Homilies

Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 26, 2006

(For the Homilies Archive, click here.)

Today’s readings for the Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time seem to be one long crescendo, climaxing in a totally unrelated and bizarre statement by Christ about wineskins.

We’re set up for this climax in the Gospel with the first two readings. First the prophet Hosea tells us that God wants us to no longer call him “Master” (Baal) but to call him our “husband”. Though not read at Mass, we should remember that Hosea also says that we are supposed to be betrothed to God, in righteousness, justice, steadfast love, and mercy, (Hos. 2:19)

Then, in the second reading, Saint Paul tells us we should stop commending ourselves, stop praising ourselves, stop being arrogant. It is Christ who will commend us. The Holy Spirit writes deep within the heart, and not on tablets of stone! We need to be humble and open ourselves up to becoming instruments of the Holy Spirit, working off of his paradigm and his desires rather than our own ridiculous pettiness.

Then, in the Gospel comes the real drama, for which we are now prepared. The people ask Christ: Why aren’t you fasting like other holy men (John the Baptist and the Pharisees)? This seems like an innocent enough question. In fact, it seems like a good question.

By the way, Matthew, in his account of this same event, is more specific as to exactly who the “people” are who ask Christ the question about fasting (cf. Mt. 9:14). According to Matthew, it is the disciples of John the Baptist themselves who ask the question. In fact they say, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” In this light, the question really does seem like an honest one.

At this time in the drama, many people realize that John the Baptist is a man of God, and they look to follow his example. John and his disciples fast, therefore one should fast if one wishes to become righteous. Seems to make perfect sense.

Then we have the Pharisees, who are on the other side of the spectrum. In fact, they are the subject of many of John’s denouncements. They are the self–proclaimed righteous laymen who are really following the law. Like John, however, the Pharisees fast. Two groups with two very different views on how to achieve righteousness, yet both affirm the importance of fasting. …and the disciples of Christ aren’t fasting.

So, how does Christ answer the honest question put to him by disciples of John?

He first gives them a straight answer. He explains to them that, in his case, there is a very different paradigm. For, he is the Christ. He is the Bridegroom. The whole reason for fasting is so we might have fellowship with the Bridegroom. The disciples of Christ are in fellowship with God like no other disciples have ever been. Like Adam before he sinned, the disciples are walking with God. Hence, it’s time to celebrate, not fast. Christ is among us!

The allusion (to Hosea) of God being our bridegroom is not lost on the disciples of John. They get the point. Yet Christ adds the zinger about wineskins. Why?

Well, just prior to John’s disciples posing their question, we have two of the many confrontations between the Christ and the Pharisees, the self–proclaimed righteous ones. When Jesus forgives the sins of a paralytic, the Pharisees say within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!” Jesus reads their minds and says, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” And then to make his point he commands the paralytic to take up his bed and walk. And, as we know, the paralyzed man immediately is immediately healed. (Mt. 9:3–7)

Then, right after this confrontation, there is another: Christ is rebuked by the Pharisees for eating with Matthew and other tax–collecting sinners. Christ immediately fires back: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Mt. 9:12–13)

The Pharisees aren’t stupid. They realize that Jesus is looking them in the eye and reminding them what they already know. He is saying: I am the Christ. You know I am the Christ. And unless you show some humility and mercy to your neighbor, you will not be called to righteousness. These sinners are showing humility and mercy in their hospitality toward me. At this moment, I am calling them and not you to righteousness.

What is the Message God is Giving Me in the Readings?

In this context the whole bit about the wineskins now seems to make sense. John’s disciples are posing their question about fasting to Jesus amidst all this kafuffle that the Pharisees are raising. Jesus knows the evil ways of the Pharisees. He knows that a main part of their strategy is to cause anxiety among the innocent. John’s disciples are among the innocent. The Pharisees must make John’s disciples distrust Jesus, if they are going to have any success in ruining the mission of the Christ.

So, Jesus responds to the disciples of John in two ways: First, he gently informs (or reminds them) that he is the Bridegroom and that the fasting is for the purpose of feasting with the Bridegroom. Second, Jesus gives them a gentle exhortation: If you want to receive this wine (this life–giving blood), then you’ve got to put on the new man (cf. Col. 3:10). Don’t let the Pharisees shake you. They want to receive the Christ only if it is into their old wineskins—their comfortable way of living. And they foolishly think that this is a possibility.

But it isn’t. If they attempt this, they will, like the old wineskins, be destroyed. “For whoever would save his life will lose it.” (Mk. 8:35)

No. If you want this wine, this Precious Blood, you’ve got to open yourself up to being totally renewed from the depths of your being. You’ve got to allow God’s healing touch to come into contact with your ugly pride and your ridiculous self–centeredness. If not, if you pretend to faithfully receive this new wine without letting go of the “old man”, this new wine will be too strong for your old and decrepit vessel. You won’t be able to handle it. You will burst. You will be even worse off than before you received the new wine. Like the man who lived in only “waterless places” after he was cleaned of the one evil spirit, in his emptiness he only prepared the way for many more evil spirits to take possession of his soul. Christ says of that man, “…and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. So shall it be also with this evil generation.” (Mt. 12:45)

Today we Christians seem to be living in waterless places, just like the Pharisees. For with water always comes mud. Yet we are afraid to get muddy. Dine with sinners? No way. It wouldn’t be prudent during this current policy of zero tolerance. In fact, I better walk on the other side of the street and pretend I don’t see him. Otherwise, people might begin to talk. In today’s climate, you never know. We could get sued. It just wouldn’t be prudent.

Well this is not Christ’s message. He wants me to be unafraid of the mud that comes with participating in his work of healing. He walked the land, he slept on the dirty ground with homeless men, he dined with sinners.

And it gets worse. If I really want to follow him, I will have to undergo some kind of martyrdom. If I really want to imitate his way of loving, which will take me all the way to the cross. Some how some way, I will have to sacrifice all that is dear to me. For as Christ himself has said to me: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a he lay down his life for his friends.” (Jn 15:13)

Dear God, what are you asking of me? I am afraid.

But you are there. The Holy Spirit is at the ready to water my soul with living water. May my old skin be made new, ready to receive the Precious Blood. May I die to the “old man”, lose my self–centered ways and begin to see with the eyes of Christ, who: did not come to call the righteous, but me, a sinner, to repentance.” (Mt. 9:12–13)

Contribution by Brother Anthony Myers
© SACROS 2006 {www.sacros.com}
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