31st Week, Thursday, Nov 4
Romans 14:7-12 / Luke 15:1-10
Our lives belong to God; We'll have to give an account to him.
An ancient morality play is called Everyman, a name that means “all of us." In the play, God sends Death to tell Everyman that his life on earth is over. When Everyman recovers from the shock, he asks Death to give him time to ask some friends to accompany him on the journey. Death obliges. Everyman asks his friends-Wealth, Fame, and Power—to accompany him, but they refuse. In the end, he is able to persuade just one friend to join him, Good Works. The play makes the same point Paul does in today's reading. When death comes for us, nothing will accompany us into the next life but the good we have done.
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How prepared are we for death? The only things we take with us after death are those we gave away in life.
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Through the parable of the lost sheep, Jesus reiterates God’s plan to save everyone. God cannot and will not abandon anyone, even his worst enemy. There is no limit to God’s patience to realise this plan. Jesus uses a unique divine strategy of showing special attention and concern for the weak, the marginalised, the sick and the sinners. The lost sheep represents this group as well as those who have not heard the Gospel; those who have abandoned the Good News; those who have left the Church for various reasons; and those who oppose the values promoted by Jesus. He is the Good Shepherd who, with patience and perseverance, by word and example, leads the lost sheep back to the sheepfold. The Good Shepherd who goes after the lost one shows the value of even the least individual.
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We can see the same thing and yet have our individual and differing points of view and opinions, and we are entitled to our opinions. And our opinions are neither right nor wrong because we see it from our own angle and perspective. But when we impose our opinions on others and put a judgement tag on it, then that is where other moral issues may arise. Others may be influenced by our judgements, which are actually mere opinions, and they in turn will subscribe to the same judgement.
The 1st reading has this to say: You should never pass judgement on a brother or treat him with contempt, as some of you have done. We shall all have to stand bacefore the judgement seat of God. It is to God therefore that each of us must give an account of himself.
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The heart of the Gospel and of Christianity, of the Christian community, of the Church – and therefore of the life of every Christian – lies in living for one another and somehow belonging to others: to God and to our neighbor, in love, mercy, mutual help, forming God’s community and celebrating this in our worship. Even our death, like that of Christ, should benefit others.
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The whole chapter 15 of Luke deals with people who have lost something and find it back: a man finds a lost sheep, a woman a coin, and a father his son. All are extremely happy at the end, except the brother of the lost son. This joy expresses Jesus’ attention for all that is lost, rejected, devaluated in the eyes of people. Like Jesus, we have to keep looking for these people and to rejoice when they come back to God and to people.
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Prayer
Lord our God, we know that Jesus came for everybody, yet he wanted to find back the very one given up by people: the tax collector, the sinner, the prodigal. Do not allow us in our zeal for what is right and good to lose sight of this one person who was written off by people, yet who merited the special concern of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen
