Homily  - Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 5, 2004

 

 

Back when the West was being settled, the major means of transportation was the stagecoach. We’ve seen persons riding in the stage-coaches in western movies. What we might not know is that the stagecoach had three different kinds of tickets – first class, second class, and third class.  If you had the first-class ticket, that meant you could remain seated during the entire trip no matter what happened.  If the stagecoach got stuck in the mud, or had trouble making it up a steep hill, or even if a wheel fell off, you could remain seated because you had a first class ticket.

 

If you had a second-class ticket you could also remain seated – until there was a problem. In case of a problem, second-class ticket holders would have to get off until the problem was resolved. You could stand off to one side and watch as other people worked.  You didn’t have to get your hands dirty.  But second-class ticket holders were not allowed to stay on board.  When the stagecoach was unstuck, you would get back on and take your seat.

If you had a third class ticket, you would definitely have to off there was a problem. Why? Because it was your responsibility to help solve the problem. You had to get out and/or push and help to fix a broken wheel or whatever was needed because you had a third class ticket

 

Perhaps Jesus’ message in the Gospel is that we cannot afford to be first class or second-class followers of his way. There is no easy way to be a disciple. There is no ability to be a lesser degree Christian – according to Jesus.

 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his book The Cost of Discipleship says, “When Jesus calls a man, he bids that man, “Come and die.”

 

These are frightening words – and Jesus’ call in the Gospel today is, to say the least, challenging.

 

Richard Wagner, in his work Abandoning It all, Responsibly, offers some principles to those who would respond to Jesus – who would be the third class ticket holders:

 

1.   We need to accept Jesus’ call as a highly literal ideal. Jesus means what he is saying. His challenges to discipleship and to cross bearing aren’t suggestions that can be debated, discussed and interpreted. Jesus wants his disciples to listen, obey and get on with doing it.

2.   Jesus’ call encompasses every aspect of our lives, relationally (who we are with, vocationally (what we do for a living), and avocationally (what we do outside of work)

3.   Jesus’ call, by definition involves suffering, but don’t go looking for it. To be obedient will require being open to hardship and suffering; these things are inhering a committed life. But self-made and self-proclaimed martyrs are not necessarily disciples.

And certainly Jesus tells us in his parables about the builder and the king in battle that we need to take very seriously our commitment to him.

 

But its not all just dismal talk. In fact it is liberating.

 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who went to his death because of his insistence that he follow Jesus completely, went to his death free – liberated – unbound.

 

Blessed Damien of Molokai who embraced the lepers of Hawaii because he felt the Gospel of Jesus wouldn’t allow him to ignore them died a leper himself – but was free in his embrace of the Gospel.

 

Max Josef Metzger was a priest in Germany devoted to the Gospel of Jesus and insistent that that Gospel calls him to the cause of peace and reconciliation. The Nazi regime called him a traitor because of his work for peace and sentenced him to death His sense of freedom and liberation is expressed in what he told his friends. “Now it has happened, I am calm. I have offered my life to God for the peace of his world….If God takes it I will be happy; if God grants me a still longer life I will also be thankful. As God wills!”

 

And there are so many others who found not slavery in adherence to the Gospel but liberation.

 

And Paul in our second reading today reinforces that sense of freedom.

Paul who is in jail sends Onesimus the slave  back to his former owner. And Paul reminds them that because of their baptism into Jesus they are all free – free to live as brothers – free to be responsible for one another – free to care for one another. Indeed Paul from jail insists that he is free.

 

And so it is up to you and I to discover more and more our freedom in Jesus. Taking seriously our baptismal promises – our incorporation into Jesus – our adherence to His Way we are able live unhinged to that which would bind.

 

By knowing clearly the way we walk in the footsteps of Jesus we do not need to be confounded by the other paths.

By knowing clearly Jesus words which call us to love we need not comprise with other ways which might seem more prudent.

By knowing clearly Jesus’ command to find him in those we share the journey with we are free to embrace all – and not fear those who would exclude.

Knowing His way frees us – we are single minded and focused on the way to the reign of God.

 

There is an old church in Sweden that’s historically important for several reasons, but the thing that srikes the visitor most is the life-like crucifix on the wall at the back of the church. It hangs directly opposite the pulpit where the preacher can see it, but where the people cannot.  When the guide is asked why the crucifix is at the back, rather than up front where everybody can see it, he tells the story.

One Sunday, King Charles XII made and unexpected visit to the church.  When the preacher saw the king come in, he threw away his prepared sermon and spent the time talking about the king’s virtues and how much he was doing for his people. A few days later the crucifix arrived at the church as a gift from the king.  Along with it came a letter in which the king ordered that the crucifix be placed on the wall opposite the pulpit, so that from then on, anyone who mounted that pulpit to preach would be reminded of the one he was supposed to be talking about.

 

As we continue on our path let us then be reminded of the Lord’s insistence that we be focused on him – that we direct our relationships with one another based on that focus – that we make our decisions at home and at work based on that focus – that we look at the events of our world based on that focus.

Our challenge – offered to us by the Lord Jesus is to be His followers in season and out – when it is easy and when it is difficult. That will bring us to the reign of God – that will save us and the world.