Twenty fifth Sunday Ordinary

Twenty-fifth Sunday Ordinary
September 18, 2005

"Seek the LORD while he may be found. Call him while he is near." (Isaiah 55:6-9). "Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death." (Romans 1:20-24). "Are you envious because I am generous?’ (Matthew 20:1-16)

Jesus tells the parable of a landowner who pays everyone the same wage regardless of how long they worked. How unfair it seems that everyone should get the same reward. The laborers are not used to the kind of justice which prevails in the kingdom of God. Most of our systems of political and economic justice are based on the idea that value is determined by what and how much we do. In contrast to earthly kingdoms where we get only what we earn (and not always even that), here everyone always gets all they need. If this happened in real life, what would become of our status and power based on wealth and ownership? No wonder the secular authorities regarded Jesus as a threat. In his kingdom all wealth is to be owned by God, to be shared equally among all. Envy, surely one of the most pervasive and destructive of all human instincts, stems from anxiety that there will not be enough to go around, especially not enough for me. In the kingdom of God envy makes no sense. We do have a choice about which kingdom we decide to live in, but probably can't have it both ways.

The prophet Isaiah reminds us of the nearness and immediate availability of the Most High and urges us to hold on to this presence while we still have time. St. Paul recognizes the divine Spirit of Jesus present in his own body. He seems ambivalent about his life and death. Both are desirable, the one because it reveals God's presence here and now, the other because it promises relief from present pain and sorrow in eternity.

I am quite fortunate, immobilized by neurological damage but, unlike people with spinal cord injuries, retaining all physical sensations of pleasure and pain. I can identify with St. Paul's ambivalence. Something about my situation seems to invite physical touch from people around me. Someone commented to me recently when I asked her to give me a minor adjustment of position that she thought of my body as sacred. It made me think about the many ways that people whom I love and who love me touch me every day. The awareness following on this comment of how often and tenderly this happens became a moment of bliss and enlightenment for me. At one point I even imagined myself being lifted off my bed by all these people, raised up, as it were. This abundance of physical touching has the feel of God's touch. It gives me life, hope and an incredible sense of well-being. The body of Christ giving life to my body and promising something even better.