In the readings today, we learn two aspects of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Regarding our fellow journeyers, including those whom we consider “outsiders,” our attitude is to be one of openness and welcome. But our attitude toward sin is to be just the opposite. Jesus tells us in no uncertain terms how serious sin is, and how radically we must reject it in our lives.
In the first reading we hear Moses’ aide Joshua grumbling that two outsiders, Eldad and Medad, who were not part of the gathering where the spirit and the gift of prophecy had been given, were in fact prophesying. When Joshua urges Moses to stop them, Moses instead rebukes Joshua, telling him in essence that it is good that the spirit of the Lord has come upon the others. Moses has no jealousy. He does not want to exclude anyone because he does not want any limit to be imposed on the generosity of God. He hopes that the Lord will bestow his spirit on all his people!
In today’s Gospel, we hear the Apostle John make a similar complaint to Jesus. John is upset that an outsider, a man who was not part of the disciples’ inner circle, was seen driving out demons in Jesus’ name. “We tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” As Moses did with Joshua, Jesus tells John not to try to stop the man. He points out that anyone who is working to do good in his name cannot be at the same time working against him.
Jesus wants us to take an inclusive rather than exclusive attitude toward others who act in his name but who are not part of our immediate community. He wants us to encourage all who choose to follow him, “for whoever is not against us is for us.” There is no neutral ground in relation to Jesus. Sooner or later, everyone must choose to be either for him or against him. It comes down to making a decision to be on his side or not, to do good or to do evil – and he makes it clear there are absolute consequences for each.
Even the smallest good deed, such as giving someone a cup of water to drink, will not be overlooked by God. Anyone who does such things “will surely not lose his reward.” On the other hand, evil deeds bring evil consequences. Some sins – such as scandalizing the “littles ones” – are so grave that we would be better off dead than committing them. Jesus warns us that we must reject evil deeds absolutely, and sometimes we must take drastic action against them rather than allow them to remain in our lives. We can hardly imagine a more radical step than amputating one’s own limbs or plucking out one’s own eye! Why does Jesus mention such extreme actions? Because a surgeon must sometimes remove a diseased body part to save a life. When we are diseased with sin, we must cut that sin off to save our eternal life. Jesus is not advising us to harm our bodies; he is speaking to us in the strongest manner to impress on us the seriousness of sin, and the rigorous measures we must take to rid ourselves of it and grow in virtue.
In the second reading, St. James also uses strong words of warning against sin. The sins he specifies are living “in luxury and pleasure” while withholding the wages of workers. In other words, James is exposing the two-fold crime of depriving others and pampering ourselves – using what justly belongs to them for the sake of our own selfish pleasures. It is not that being wealthy is bad in itself, but money has a way of deceiving us and blinding us to the needs of others. The desire for it corrupts the heart, and the accumulation and misuse of it becomes a sinful snare we may not even see. Selfish greed is simply one more way we can choose to be against rather than for Jesus.
The remedy James advises for these ugly sins is heartfelt, tearful repentance: “weep and wail over your impending miseries.” The Psalm teaches us the additional remedy of prayer. We are to cry to the Lord: “Cleanse me from my unknown faults! / From wanton sin especially, restrain your servant; / let it not rule over me.”
The word of God reminds us that we choose our own destiny. With every decision, we orient ourselves either to be with the Lord or against him. His warnings sound severe, but they are gifts of his great mercy, given to us to arouse in us a healthy aversion to sin. The Lord alerts us to the danger of doing anything that separates us from him, and anything that may lead others away from him. His words teach us, challenge us, purify us, and strengthen us, so that our every step may draw us closer to him along the path of life.
When have I been jealous of others? What means am I taking to remove from my life the parts that are diseased by my sins? How does my excessive love of money blind me from seeing the needs of others?
Excerpt from The Anawim Way, Volume 20, no. 7. More information about The Anawim Way may be found here.