Homily for July 17, 2022
Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time Cycle C
In
today’s Gospel we hear Jesus say something obvious but also surprising: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and
worried about many things.” You
are anxious and worried about many things.
I wonder if Jesus could say that about me at times: “Chuck, Chuck,
you are anxious and worried about many things.” Hmm.
Could Jesus ever say that about you?
Try it out. Imagine Jesus saying
to you, Name, Name, you are anxious and worried about many things. (pause
What
do you think? Does it fit?
I believe that for many of us this is
true a good part of the time. For most
of us there are at least occasional times when we are anxious and worried about
many things: about how we look, about
how much we have or don’t
have, about health, about the environment, about the situation in our world,
country, church, state, family, and even in our own selves. And for some of us, this anxiety is there almost
all the time. We are indeed anxious and
worried about many things.
Martha’s way of dealing with this is to take charge and become
bossy. “Lord” she demands of
Jesus, “tell her to help me.”
Anyone else here try to get control of the situation by becoming
demanding and bossy? Especially by
telling Jesus what He should do? //
It does not work too well with
Jesus. It did not work for Martha, and
it isn’t going to work for you or me either.
“The
Lord said to her in reply, "Martha,
Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. “
glory,
His life, His love. “There is need of
only one thing.” And that is
complete confidence in Jesus’ love for me.
He
proved His love by His death on the Cross.
He showed that by the power of His Resurrection. He will share with each of us the fullness of
eternal life. It is guaranteed. It is in the bag. You can count on it.
“There is need of only one thing.” To believe in Him.
AMEN.
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