SERMON, 13TH SUNDAY

 


THIRTEENTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME 


If you watch the 1975 production, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, you’ll hear certain characters speaking up in protest. They find themselves being written off as dead. But in each case they cry out, insisting: “I’m not dead yet!”  This goes on all through the film as a running gag. The supposition is that they are in fact dead. But it seems that they are not dead, at least not yet. 


When we listen in on Paul’s correspondence with the church in Rome, it sounds as if a supposition is being made. If you’re a reader of the New Testament, then it means that you’re supposed to be dead—dead to the influence of sin (Rom. 6:11). But it occurs to you that maybe you are not dead yet. You’re not completely dead to the power of sin. Dead, in this case, means unresponsive. You are no longer responsive to the attraction of sin. 


But you can see clearly that there’s still some responsiveness lurking deep down within your heart and your soul. So we need to consider the possibility that Paul is describing a goal, or perhaps an objective. Let’s look forward to the day when that responsiveness disappears, when it’s no longer a factor. Let’s commit ourselves to moving in that direction. We can make it our quest, after the fashion of those knights pursuing the Grail.  


Can the Gospel assist us in our quest? This particular passage has to do with the notion of setting priorities. In Matthew ten it’s all about learning to prioritize your relationship with the Lord (see 10:37-39). What happens is that we list the Lord as one priority among many. Soon, he ends up being lost in the shuffle. You’re not even sure where he ranks anymore. He’s just in there, somewhere. 


Your quest will have more chance of succeeding if you can distinguish the one priority from all of the other priorities. In other words, go beyond just valuing the Lord; focus on prioritizing your relationship with the Lord. Then the vision outlined in Romans six will begin to crystalize. You will find that it’s actually starting to take shape. You’re becoming more alive to the influence of holiness and less alive to the influence of sin. 


Notice how the prophet Elisha is being received by the Shunammite woman in this section from the 2nd Book of Kings. She understands that he represents the cause of holiness. Therefore she welcomes him and shows him all due consideration (4:8-17). This will bring about the bestowal of new blessings and a new level of hope. Potentially, you can make this into your own story. Prioritize your relationship with the Lord. Let the vision unfold—the vision that Paul presents to us. Receive what the Shunammite woman receives. Discover that you are more alive to the allure of holiness and that you are less alive to the attraction of sin. 


The quest portrayed in that 1975 feature falls well short of being a successful quest. You will do significantly better, if you can draw from the wisdom of Matthew, chapter ten. Commit to the Lord in such a way that he can occupy a place of primacy. Instead of simply being “a” priority, see if you can make him into your supreme priority. 

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