25th Sunday of Ordinary Time [C]

 

25TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME [C]


Clearly, the God of the Bible is a God who pays attention. He knows when we are trending in a positive direction, and he likewise knows when we are trending in a negative direction. For example, he can recognize that the Israelites have been cutting corners. Their practice of worship can be described as sub-standard. This explains the arrival of Amos, a prophet who is in the process of calling them out  (Amos 8:4-7). Conversely, we hear words of affirmation being spoken in the Gospel of Luke. A steward who was producing absolutely nothing is now producing at least something. No, he’s not producing everything that he was originally called upon to produce. But he’s producing something (16:1-8). 


The steward is trending in a positive direction. As for the Israelites, they are trending in a negative direction. In both cases, the Lord is looking on, very closely. He’s that type of a Lord. He pays attention. He monitors our trends and our patterns. He’s acutely observant. And furthermore, he’s explicitly partial. He longs to see us moving in the right direction; not in the wrong direction. Why is this so important? God cares about us. He desires our salvation (1st Tim. 2:4). He regards us, not impassively, but with extreme prejudice. His heart is a Sacred Heart, that bleeds for us. He follows us with his gaze—and he’s ready to involve himself, when the situation calls for it. 


By way of illustration, consider the example of a woman, shopping at the grocery store. She approaches the meat counter and requests a whole chicken. The clerk reaches into a barrel filled with ice. He worries for a moment that he might not have any left in stock. However, near the bottom, he locates one last chicken. Upon being set on the scale, the chicken registers a weight of four pounds. The woman expresses concern that it might be too small. She asks for something larger. Craftily, the clerk lowers the chicken back into the barrel, hesitates briefly, and then he pulls out the very same chicken. As he goes to weigh it, he places his thumb on the scale. This time, it registers at four and a half pounds. Still, she seems unsure. Because she’s expecting to have company, the decision is made to purchase BOTH chickens. 


Of course, now the clerk is caught between a rock and a hard place. He involved himself by tipping the scale. In whose favor? Not in favor of the customer. He’s not being an advocate for the customer. If anything, he’s being a type of antagonist. That’s what we can say about the clerk. Meanwhile, what can we say about our Lord? When the Lord involves himself, we do find that the scale is once again being tipped. This time, the scale is being tipped in our favor. God, unlike the clerk, exemplifies the notion of generosity. He tips the scale first of all by sending a messenger to the people of Israel. He doesn’t allow them to flounder or to continue trending down the path of iniquity. Rather, he dispatches a prophet so that they can be led into a spirit of repentance. God was tipping the scale back then, during the Old Testament period, and he persists well into our own day and age. 


People enter your life, by way of the Lord’s providence. They touch you, they inspire you, and perhaps they even go to the extent of challenging you. Imagine the scale beginning to tip. In addition, it tips when you partake of God’s word. He has made his word available to you, so that your contrary trend can be amended and corrected. And God also provides you with the gift of his amazing grace. Why does he act on your behalf? It’s spelled out very plainly in that passage from St. Paul: the Lord desires your salvation. It’s something he thirsts for (John 19:28). It’s not just something he wants; he’s ready to involve himself. The scales are indeed being tipped. Try to appreciate (and celebrate) the fact that they are being tipped…

…in your favor. 

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