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Proper 9 -- Year C -- July 7, 2013
Texts: Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 Tinh Huynh+
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In the Name of God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." Amen.
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When Jesus sent out his disciple to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom of God, he said to them:
"Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you,
eat what is set before you."
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Here in Falls Church we have many restaurants to go to.
Some of us like foreign gourmet.
Some can't stand spicy food.
When I first came to America,
the ham-cheese sandwich with mayonnaise tasted just great!
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When Jesus told his disciples,
"Eat what is set before you,"
he gave them an impossible instruction to follow.
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Devoted Jews are very careful about what they eat.
Peter would certainly not have bacon for breakfast.
James and John would not want to touch crab cake.
This is what Luke, a gentile Christian, wants us to think about.
Two Sundays ago, we read in Luke the story of Jesus casting out demons to heal a man.
The demons entered the swine,
and the entire herd rushed toward the cliff and got drowned in the sea:
Pigs were raised only in the land of the gentiles --
Jesus and his disciples were in gentile region.
Last Sunday, we read that Jesus and his disciples went through Samaria.
The Jews and the Samaritans hated each other,
but Jesus intended to stay overnight in a Samaritan village.
The Gospel, in Luke's mind, is supposed to
break all barriers and reaches all people.
In Christ, all are God's beloved.
All needs to hear the Good News.
All are to enjoy God's generosity and to learn the hospitality of God.
The way God sees things is by far different from the way humans see them.
Do we dare to see God's grace in those who are different from us?
Do we dare to say that God loves the people who are not in the same religious community with us?
This is what the gospel writer wants us to learn.
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Nevertheless, there is something more profound in this Luke passage that invites reflection.
The disciples going into the land of the gentiles must have expected to see themselves at the giving end.
They would normally perceive themselves as the more powerful and the richer.
Yes. They could go out showing off their power,
to help and to save.
Yet Jesus put them at the receiving end --
no purse, no bags, no sandals.
They were to live by the generosity of those who were poorer than they.
Receiving is more challenging than giving.
Can you imagine yourself being invited to dinner,
and being fed, without a chance to reciprocate?
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Jesus always received well.
He accepted an invitation of a Pharisee,
and he entered his home to dinner,
eating what was put before him.
He let the weeping woman bathe his feet with ointment.
He received gifts from people, and he did not mind being unable to reciprocate.
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Jesus simply received.
The LORD Almighty has come and stood among his people,
placing himself amidst the poor
and seeing himself at the receiving end.
Jesus, who once challenged his disciples to receive,
is challenging us to do the same today.
In proclaiming the Kingdom of God, we must learn to receive.
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I have a friend,
a family man who loves his wife and his children.
Once very handy and strong, he did most of the renovation of his house.
He painted the entire house,
he refinished the bathrooms and made them beautiful,
all by himself.
He did well in his job
and he was diligent in what ever he did.
Five years ago he had a stroke,
and today he still needs someone beside him all the time.
When I visited my friend, he told me that he was sad.
His wife and his children loved him and took care of him,
But he had never expected to see himself at the receiving end.
He had always been helping and giving.
He had always been positive about life,
and he had expected a long and enjoyable retirement.
Now he feels useless,
and that feeling causes him great pain.
What could I tell him?
Mere words would not help.
One must face reality.
You cannot avoid receiving help from others.
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There is generosity in receiving.
You can be generous in letting others to assist you.
Giving and receiving are equally important
and are equally good.
I said to my friend, "Look, you had always been giving.
Now it is time for you to receive.
Your presence is a blessing to your loved ones.
Learn to receive well.
Instead of complaining about the situation or showing frustration,
tell your wife and your daughters how much you appreciate their presence and their help.
Tell them how much you love them.
Tell them what hope you have for them.
Erase from your mind and heart all your angers and resentments
about people and things.
Allow your loved ones and your friends to assist you.
It can be hard for you to receive,
because you have to put yourself in a position that is a little lower than that of a giver."
My friend nodded.
He agreed with what I said.
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What I said to my friend made me think at that moment.
If the good Lord does not call me home early,
I will certainly come to that time when I become a dependent.
Will I be able to practice what I'm now saying?
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Father Henri Nouwen, Catholic spiritual writer,
wrote in his Bread For The Journey,
"Receiving is an art.
It means allowing the other to become part of our lives.
It means daring to become dependent on the other.
It asks for the inner freedom to say,
'Without you I wouldn't be who I am.'
Receiving with the heart is, therefore, a gesture of humility and love.
So many people have been deeply hurt because their gifts were not well received.
Let us be good receivers." (Bread For the Journey, April 4)
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If we are to proclaim Christ's love to the world,
then we are called to be receivers.
We can proclaim Christ's love to the world by receiving help from others,
empowering them by appreciating their generosity.
Jesus said,
"When you enter a town and its people welcome you,
eat what is set before you." Amen.
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- The Aug-Sept-Oct Forward Day By Day, for daily devotion, has arrived and is now available in the narthex. The little booklet comes with the scripture passages and reflection for each day. On the inner page of the cover there is the "A Morning Resolve," which reads, "I will try this day to live a simple, sincere, and serene life, repelling promptly every thought of discontent, anxiety, discouragement, impurity and self-seeking..." Please pick up your copy.