Homily: Twenty-third Tuesday of Ordinary Time (Lk. 6: 12-19)
Twenty-third Tuesday of Ordinary Time (Lk. 6: 12-19) “Sermon on the Plain?”
One of the most famous speeches every given was Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. We read that sermon in the Gospel of Matthew. We do not hear of this sermon in the Gospel of Mark or the Gospel of John. What about the Gospel of Luke?
In the Gospel of Luke Jesus goes up on the mountain with his disciples and he picks his twelve apostles. It is only when Jesus comes off the mountain that he gives the central tenants of his teaching. For that reason, his sermon in the Gospel of Luke is not called the Sermon on the Mount but the Sermon on the Plain.
The sermons Jesus preaches in Matthew and Luke have other differences. Jesus only gives three beatitudes in the Gospel of Luke, rather than the nine we have in Matthew. Jesus also follows up his beatitudes with three woes in Luke. The blessings and the woes stand in opposition to each other.
What are we to make of these differences and contradictions in the Gospels? Was one Gospel right and the other wrong? Do we need to be uncomfortable that the Gospel stories do not match?
We must remember that the Gospels were put together in three phases. The first stage was the actual words and deeds of Jesus. The second phase was the oral tradition. Stories were passed around about Jesus by the people who knew him in life. The third stage was the actual writing of the Gospel narratives. The stories about Jesus were written down in different times in different places. Is it any wonder that there are incongruities?
Just think if we asked people to tell the story of the last 20 years in light of the 9/11 attacks. We would certainly get a lot of different narratives wouldn’t we. Now that America’s longest war has come to an end, we are conflicted. We all would have our opinions about what has happened and that would affect how we would write about what we have experienced these last two decades.
The writers of the Gospel were writing about their faith experience. Each author’s faith in Jesus meant something different, something personal. We might step back to ask how we might describe the Jesus experience to others.
Reflection Questions:
- How do I view the different Gospel narratives? Have I ever taken time to compare the various accounts?
- When different people witness an important event do their stories all match? Why don’t they?
Dear Parishioners,
Labor Day is a day when we remember that the church is supposed to stand with all working people. Though the years the church has often advocated for working people in the struggle for justice.
The church is also an employer. The church operates in the world, and this makes the words “practice what you preach” more challenging. The church is a non-profit which means that it is not a commercial enterprise. We don’t sell widgets for income we beg for alms to keep going. This affects the wages the church pays.
The church usually can be less stringent in the demands on its employees. When the church is not compassionate towards those who work for her, it is hard to understand. We expect a reasonableness from the church concerning working conditions and hours.
As we move on from another Labor Day the Christian church is challenged once again to reflect Christ as it operates in the worldly realm. Unfortunately, the church is made up of sinners and always will be. The church must always humbly admit that.
May Our Lady and All the Angels and Saints watch over you today.
Fr. Mark