06272020 – Matthew 10. 40-42
God has this way of offering us CORRECTIONS along our life’s journey…subtle, sly, you KNOW it is HIM. IT has to BE. I mean, who else would it BE?
At other times, the CORRECTIONS can be “less than subtle,” like taking a 2X4 and WHACKING us up – OVER our heads…or hitting us right between our eyes!
One way or another, he attempts to GET our attention. (That is the point!)
OK, I get it, I am supposed to LEARN something here.
TEACH. And for once, I will LISTEN. I will HEAR. I will be QUIET, promise.
From time to time we ALL deserve our comeuppance, I guess. Karma does have its way of coming full circle.
We are never TOO OLD to learn something NEW or to be CORRECTED.
It is a kind of like – FATE that is DESERVED, receiving ones “just deserts” or “our due reward” … or having some kind of an epiphany…
Prayerfully it will sink IN and we will DO better in the future.
I read a story about a YOUNG parish priest visiting with a far-older-mentor-type…almost like a “Father confessor.”
The young priest talked “on and on” about HIS MINISTRY…and about everything that “HE was doing” and ACCOMPLISHING.
While the elder priest just sat IN SILENCE. Very silent.
He did a fairly good job of talking about HIMSELF for about 35 – 45 minutes.
FINALLY, he went into a little bit of a RANT about ALL THE PEOPLE that come and seek out the churches HELP.
“THEY KNOW WHERE WE ARE when they want something,” he said.
“THEN,” they know WHERE to come.
WHEN they need US, they know WHERE to GO.
FOOD to eat, GAS for their gas tank, a ROOM for the night, they SAY they cannot make a utility bill payment…or perhaps they are looking for just a free hand-out…or they need a BUS TICKET to go God only knows WHERE.
It is CONTINUOUS. NON-stop. FREQUENT. OFTEN.
I bet MORE than half of the time they take the food and turn it into cash. There are no empty gas tanks, or rooms needed for the night, or bus tickets to be purchased. It is THE MONEY they seek – and God ONLY KNOWS for what purpose.
They KNOW where to COME when they need SOMETHING, that is for sure.
DO THEY COME at any other time…NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Do they ever come to church? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Do they even BELIEVE?
FINALLY, tired of talking or of hearing himself speak, the young priest said in conclusion, “I want you to know, that it is EXHAUSTING-just justifying WHO I am going to HELP and WHY.”
The older priest sat back, having NOT said even one word, and just smiled. He allowed the young priests words to LOOM OVERHEAD in the air –wafting like a spoken confession waiting for some kind of holy absolution or pardon.
Finally, the far-older-and-wiser-priest opened his mouth to speak.
What he said, was amazing.
“WHAT BUSINESS is it of YOURS determining who gets HELP and who DOESN’T?
WHO told YOU to question another man or woman’s motives?
HOW DO YOU KNOW – what is in their heart or in their mind?
WHY would you even question THEM?
Do you like PLAYING GOD?
WHY exhaust yourself with “that” additional burden?
YOU are a follower…a disciple…a student of Jesus.
YOUR TASK (therefore) is to simply SHARE OUT of the wealth of God’s Abundance.
Your job is simply to love others as God loves you.
That is the job of each and every one of us! And, it is MORE than enough!
Your job is simply to GIVE because YOU CAN.
It is NOT up to you to QUESTION the contents of another’s heart!
When it comes to HOSPITALITY you do WHAT you can – BECAUSE YOU CAN.
And the younger priest said…Amen.