Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C

Dare We to Presume His Mercy

Ex 32:7-11, 13-14
Ps 51:3-4, 12-13, 17, 19
1 Tm 1:12-17
Lk 15:1-32 or 15:1-10

This is where it is all at today: “I will rise and go to my father.” One cannot rise and go if they have not yet fallen first. “De profundis clamavi ad te Domine!” – Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! Unfortunately, it only seems that it is only in the very depths, in the dark valley, and in the very deepest pit that one realizes that they are not in Kansas anymore and that they are in a bit of trouble. For us that are not in the pit, it is almost silly for us to even imagine that one would voluntarily climb into the pit and land himself into such a mess. Why would anyone want to put themselves in so much trouble? It makes no sense. And yet time and time ago we somehow find ourselves one moment okay and the next moment in a pit of seeming despair wondering what the heck just happened.

It is very easy to see Saint Paul’s joy and gratitude in his letter to Timothy. Saint Paul, a scholar of the Jewish Law was quite zealous in following the orthodoxy of Judaism. He was exemplary in his adherence to the law to the point of persecuting those that would skirt from it, especially that young upstart sect of Judaism, the ones who call themselves Christians. His predecessors had put their leader Jesus to the death for blasphemy and his followers just didn’t seem to know when to quit. He approved the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, and was on his way to Damascus to round up some more Christians for trial. Before he knew it, he was struck blind and his eyes were opened. He realized his error and discovered himself not defending God, but persecuting him.

There was an instant conversion from his ways. No longer was he a persecutor of Christians, but he became an Apostle, one that was sent out to bring others to the faith, a true follower of Jesus Christ. Paul’s letter is a testimony of how God had shown him how deep he was in the pit and how much he needed the Lord. “I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and arrogant, but I have been mercifully treated… the grace of our Lord has been abundant, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” He was shown mercy, though he was not deserving of it. He rose out of the pit when he called to God for help and assistance; and with joy did the Father receive him. One cannot but see the joy leaping off the pages of scripture, his excited-ness for what has happened in his life.

The first reading on the story of Moses on Mount Sinai is another side of God. At first glance, it would seem that this reading has nothing to do with Paul’s or the Gospel. What we hear is God’s anger and wrath against a people who have only just been saved in a miraculous journey THROUGH the Red Sea to have these people start worshipping strange gods and going into drunken partying. Who wouldn’t be angry in this kind of situation?!!? “These ungrateful people!! I have shown you everything, given you a new life, and you slap in the face by worshipping other things…” We would not be the least surprised to see God smiting these people down in anger. But Moses, who for a man who says he does not have the gift of gab does pretty well here, assuages God’s wrath and calms him down. The irony of it all is that it is Moses who actually gets angry at his people in God’s stead.

In God’s goodness, we find his loving mercy. The greatest joys are when the seemingly impossible has been made possible. Jesus’ parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin are great examples of how God desires to seek out the lost. All that matters to him is not so much that you sinned against him, but that you have been reconciled. The first two parables that Jesus tells is of someone that goes out of their way to seek the lost. The shepherd ABANDONS the other ninety-nine to go for the one lost sheep. The woman searches the entire house to find that one lost coin. In these two parables, it is God who goes actively looking. However in the parable of the Prodigal Son, there is a difference. You will notice that it is the longest of the three for a reason. Whereas the first two parables have God searching out for the lost, the last parable has the Father waiting on his prodigal son to come back. The golden thread that runs through the parables is the rejoicing in the end; what was once lost is now found. There is genuine joy in heaven and from the Father, when one is reconciled with him.

Brothers and Sisters, it is time to drop the idea of the wrathful and vengeful God. He truly desires us to reconcile with him and our neighbors. The first reading only serves to further that point. Does one really think that you can change God’s mind? His mind is already made up! He wants us to goto him and not another. How many of you have given the silent treatment to someone else? Or have stopped talking to someone because of an argument or disagreement? What happens? Nothing. Nobody is helped, nobody feels better, and the emotions start going septic. There is no room to advance the conversation, there is no room to reconcile or make amends, to ask for forgiveness or mercy. Moses’ reasoning only succeeds because of this reason: if God were to indeed smite his people, he would be stopping the conversation; the constant desire to call his people into relationship with him. Therefore, in an act of mercy that is greater than just ending the lives of the Hebrew people in fire and brimstone, he allows them a period of conversion, a period to realize who truly loves them. The Lord gives his people space to come back to him.

The prodigal son is no different. The Father does not follow his son into foreign lands chiding his son at every turn, but he waits patiently and forgivingly that there is always a home in his heart for his lost sons and daughters. In the way for us, he waits in anticipation for us to finish our prodigal journey. Unless you live a life of perfect charity and prudence, you are and will always be his wayward children. We must realize the times that we are in the pit of despair or on the path to self destruction. It may be the little things or it might be big things. We must be ever vigilant to protect our spiritual lives from sin and to seize the opportunities of charity, lest we suddenly find ourselves in the pit. As the saying goes, “If one day you realize that you are far away from God, who moved?”
And like Saint Paul, who has known the darkness and the sinfulness that he has partook, he comes back in full zeal to vouch for the reconciliation of God, his mercy and forgiveness. His testimony is a witness to us: “If I, the greatest sinner in the world (which we know is not true)… If I the greatest sinner in the world, can be forgiven and raised up despite my many foibles still, everyone else can too!!” Let us take heed to Saint Paul’s testimony because he truly is one of us who has gone to hell and back. He’s come back to tell us that there is a way out. He’s not only done so with zeal, but he does it with a joy unlike any other.

Fortunately as followers of Jesus Christ, if we find ourselves in a place we shouldn’t be and stuck in darkness of despair, we must cry from the pit, “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!” “I will rise and go to my Father.” While we still live and breathe there is still an opportunity for mercy. We know that if we go to him with a penitent heart, a heart that is contrite and desires to reconcile with the Father once again; if we ask for forgiveness, we know that he will forgive us – we have only to ask. We know this to be true, that once the shepherd finds the sheep and the woman the coin, there will be great rejoicing in heaven. When the Father sees the son as but a speck on the horizon, the Father will run to the son and welcome him with great jubilation. There is no fault too great, no sin too heinous that falls outside of God’s mercy. The only sin that he cannot forgive us is the sin of denying him the privilege of welcoming us back into his loving arms. I ask you this: Dare we to presume his mercy?!