECOND VERSION: Eleventh Sunday June 13, 2010 2 Sam 12: 7-13 Ps.32 Galatians 2:16-21 Luke 7:36- 8:3 Theme: Forgiveness and healing. 1. Our liturgy of the Word begins with two characters King David and the Prophet Nathan. David’s life is in a mess, and he is clueless about his state. So Nathan decides to break the news through a Parable. A rich man with many sheep is throwing a banquet for a friend. Instead of slaughtering one of his many flock, he robs a poor man of the only sheep the later has. David is so enraged at this injustice. That man should be punished, he declares. Tow which, Nathan replies, “that man is You!” David has been lavished with many gifts by God. He was a no-name brand shepherd from a no-Frills tribe of Israel. God anointed him and made him king. God delivered him from his enemies. God crowned him with glory and honour. This all went to David’s head. He became arrogant and self centred. He thought he was above the law. “La Loi c’est moi.” – as Louis XIV would say many years later. David though he could do anything with impunity. Then comes Nathan with his parable. David unlike so many leaders in our own time acknowledged that he had done wrong. He repented. God loved David with a “special love” God forgave and healed David. But the consequences of his actions would last. David had destroyed a family, his own family would also be destroyed. 2. So how do we get reconciled with God, when we find ourselves in similar messes to David, when we sin? Paul gives us a clue in his letter to the Galatians. He starts with a negative or “no” comment. The works of the Law will not save. It is only by faith that we will be saved. There are two immediate problems:
The answer to both of these is NO. Our good works are of value only when they are done in and through Christ. Paul goes on to make the bold statement, “I live no longer, but Christ lives in me.” Consequently everything I do is priceless. Everything I do will not have the arrogance, the self-centredness, the ingratitude of David. The forgiveness and healing of our human frailty is forgiven and healed in Jesus. 3. However because we are human, our brokenness is ever present. We see that in the Gospel. If you have every been in the Middle East, there are certain areas designated as Women’s quarters. It is taboo for a male to enter these quarters and even more forbidden to look or touch the women. We see the reverse of that coin in the Gospel. The sinful woman enters the enclave of men. She breaks all protocol and etiquette. She touches the guest of honour. She goes still further with her emotionalism and intimate gesture. She brings scorn and contempt not only on herself, but also on the guest of honour, Jesus. But like Nathan, Jesus tells a parable of the two debtors, with a similar conclusion. To the host, he poses the question: which of the two debtors loved more and the resounding unspoken answer: the one who loved least, that man is YOU! Forgiveness and healing comes to the woman who is loving, grateful and humble. It has a long way to travel to the Host who is cold and distant.
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