26th Sunday Ordinary Time – Cycle B
Numbers 11: 25-29; James 5: 1-6;
Mark
9: 38-43, 45, 47-48
Throughout
recorded history, we've tried to discover God – tried to define
God. Each time we try this, we fail because to define God is to
limit God. God cannot be put into a box. There aren't enough pages
in the latest edition of the catechism to hold God to our definition
of Him.
God's
Word that we hear in our liturgy today throws a curve ball to those
who cannot think and reflect outside the box. We listen first to the
story of how God's Spirit blew where it wasn't supposed to blow –
on Eldad and Medad. Joshua, an assistant to Moses, is angry. “It's
not supposed to happen this way.” The elders gathered and the
Spirit of the Lord came upon them. But Eldad and Medad did not
attend the meeting. They should not be allowed to prophesy – to
speak with authority.
Moses
is not upset that God's Spirit has landed not only on the elders, but
on two young upstarts as well. He gives Joshua a fantastic response.
Do you remember it? Moses said “Would that all the people of the
Lord were prophets! Would that the Lord might bestow his spirit on
them all.” Moses gets it. Moses understands that God's ways are
not our ways.
Mark's
gospel passage is similar. Someone from outside their chosen group
is exorcizing demons in Jesus' name. This time John complains.
Jesus corrects him - “Whoever is not against us is for us.”
Prophets
are often misunderstood and frequently ignored. They are sometimes
persecuted because they speak a truth that society is unwilling or
not ready to accept. Prophets are individuals who are in tune with
God's call and are willing to step out of their comfort zone and act.
There
is a support group in Louisville which serves the needs of young,
low-income pregnant mothers. The group meets to learn parenting
skills, ask questions, and be part of a community in which they are
accepted and understood with their unique circumstances. By
attending this group, the mothers receive small gifts for their baby
each week and a crib and mattress for the baby when they complete the
program. Due to the age and the nature of the group, only the
expectant mothers and the fathers of the babies may attend. The
mothers of the young girls do not participate so that the young girls
feel free to share their thoughts, feelings, and questions within the
group.
A
very young girl and her mother arrived to join the group. For the
purpose of this story we will call her “Mary.” Mary was upset
that her mother could not be with her during the parenting classes.
She truly wanted to be part of the group and she needed a crib for
her baby, but she couldn't face the prospect of the group without the
support of her mother. When the director of the program insisted
that her mother could wait in the waiting room, Mary chose instead
to leave.
Now,
on that particular day, there was a student intern sitting in on the
group who was able to sense that there was more going on than was
apparent, so she went out with Mary and her mother to find out more.
The mother confided in the intern that her daughter was pregnant as a
result of being raped and that Mary needed her emotional support. So
the intern sat with the family and allowed the spirit of God to guide
her words. Mary came to slowly trust the intern, and some of her
fear and anxiety subsided. The intern ended up teaching the
parenting class so that Mary could get the crib she needed.
The
intern didn't conform to policy. She didn't follow the rules. She
didn't keep the spirit of God in a box. She used the gifts of
wisdom and right judgment to guide her actions in working with the
young girl, but the girl was not the only one affected by this
encounter. The intern learned a great deal from Mary as well. She
saw a person of great faith in her midst – a young woman who
recognizes the dignity of the human being growing within her. This
girl displayed the strength and courage to move forward with having
this baby, despite the circumstances of his conception.
The
characters in this story were not the elders or the disciples from
the scripture we read about today. They didn't have any special
knowledge or training. They acted in unusual ways, without a script,
guided by their understanding of a loving and compassionate God.
We
as a society must have rules and rules are good. They are created to
protect us and serve us. But these rules cannot anticipate every
situation. Jesus always put the individual's needs first –
even if that meant setting aside the occasional rule. God created
each of us as individuals. We each have our own talents and gifts.
Each of us, as disciples of Christ, follow his example in our own
unique way. The spirit of the Lord can touch us all at any time.
Although society may frown upon it, coloring outside of the lines is
OK. Perhaps understanding this brings us closer to our own baptismal
call to be a prophet.
“Would
that all the people of the Lord were prophets! Would that the Lord
might bestow his spirit on them all.”
Deacon Darryl J. Diemer
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 30, 2012
