October 30, 2005: Service and Love

+THE THIRTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Today’s Readings: Mal. 1: 14–2: 10; Ps. 131; 1 Thess. 2: 7–13; Mt. 23: 1–12 (Key reading)


In the news this week we learned that Rosa Parks passed away. As you probably know, fifty years ago in very segregated Montgomery, Alabama, she refused to give up her bus seat to a white man. History tells us that this was one of the main sparks that began the civil rights movement in our country. In fact, Rosa Parks has been called the mother of that movement.

It’s interesting how things play out. Did Mrs. Parks set out to start a national movement? That’s very doubtful. She was a 42-year-old seamstress trudging home after a long day of work, and she was tired… and yes, she was also sick and tired of the unfairness of the Jim Crow laws. Why should she have to give up her seat just because a white person was standing? That’s not fair. And so, she took on the system.

Our Lord speaks of another noteworthy seat in the gospel today. He remarks that the scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Now Moses also didn’t set out to be one of the defining characters of Judaism or even a lawgiver. He was an 80-year-old man trying nervously to do what God told him to get his people out from under the injustice of the Pharaoh. He, too, took on the system.

Yes, slavery and oppression were foisted upon two peoples: the Jews of ancient Egypt and the blacks of modern America. In each case, God empowered and inspired a simple, humble individual to be a trigger to begin the process of setting things right.

Most of us, of course, are not likely to be starters of great social movements… yet we do have a role in them. An important role, actually. It’s our job to teach our children what’s right by our words and more importantly by our example. We’re charged with correctly forming our conscience and following it. We’re asked by God to love and help our neighbor. These are very important duties and responsibilities.

Jesus is disgusted with the religious leaders of his day. They say the right words, but that’s as far as they go. Our Lord says: They preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to carry, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to help them. They merely want honors and glory…

Ouch. What a terrible condemnation—especially when our highest duty is supposed to be service and love.

What’s interesting is that Christ doesn’t expect most of us to do spectacular feats—just little, ordinary things done with love. We’re supposed to smile and say kind things. Give the other guy the right of way. If someone drops something, we should pick it up for them—or at least let them know. If we can do a little favor or lend a hand, we should. Give folks the benefit of the doubt. Let things go without whining or complaining. Speak up for others when they need you to. That kind of thing.

And then God—the same God who multiplied the loaves and fishes—will multiply and supercharge our kindnesses with grace and turn them into much greater goods.

Sometimes folks wonder, “What difference can I make? I’m just one person.”

Let me tell you a little story. Not too long ago, I saw a show on PBS that featured interviews with World War II survivors. The soldiers recalled how they spent a particular day. One guy sat in a foxhole all day. Once or twice a German tank drove by and he shot at it. Some soldiers played cards and frittered away the time. A few spoke about being involved in furious firefights. Mostly, the day passed like any other day for an infantry soldier on the front. Later on, they learned that they had just participated in one of the biggest, more decisive engagements of the entire war, the Battle of the Bulge. It didn’t feel decisive to any of them at the time, because they didn’t have the big picture of what was happening. They didn’t know what impact they were having… in fact, they didn’t even know that they were involved at all.

Likewise, Rosa Parks didn’t have the big picture. Moses didn’t have the big picture. And we certainly don’t have the big picture except when we remind ourselves that life is a series of small, faith-testing events and we’ve got to constantly choose how to get involved and how to respond.

Jesus says today: You have but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be the servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Once again, Christ shows us that humility is the key. We shouldn’t worry about being great or powerful or doing brilliant and dazzling things. No, we should simply trust God and learn to recognize the opportunities he gives us to be of service and to love… and then do it. What could be simpler?

Let us pray for ourselves and for each other that God may give us the grace we need.