Ordinary 33

The Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

_{Proverbs 32: 10-13, 19-20, 30-31; Psalm 128; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6; Matthew: 25:14-30}

This third servant is not a bad person. Is he not a prudent and cautious investor? He is not about to take chances with money, especially monies that are not his. People who grew up in the Depression and the ‘working poor’ whose income still falls below the official poverty level understand this cautious financial attitude.

The servant is proud of his financial decisions made for his master. He hands back every penny safe and sound. Though given the equivalent of 15 years of wages, being a servant, I expect it is how he has dealt with his own meager income.

So why is this servant called wicked, worthless, lazy and useless? Why does this servant receive one of the harshest treatments meted out to anyone in the Gospels?

In the world of venture capital, you can double your money quickly and dramatically. Few make such a turnover though and most lose everything. Yet is that what the two other servants did? They were given, respectively, the equivalent of 75 and 30 years worth of wages! Lifetimes of wages. Would you take that kind of risk with your own monies never mind someone else’s monies? Yet these servants are called faithful and good. Might we call them reckless and irresponsible? Is there not a disconnect here? What is Jesus trying to convey to us about the kingdom of God?

People look to religious faith and traditions as a place of security and solace; of comfort, hope and strength. I understand that. However, might there be another facet to consider. Might fidelity to the reign of God, to following Jesus require that we be willing to take risks? Didn’t God take a risk in becoming human in Jesus? Yet we tortured and crucified this presence of God. God lost everything like a venture capitalist. So God tried again through the Resurrection. Didn’t Jesus take risks by his teachings, his cures on the Sabbath, his eating with drunkards and gluttons?

As followers of Jesus, are Christians then not called to risk and possibly fail? How many of us play it safe concerning our relationship with God and people?

Consider Helen Prejean, CSJ, a religious sister who is the leading advocate for the abolition of the death penalty. Jeannine Gramick, a Sister of Loretto, who is an advocate for the LGBTQ community. Pope Francis in calling this multi-year Synod of Bishops that includes religious, clergy, women and men as equals alongside the bishops. Many prominent Catholics are opposed to Francis and see this path as irresponsible. Is it?

Consider...

Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Movement to seek a more equitable economic path then pure capitalism.

The bookworm Oscar Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador in boldly criticizing and challenging the Revolutionary Government Junta of El Salvador and the United States for supporting them amidst a wave of human rights abuses in his country.

Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac in advocating for the poor.

The 15th century Dominican, Bartolomé de las Casas who advocated against slavery and the atrocities committed by the colonizers against the indigenous peoples in this hemisphere.

These Christians took risks. They risk their reputations. They risk failing.

To refuse to risk is to refuse to trust in the Spirit. Our culture seeks absolute certitude and knowledge of the future. We want to control outcomes and the circumstances of our lives. We don’t want to fail. So we often, like the third servant, do nothing, take no stand, are unwilling to be misunderstood.

Mother Teresa said, “God has not called [us] to be successful; God has called [us] to be faithful.”  To be faithful according to Jesus’ teaching is to take risks and be willing to fail and be misunderstood.

What might that mean for us?

To stand against Jewish hate and be misunderstood as being anti-Palestinian. To stand alongside Palestinians in this vengeful push against Hamas and be misunderstood to be anti-Semitic. To reach out to a person who is estranged from you and risk being rejected. To stand with a person who is being rejected and be identified with them and thus judged yourself. Prayer life stale? Try other forms of prayer from the tradition and after a time evaluate your spiritual life. To listen attentively to an opposing view without giving a response. To speak up and defend a person at work, within the family, or in our circle of friends. For the church to try new forms of governing, passing on the faith, and community life.

We live between the Ascension and the Second Coming of Christ. In the meantime, God has given us gifts according to our abilities; they are not ours. Like the master, God has gone on a long journey, in a manner of speaking leaving us with space. Space to expand, to fail, to succeed, to shape lives, communities and futures. This is what fidelity to the kingdom of God looks like.

Will we accept the opportunity offered us?