13th Sunday Cycle –C, June 27 2010 Theme Never give up in life and on people A very old but thought provoking story, Chinese grandmother had two beautiful water jars. The two heavy containers were balanced on either side of a long, strong wooden pole which rested on her shoulders. But as the years went on, one of the great water jars developed a crack and water dripped from the jar as she walked each day from the farm house, to the mountain stream for the water, and back to the house. As can only happen in stories, the grandmother and the jars would talk to each other. The good water jar derided the cracked on. Finally, the bad jar talked to the grandmother and apologized for being cracked and if needed the old cracked water jar would retire. "No, you will not retire," said the grandmother. The grandmother explained that she knew there was a crack in the jar, but she had planted flower seeds on the side of the path where the water dripped from the crack of the water jar. "So you see," said the grandmother, "I made good use of the crack in your jar and there are beautiful flowers all along the one side of the path, from the mountain stream all the way to the house, where the water dribbled out and onto the earth; and I still had plenty of water for the house; I know what I am doing," said the grandmother. As the grandmother quietly made her way back from the mountain stream to the farm house, sure enough the cracked jar noticed all the beautiful flowers all along the path. Then the grandmother said something important. Just because you are old, with a crack, does not diminish your worth or usefulness. I'll always have a reason to keep you," said the grandmother.
The final words of the grandmother parallel the final words of the gospel reading. St. Luke communicates the words of Jesus, "No one who sets a hand on the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." The grandmother never gave up, never turned a disparaging shoulder and dropped the cracked jar. On the other hand many people do turn a cold shoulder, drop their friends and turn away from their commitments at the first sign of trouble.
There are three instances of Jesus calling. All three of them are pretty strange. In each of these calls there is a radical dimension that we cannot in today’s context understand. I mean there is nothing illegitimate in a person wanting to bury one’s father, as much as there is in saying farewell to one’s family. In fact these are signs of responsibility and love. But we need to look beyond these concerns to get the message of Jesus. There are obstacles and obligations involved but never give up. Look at Jesus’ life! In other words, because the task is enormous, because the mission is extraordinary, Jesus requires a kind of commitment that is extraordinary. He is not looking for extraordinary people. He is looking for ordinary people with extraordinary commitment. We see that kind of commitment in Jesus himself. In Today’s gospel passage Luke says, Jesus set out towards resolutely determined. Jesus knew that there would be opposition. But dialoguing and arguing with the authorities, boldly pointing to the ills of the society of his time and society, inviting even the weakest individual into communion, breaking inhuman structures, Jesus totally focusing on his mission to create an world of love, went right up to the cross. That was his commitment. That was his obedience to the Father who entrusted him a mission. There were times he found the mission overwhelming. He even knelt down and prayed, “Father, take this cup away from me.” But he never gave up in life.
Never give up on people! Interestingly St. Paul's letter to the Galatians captures a sense of commitment for our fellow human beings. "Love your neighbor as yourself" and "do not go on biting and devouring one another . . . or you will be consumed." If I might interpret St. Paul's words in conjunction with the gospel and our Chinese story we have a friendly warning: "don't give up on each other, don't fight each other, instead of being consumed by differences and turning the other way, stay the course, hold to the plough, find the good in each other."
Even Elijah, in the Book of Kings, is declaring support for Elisha, "Have I done anything to you?" Elijah is asking that Elisha not notice any cracks in Elijah, but to keep on going in the work of the Lord. Never give up in life! For personal reflection!
The clamoring call of Jesus is still heard. We call ourselves followers of Christ. The greatest danger that we can fall into today is to reduce our following Jesus to a mere religion that revolves around obligatory Sunday Masses and prayers. A real participation in the mission and following of Jesus would mean more. It means that we understand the mission of Jesus. It means that we understand deeply the call to love. It means that we personalize and internalize the mission of Jesus. It means that understand the demands and the kind of commitment and radicalism that participation in the mission of Jesus demands. It means that I try to live the message of love at the cost of my personal comfort. It means a life of selflessness and sacrifice. It would mean for example that as in every Eucharist Christ breaks his body and sheds his blood, we too break our bodies in love even we feel like calling fire from heaven. It means that in a situation where my personal preference clashes with the teachings of Jesus, I choose that which furthers the mission and teaching of Jesus. That does not require us to let the dead bury the dead or to bid farewell to the family; it requires that we have the attitude and commitment of a person who could do that.
In the eucharist let us continue to pray for the grace of pereseverance!
