DECIDE!!

Scriptures:  Numbers 11:25-29; James 5:1-6; Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

Some friends who went deer hunting separated into pairs for the day.  That night one hunter came back alone, staggering under an eight point buck.  “Where’s Harry?” asked another hunter.  “Oh, he fainted a couple miles up the trail,” Harry’s partner answered.  “And you left him lying there all alone and carried the deer back?”  “A tough call,” said the hunter, “but I figure no one’s going to steal Harry.”

Now that story is cousin to the old exclamation, “If I told you once, I’ve told you a million times, not to exaggerate!”

It’s a hyperbole (hī-pûr′bə-lē), using extravagant language to get a point across.  Consider today’s Gospel story.  It suggests outrageous, terrible sounding things like plucking out eyes and cutting off arms to get to Heaven!  But we have to recognize Jesus is using hyperbole here, severely exaggerated speech to make a point.  How do we know this?  How many people who read the bible literally do you know that are one eyed, one handed, and/or one footed?  Obviously they are making some adjustments when they get to scripture versus like this.

Another key point to keep in mind when reading this Gospel passage includes knowing who is Jesus’ audience?  His audience is specifically the 12 Apostles, the very ones called to a leadership of service.  The last couple of weeks we heard Jesus passion predictions, trying to explain that he must be handed over, tortured and killed; yet the Apostles are arguing about who’s the greatest among them, who will sit at his right and at his left in the kingdom, and Peter’s exclamation of “God forbid!”, meaning that’s not the way we envisioned your Kingdom coming.  Jesus’ teachings are leading to his bottom line: DECIDE!  Make the radical decision to follow me.

When Billy Graham’s Crusade was travelling around the country he always gave the audience a final challenge: “Decide!  Cut away anything that prevents you from a radical decision for Jesus Christ!  Decide for Christ!”

Pope Francis’ message has been very similar on his trip to America.  While the Pope has not used hyperboles to make his point, he has in is simple, humble and merciful way communicated his knowledge of the key social challenges facing us today; immigration, the family, and the poor that demand a faith response.  He clearly by word and action communicated the Gospel values that challenge us as a nation and individuals to “Decide!”  To discover those things that need to be cut off, plucked out so that we can not only say the right things but provide the proper actions to meet the challenges head on in accordance with the scriptural messages of today.

To help us understand what we are deciding, we’ll use a picture.  This picture is called “The Light of the World” and hangs in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.  It depicts Jesus standing at a door knocking.  Note that the door is overgrown with vines and there is not a door knob or handle on the outside of the door, meaning only someone from within can open or respond to the knock to allow Jesus entry. 

Again, the Gospel message, it’s time for a radical decision.  What decision, to open the door to Jesus once and for all.  Yet not one door, but three: the door to the past, the door to the present and the door to the future.

First to open the door to the past is to realize that “what is done is done.”  That is, what we did, the hurtful things, the heartbreaking things, the arrogant things, the unjust things—they’re done and we can’t undo them.  The only way we can deal with past hurts and sins that haunt us is to open the door to Jesus.  This tradition is called opening the door to forgiveness.  To decide to open the door to Jesus Christ of the past is simply to go to Jesus and ask for forgiveness, and that’s it.

Secondly, we must decide to open the door to the present and ask ourselves, “What is going on in my life right now?”  What needs to be cut off, plucked out?  What needs to be put into perspective?

There is a story about a missionary in China.  At the time he and a family—mother, father and two children—were under house arrest.  They’d been living under house arrest somewhat comfortably for many years.  One day a soldier came in and told them they may return to America, but they could take only two hundred pounds with them.  Well they’d been there for years!  So they broke out the scale and the family arguments began.  We must have this vase, we must have the typewriter, it’s almost brand new, and we’ve got to take these books, and this and that.  Well they finally got it right on the dot, 200 lbs.  When the soldier returned and asked if they were ready to go, they responded yes.  “Did you weigh everything?”  They said yes.  “Did you weigh the kids?” “No, we didn’t.” “Weigh the kids,” he said.  And in a moment, off went the vase, the typewriter, and the books into the trash.

What are the things cluttering our lives, separating us, distracting us from right relationship with family, community, Jesus?  Cut it off!  Pluck it out!

Lastly is to choose to open the door to the future.  This simply means to give yourself to Jesus.  The Christ who said, “Come to me all of you who labor and are heavily burdened and I will refresh you.” (Mt 11:28) “How often I would gather you as a mother hen gathers her chicks but you would not.” (Mt 23:37 & Lk 13:34)  This is the Jesus who says, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.” (Jn 14:6)

Decide!  Decide what needs to be cut off and plucked out to open these doors.  Open the door to your past, there is forgiveness.  Open the door to the present to look at all the unnecessary and divisive things you have on the scales, and trash them, there is renewal, conversion, transformation.  Open the door to the future, hand your very life over to Jesus, there is a promise.

On the other side of these doors stands the most unconditional Lover you’ll ever meet.

References:

1. Living the Word. Laurie Brink, O.P. and Deacon Frederick Bauerschmidt © 2014. World Library Publications.
2. Sick, and You Cared For Me Edited by Deacon Jim Knipper © 2014 “Whoever Is Not Against Us Is For Us” by Fr. William Bausch