September 25, 2024 at 10:22 a.m.
Be sure to use and share your gifts!
For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward. — Mark 9:41
Our readings for this last weekend in September (where has the time gone!) touch on a key area of our life as disciples and disciple-makers of the Lord. It is the realization that all we have and are is a gift from God and we are called to share those gifts by serving the Lord and our neighbor. What follows directly from this is that there can be nothing neutral about being a Christian. It is a total commitment or way of life. We are to live our life either for God, working and living for Him, or we are against God, directly or indirectly.
Our First Reading (Numbers 11; 25-29), as usual, is a pointer or anticipation of the Gospel. We read about God’s gifts, or spirit, being given abundantly, first to Moses and then to those who are chosen to help Moses in his heavy responsibilities and mission, especially as God’s holy prophets. However, a well-meaning young man tries to “box in” how those gifts from God are to be distributed and shared. Moses rightly exclaims, “would that the Lord might bestow his spirit on them all!”
Before exploring our Gospel reading (Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48), we need to put it in context. Jesus has just told his disciples about his coming passion: that he is to suffer, die and rise. As we may recall from last week, unfortunately, the disciples are more focused on who is to be the greatest in the Kingdom. Jesus then patiently goes on to instruct them on how things are to be after his resurrection and ascension. Our Gospel this weekend is, therefore, like a mini instruction manual on how they are to live and work and, by implication, how the Church is to be, then and today.
First of all, as with the young man in our First Reading, the disciples seem vexed that someone is driving out demons in Jesus’ name but that this person is “not one of us.” In response, Jesus gently instructs them that anyone who acts in Jesus’ name is joined to the Lord and is indeed acting not for themselves, but for the Lord. A great lesson is that God cannot be boxed in with respect to how He may act.
What is more, and in particular, we should not let jealousy blind us to these varied ways that God’s gifts are given, especially when God acts in and through surprising events or people. This is particularly important in the life of the Church. There are few things in a community more toxic than jealousies, not least because such jealousy both blinds us to the gifts that we have, as well as to the gifts that another brings. Jealousy is indeed the great disabler rather than enabler. Instead, we are to acknowledge that all gifts are from God. As such, they are to be treasured and valued, wherever or in whomever they are found. All gifts are also to be used in love and service of God and neighbor.
Jesus then uses an image to instruct his disciples not only about having a spirit of openness to how God may choose to act, but also a spirit of openness expressed as generosity. Even giving a cup of water can be a sign of that generosity and openness to goodness.
Jesus concludes his instruction with some very startling sayings. He mentions twice about being thrown into “Gehenna,” the word for “the valley of wailing.” It was actually a real place: a valley southwest of Jerusalem that was used as a garbage dump! Gehenna is a symbol of the destiny of those who die outside of a friendship with God. What about our Lord’s seemingly harsh words concerning cutting off limbs and plucking out eyes? Are we really to cut off our hand or foot or pluck out our eye? Perhaps what has been said before these sayings can help us. Our feet, our hands, our eyes, in fact, are gifts, but they are gifts to be used well. To misuse these gifts is a grave matter indeed.
A simple hymn can remind us that all are gifts and that we are to use those gifts, whether they are our senses, our body, our heart, our soul, or intellect or whatever, in love of God and neighbor:
Take my life, and let it be,
consecrated Lord to Thee.
Take my hands, and let them move, at the impulse of
Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be, swift and purposeful for Thee.
Take my voice, and let me sing, always, only, for my King.
Take myself, and I will be, ever, only, all for Thee.
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