4th Sunday Ordinary Time Cycle C January 31, 2010
Jeremiah 1: 4-5, 17-19, 1Corinthians 12:31-13:13,
Luke 4:21-30
I guess when your hour hasn’t arrived, you don’t get tossed over a cliff.
In this Gospel, the mob is angry. And the angry mob, which were his own
neighbors from his years of both childhood and adulthood, may have taken him to
the edge, but there was some form of divine protection present in Nazareth on
that day Jesus was almost tossed over a cliff very early in his ministry. And the
divine protection Jesus experienced that day, in whatever form it came, allowing
him to walk safely through the midst of an angry mob, tells us that all things work
for the good of the Lord. And that all events, especially life-changing and life-
ending events, happen in God’s time.
Can you imagine if the people of Nazareth, Jesus’ own friends and acquaintances
– the kids he played with, the adults he conversed with, the families he broke
bread with, the people whom he shared the truth of the one true God with – can
you imagine if they succeeded in throwing him over the brow of a hill? And hurled
him headlong down some rocky incline? (Can you imagine if we were successful
in throwing Jesus over the hill of our own lives?) What would have resulted from
such an act?
Well, the blind would have stayed blind. The paralytic on the mat would not have
been told that his sins were forgiven, and to pick up his mat and walk home.
Martha and Mary would have mourned Lazarus for the rest of their natural lives.
The woman at the well would not have been told her life story seemingly by an
unknown Jewish man; thus, her conversion that was trailing behind her whole
life, the conversion that was always trying to catch up to her, it never would have
caught up to her heart, and would not have overcome her, leading her on a path to
God the rest of her life. A conversion that began with the words, “This man has
told me my life story! Like somehow he knew me! Like somehow he followed me
everywhere! Like he has somehow spied on all my days! I never met him before in
person, yet he knew my whole life!” words that we can speak. All this would not
have happened.
And if Jesus had been tossed over the brow of the hill that day in Nazareth, we
would be missing out here 2000 years later on the authoritative impact his words
have made. And will make until the end of time. Words like “Follow me.” Two
simple words. Eight letters. But when those eight simple letters are placed in a
certain sequence, and spoken by a certain Teacher, then they become quite
demanding of us, as the Apostles found out. And not only are the words “follow
me” demanding in the present, but Jesus is the only person who could speak
those words, and by doing so give direction, meaning, and purpose to every
human life that wishes to embrace those eight letters. Because to continue to
choose to follow Jesus means to participate in the most solid direction, deepest
meaning, and highest purpose of human life.
Also, if Jesus had been tossed over the hill, words like “I am the resurrection and
the life” would be unknown today. Our lives are dependent upon those words. I
suppose Jesus could have spoken them in haste as he was being tossed over the
cliff, leaving an echo of these words stuck in the mountain valley. But they wouldn’
t have had the same effect as when Jesus spoke them to Martha right before he
called Lazarus out of the tomb. The power and the truth, and the hope found in
those words continues to resonate down through the
centuries.
Everything in Jesus’ life was perfectly timed. And that includes carrying his cross.
In the big picture of our own lives, for those of us who embrace the words “follow
me,” everything in our lives is perfectly timed in the sight of God. All our events
are in a cruel, loving, hurtful, joyful combination of order. Especially carrying our
own cross.
So, what’s this all about? All this talk about what would have been if Jesus had
been run over the cliff is talk about presence. It’s about spiritual presence. On that
day in Nazareth, there was some form of divine protection taking place. That’s the
only way Jesus could have escaped through the crowd
unharmed.
So how deep and how sustaining is the presence Jesus promises to those who
“follow him?”
In today’s words of Jeremiah, this is how deep and how sustaining his presence
is; “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. Before you were born I
dedicated you.” The words spoken to Jeremiah, which we own today, tell us of a
spiritual presence that is beyond comprehension, yet intimately discovered in our
lives. It’s the presence that helped Jesus not get tossed off a cliff to soon. So that
he could meet people, and cure people, and teach people, and forgive people, and
save people. A presence that ensured all would work for the good of
God.
It’s also a spiritual presence that is in constant search of human hearts so that we
can “strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts,” as St. Paul writes in the
“wedding reading.” We’ve witnessed this in Haiti, where love has been patient,
love has been kind. Where love has not been jealous, pompous, inflated, rude,
and has not sought its own interests. Where it takes no joy in the sufferings of
others. But rather reaches out to the needs of others, especially when a 7.0
earthquake ravishes a nation of people. A spiritual presence that brings out the
best in us. And that’s what it’s meant to do.
But to bring this presence back to the Gospel, we’re always confronted with today’
s image, where life can take us to the edge of the hill with Jesus. Where we
ourselves may at times push Jesus to the edge. It’s part of life. But if and when we
reach that point, we have two choices. First, we can throw him over the edge of
our lives and get rid of him. Or secondly, we can place our arms around him,
especially when times get tough, and return to safer ground together. I’m sure we
all prefer the 2nd option. But, when we make the safer choice to bring Jesus back
from the edge with us, what follows are the words “follow
me.”
This Gospel may seem harsh in some respects. And it is. But Jesus says to us,
“You may take me to the edge at times, but bring me back and allow me to walk
with you. Allow me to continue to provide divine protection for your
life.”