TENTH SUNDAY OF YEAR "B"

TENTH SUNDAY OF YEAR “B”

“He casts out demons by Beelzebul!”

There is an ancient Greek legend about three men and the bags. Each man had two sacks tied round their necks, one in front and one in back. The first man was asked what was in the sacks. He answered, “All the good deeds are in the sack behind me where they are hidden from sight and soon forgotten. The sack in front carries all the unkind things that have happened to me, and as I walk along, I often stop, take those things out and look at them from every angle.” This man made no progress in life.

When the second man was asked what he had in the sacks, he replied, “In the front sack are all my good deeds. I take them out frequently and flash them around for everyone to see. The sack on the rear holds all my mistakes. I carry them around wherever I go. They are heavy and they slow me down, but for some reason, I just can’t put them aside.” This man remained a sad person.

The third man, when asked about his two sacks, replied, “The first sack is full of wonderful thoughts about people, the kind deeds they’ve done, and all the good I’ve had in my life. It’s a big sack and very full. But it isn’t heavy. The weight is like the sails on a ship. Far from being a burden, it helps me onwards. The sack behind my back is empty, because I’ve cut a big hole at the bottom of it. In that sack I put all the evil I hear of others and all the bad I sometimes think of myself. Those things fall through the hole and are lost forever; I can’t remember a thing! So I’m rather lightsome on my journey.”

From time to time as each one journeys down the path of life, we should examine what we are carrying with us. Are we weighted down by negative thoughts about ourselves? Are we weighted down by lumps of fear that tell us that we don’t measure up to some artificial standard? Do we carry with us all those misdeeds of friends and family that have caused us distress in the past? Are we weighted down by protective shields and psychological armour that prevent us from reaching to others in a free and wholesome manner? Do we carry with us all those false lessons that teach us to look for undesirable characteristics in others?

During the life and ministry of Jesus, there were people who said about him, “He has done all things well”, and “what gracious words fall from his lips!” But there were others who said, “He is a glutton and a drunkard. He eats and drinks with sinners and tax collectors.” Or worse: “He has a demon”, or “It’s by the power of Beelzebul he casts out demons.”

To this last accusation, Jesus replies with a simple lesson in logic. Beelzebul, which means “Lord of the flies”, is the head demon. If Beelzebul empowers Jesus to exorcise the possessed, then Beelzebul is destroying his own kingdom. Simple logic. Unfortunately, pessimistic and self-serving people ignore the rules of logic. Positive thoughts return positive results, and life becomes a happy motivated adventure in which we see ourselves and all others in the true light of what we really are.

 We shall find Jesus  the tenderest of hearts, a father, a mother, a brother, a sister, a true and not a patronizing or condescending friend, the exact equal of each and all, with an individual understanding and sympathy for every heart that opens out before Him, yet never does He confuse one with another, never does He weary of one in pre­ference for another, much less exclude one for the sake of another, never is the love or interest of anyone diminished because He has love for so many.  On the other hand, never is He weak, or overindulgent, or soft, or too blinded by affection to see the evil or the limitations of His beloved. He gives love lavishly and to all who will have it, even the most debarred from human love, yet none would call Him languid or sentimental; He wins love from those who are conquered by His presence, because He is so true, so strong, so selfless in purpose, so single-minded, so unable to deceive. Men might call Him by bad names; they might accuse Him of other evil deeds; they might say that He worked by Beelzebul, that He was possessed, that He was an imposter, that He blasphemed; they could never say that this His love was ever other than understanding, and true, and generous, and enduring, and uplifting, and in itself perfect.

 

Prayer: You are extravagant with your love.

You drown me with devotion and

understanding.

You leave me breathless, thoughtless.

Master, Teacher, Friend, Lover, Parent,

Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer …

I try to encompass all your names but they

slip from my grasp.

When I hold nothing, I hold You.

When I hold You, I hold everything.

Macrina Wiederkehr

Seven Sacred Pauses

(Sorin Books, 2008)