Thursday of the 7th Week in Ordinary Time
Sirach 5: 1-8; Mark 9: 41-50
Dc. Larry Brockman
Today Jesus says that “Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid, with what will you restore its flavor?” What does all that mean?
You know, if we are honest about it, we will each see part of ourselves in the first reading, especially those who are in the prime of life. We start out with good intentions- especially when we learn about our faith as children. But when we become adults, wealth, power, strength, and enthusiasm for the things that the world has to offer us, these things lead us astray of communion with God because they guarantee us our pleasures and self-interests. These are the things that take up most of our time and energy as we navigate through the mainstream of life. We tell ourselves we will think about our ultimate calling, our ultimate destiny with God, later. All too often, it becomes much later. We end up looking back and find that decades have passed in our lives and God is still not in the center of our attention. Like salt, we started out good with the right flavor, but somehow, as we navigated through life, we lost our flavor.
The problem is that, as Sirach warns, God bides his time, and so, few of us knows when our time will come. The recent events in the news tell us that Sirach is right on. We can be called to account for our actions at any time- like the people who were at the Boston Marathon finish line or in the Oklahoma Tornedo paths. In just 5 minutes, everything changed in their lives; and for some of them, right in the middle of life, life was suddenly over. There was no time or way to restore the flavor of good salt, so to speak.
So this calls to question, what are we doing with our lives? Are we going through the motions, living life in the world as if life in this world will never end? Because if we are doing that, we can become like salt that has become insipid. Or are we focused on knowing God and following His commandments?
Now, Jesus gives us some compelling advice in the Gospel First, he tells us to show concern for and care for others; and that even giving a drink of water to the thirsty will not go unseen by God. But then he says woe to those who lead others astray by their actions especially the children and the innocent.
You know, sometimes we just don’t see how much influence we have on others. And yet, we do have a great deal of influence. Parents and Grandparents influence their children all the time, and may not even be aware of some of the influence they have. Public figures have influence as well- teachers, bosses, lawyers, doctors, news media, celebrities, actors; you name it. So, we all need to be careful of what we say and do which could lead others astray
Yet ultimately, we are responsible for our own actions. And Jesus mentions some things in the Gospel to help us avoid sin. We are advised to avoid the occasions to sin. If it’s something we see, touch, or seek after that is an occasion to sin- then don’t allow yourself to be tempted. Avoid it- that’s what the advice cutting off your foot or plucking out your eye means.
Finally, Jesus tells us to “keep salt in yourselves, and you will have peace with one another”. Yes, indeed. If we retain the flavor of the spirit within us; living always within God’s plan for us, we will have peace with one another in the Kingdom of God.