26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Num 11: 25-29; James 5: 1-6: Mark 9: 38-43, 45, 47-49
By Deacon Larry Brockman
Factions! We are plagued today by so much derisiveness and so many factions. And that is unfortunate, because God wants us to be united as Christians; to be one as the Body of Christ. In this country, the majority of us are Christians. And yet, there are so many factions- Catholics, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Baptists, Methodists, Evangelicals, Mormons, and on and on. How should we deal with the messages brought by these factions?
Today’s scriptures tell us a little about that: First, those who are outside our mainstream can still be prophets. Their message can still be valid. That means the Catholic message can apply to Baptists; the Baptist message can apply to Catholics, and so on. And second, anyone who speaks as a prophet had better get it right because the penalty for those who mislead the faithful is severe. These two messages in today’s scripture can really help us with dealing with the factions in our lives; they can help us to become one in the Body of Christ.
In our first reading, Moses rebukes Joshua. Joshua wants Moses to stop two of the elders that were not physically with them from prophesying. Eldad and Medad were not there when the Lord gave His Spirit- yet some of the Lord’s Spirit fell on them too. Moses reply is clear- if God’s Spirit is with them, let them speak. Similarly, John approaches Jesus in the Gospel to ask him to stop someone who heard Jesus message and who was casting out demons in Jesus name even though he was not following Jesus. Jesus’ remarks were similar to Moses’- “Do not prevent him” and “Whoever is not against us is for us”. Notice that in both readings, there are people who are not in the mainstream, that are acting in God’s behalf; and the message is clear. Leave them alone; let them work in the Lord’s name.
Many times we become tied so closely to our group that we automatically reject the message of anyone outside of that group because they are not in our mainstream. When we do that, we tend to form factions. My experience here at Westminster Towers is an example of a great ecumenical attitude by the staff, an attitude that breaks down the walls caused by factions and encourages unity. Although this facility is run by the Presbyterian Church, They have fostered a very welcoming attitude towards their Catholic Residents, and have invited both me and other Catholics to come here and minister to you. Not only that, they have invited me to speak many times at their Wednesday ecumenical service. And those experiences tend to help us build on what we jointly believe as Christians.
However, Jesus goes on to issue a stern warning about those who preach and teach. He does this right after he complements those who act in His name. Specifically, Jesus says: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe (in me) to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” Wow! What a contrast. That warning applies as well today as it did in Jesus’ time. For those who teach and preach must get it right. Because when you preach and teach you are leading others down a path. And you share the responsibility for how they respond to your message. If you help them, as was symbolized by giving water to one who needed it, that is great. But if you mislead people, you are corrupting them and sealing your own doom.
And so, what is important is the message, not the messenger. That is the first criteria. If the message is all about the messenger, not God, then there is a problem. And second, the message must be solidly based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ- not personal interpretation, not human precepts, not selfish interests; but on the values handed on in the Gospels and traditions of the Church.
And so, I ask all of you to help build the Body of Chris,.especially in this wonderfully ecumenical institution. Build on what you share together- faith in Jesus Christ. And avoid factions that separate us as Christians.
Tags: Dealing with Factions