Homily:
24th Sunday of Ordinary Time – Cycle B
So this weekend the NFL begins its regular season and I’m
sure that many of us are very excited about it.
Now, I know that we live in this, kind of, “contested land” here in
which perhaps just as many claim the Chicago Bears as their team as claim the
Indianapolis Colts. Although I grew up
near Chicago and thus rooted for the Bears for many years, I could not resist
drinking the “Colts kool-aid” after moving to Indiana, especially living just
north of Indianapolis, and so now call the Colts my team. From what I hear in passing and read in
headlines, it seems like the Colts have another strong team this year; which is
why I’m glad to be counted as the “12th Man”.
Doing a little internet research, however, I was
disappointed to find out that the 12th Man doesn’t get a ring if the
Colts win the Super Bowl. Apparently you
have to have actually played on the
team in order to get one. Sure, they’re
all happy that you follow them and voice your support, but I guess that if you
haven’t actually contributed on the field
to the success of the team, then you don’t get a share in its rewards. (Don’t worry, I’m penning a letter to the
Commissioner of the NFL right now.)
Peter wanted to be part of the winning team. Thus, when he met Jesus, he knew that Jesus
was a winner and so decided to follow him.
Being his disciple, he followed Jesus as he traveled and preached, and
he watched him win battle after battle against the evils that afflict people
(both demonic possessions as well as serious illnesses). Having heard his words and having seen the
miracles he performed, Peter was convinced that Jesus was the Christ and that
he was, in fact, on the winning team.
One day Jesus decided to check in with his followers to see
if they were “getting it” (that is, to see if they recognized him as who he was
revealing himself to be). First he asked
what other people were saying about him.
“John the Baptist, Elijah, one of the prophets…” “Okay,” Jesus thought, “those who aren’t
following me closely don’t get it.” So
he decided to ask those who followed him closely: “But who do you say that I
am?” Peter, having already become
perfectly convicted of this truth, blurted out: “You are the Christ.” “Good!
They really do get it,” I imagine Jesus thinking: “Perhaps it’s time to
let them know what being part of this team requires.”
Thus, Jesus began to reveal to them what his being the
Christ would mean for him. He told them that he would suffer greatly,
that he would be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes of
their religion, that he would be killed, but then also that he would rise again
after three days. For Peter, this was
already too much. “I’m on the winning
team!” he must have thought, “There’s no way that our leader is going to lose like that!” And so he decided to confront Jesus about it;
and Jesus, as we all know, would have nothing of it.
Having revealed by his response what it was that Peter
thought being Jesus’ disciple would be like—namely, “riding on the coattails”
of the winner—Jesus makes clear that to be on the team, that is, to reap the
winner’s rewards, one has to have actually played
on the team. In other words, it wasn’t
enough to wear the shirt and tell other people “This is my team”. Rather, he had to
have some “skin in the game”, too.
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross,
and follow me. For whoever wishes to
save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of
the gospel will save it.” Jesus is very
clear: “It is not enough just to say that you’re my disciple; rather, you need
to show that you’re my disciple by taking up your cross and following me.”
The fact that this was well-understood by the Apostles
following Jesus’ Resurrection and Ascension into heaven is revealed to us in
the letter from the Apostle James. “What
good is it,” he says, “if someone says that he has faith but does not have
works?” It’s a rhetorical question and
the obvious answer he’s hoping those who read his letter will come to is “It’s
no good.” James heard what Jesus said
that day in Caesarea Philippi and so he knew that to proclaim faith in Jesus
alone was not enough to be able to participate in the rewards of his Passion,
Death, and Resurrection. It’s like he’s
saying to us: “There are no Super Bowl rings for the 12th Man. Only those who play—who contribute on the field—get to participate in the
rewards.”
But even this was nothing new. If we look back to the reading from the
prophet Isaiah, we see that God expected the same thing even of his ancient
prophets. “The Lord God opens my ear
that I may hear;” says the prophet, “and I have not rebelled, have not turned
back.” God called out to his servant, opening his ear so that he may
understand that God was calling him, and the servant responded and become one
of God’s loyal followers (the 12th
Man). Notice that he didn’t think it
enough to simply say, “I’ve never given up on my team; I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.” Rather, he thought it important also to record that he
had some skin in the game: “I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to
those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and
spitting.” He had contributed “on the
field” for God and thus was confident that he would share in the winner’s rewards:
“The Lord God is my help,” he said, “therefore I am not disgraced … See, the
Lord God is my help…” He not only spoke about who he followed, but he
conformed his life—that is, all of his actions—so as to demonstrate that he followed him, too.
We each have to face the danger of believing that simply
being a fan is enough, in itself. We
can’t just say, “Jesus Christ is my personal Lord and Savior” and fail to
permit that statement to change us and to change how we live our lives. Making that statement is necessary, don’t get me wrong—I mean, we absolutely have to have
faith in order to be saved—but the statement, in itself, is insufficient: it
must be demonstrated by how we live our lives—no longer for ourselves, but now
for him.
Perhaps another example that will sound more familiar. If someone asks you if you’re a Christian and
you say “Sure, I go to church every Sunday”, then you are perhaps in danger of
believing that being a fan is enough.
“Jesus is my team and I go and root him on every Sunday.” The answer we should all be striving for
(myself included) is, “Well, look at what I do.
Do I look like a Christian in how I live my life?” My guess is that at least a few of us here
would have a hard time proving in a court of law that we are players on the field on Jesus’ team
versus just spectators solely by our actions: that is, no arguments, only
examples of concrete actions you have taken in your day-to-day life.
My brothers and sisters, our goal in life is to get to
heaven. Illusions that being the “12th
Man” on Jesus’ team is enough to get it for us are false. We have to be on the field: we have to have
skin in the game.
Friends, Jesus is the way. Our task is to follow that way.
Although the NFL's season is just getting started, for us the season’s well under way. Therefore, let’s get in the game.
Given at All Saints Parish:
Logansport, IN – September 12th & 13th, 2015
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