HOMILY 17TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME CYCLE C JULY 24, 2022
In the Gospel we heard Jesus tell us,
“Ask and you will receive.” Once, a
long time ago, as a seminarian spending the Summer at St Patrick’s parish in
downtown Memphis, TN I was driving and
listening to the radio. A radio
preacher was on preaching on this passage.
He talked about needing a new car for his ministry, so knowing that “Ask
and you will receive” he prayed for a new Oldsmobile. But his prayer was not answered. But knowing you have to be persistent in
prayer, he prayed more for a new Oldsmobile.
But no Oldsmobile. However knowing
that you have to have faith he continued to pray for an Oldsmobile. But still, no Oldsmobile. Finally it dawned on him that God did not want
him to have a Oldsmobile. (pause … ) God
wanted him to have a Cadillac! He prayed
for the Cadillac and got it.
“Ask and you will receive.” How are we to understand this?
Well let’s just admit upfront that
this is a weird Gospel. It starts off
fine enough with Jesus teaching the disciples the Lord’s Prayer. If the Gospel stopped there, it would be
fine, nice and short,` and make good sense.
But then Jesus tells this weird story about going to your friend at
midnight and pestering the poor fellow till he finally gives you what you want
just to shut you up and have you go away.
Is that a model for how we are supposed to act with God? Just pester God till we wear down God’s
patience so God finally gives in to our requests?? Weird.
Scripture scholars debate this odd
example that Jesus uses, and they place it within a cultural context of
reputation and honor. The point seems to be: If even this reluctant giver of gifts will
give just to get rid of the petitioner, how much more will God respond to the
requests of God’s beloved children, which we are?
Thus Jesus concludes: “And I tell
you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will
be opened to you. For everyone who ask,
receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door
will be opened.”
And yet our experience tells us
otherwise. Anyone here praying for rain
and cooler temperatures? How is that
working for you?
When we ask we don’t always
receive. When we seek we don’t always
find. When we knock the door doesn’t
always open.
So how are we to understand
this?
Well, summarizes Jesus, “If you
then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children,” - and
I assume you all know how to do that – “how much more will the Father in
heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Ohhh! The Holy Spirit! That is what this is all about. The Holy Spirit is like cataract
surgery. The Holy Spirit makes things
clear for us. The Holy Spirit helps us
to see and feel God’s love for us, even when the road is rocky, the day is hot
and humid, and the going is tough. And
if you have God’ love, and can recognize that you do, you have all you need and
then some.
“Ask and you will receive; seek and
you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
