WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2009  -  THIRTY-THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME  

2 MACABEES 7:1, 20-31

It happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrested and tortured with whips and scourges by the king, to force them to eat pork in violation of God’s law.

Most admirable and worthy of everlasting remembrance was the mother, who saw her seven sons perish in a single day, yet bore it courageously because of her hope in the Lord. Filled with a noble spirit that stirred her womanly heart with manly courage, she exhorted each of them in the language of their ancestors with these words: “I do not know how you came into existence in my womb; it was not I who gave you the breath of life, nor was it I who set in order the elements of which each of you is composed. Therefore, since it is the Creator of the universe who shapes each man’s beginning, as he brings about the origin of everything, he, in his mercy, will give you back both breath and life, because you now disregard yourselves for the sake of his law.”

Antiochus, suspecting insult in her words, thought he was being ridiculed. As the youngest brother was still alive, the king appealed to him, not with mere words, but with promises on oath, to make him rich and happy if he would abandon his ancestral customs: he would make him his Friend and entrust him with high office. When the youth paid no attention to him at all, the king appealed to the mother, urging her to advise her boy to save his life. After he had urged her for a long time, she went through the motions of persuading her son. In derision of the cruel tyrant, she leaned over close to her son and said in their native language: “Son, have pity on me, who carried you in my womb for nine months, nursed you for three years, brought you up, educated and supported you to your present age. I beg you, child, to look at the heavens and the earth and see all that is in them; then you will know that God did not make them out of existing things; and in the same way the human race came into existence. Do not be afraid of this executioner, but be worthy of your brothers and accept death, so that in the time of mercy I may receive you again with them.”
 
She had scarcely finished speaking when the youth said: “What are you waiting for? I will not obey the king’s command. I obey the command of the law given to our fathers through Moses.
But you, who have contrived every kind of affliction for the Hebrews, will not escape the hands of God.”

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LUKE 19:11-28

While people were listening to Jesus speak, he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem and they thought that the Kingdom of God would appear there immediately.
So he said, “A nobleman went off to a distant country to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return.  He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’  His fellow citizens, however, despised him and sent a delegation after him to announce, ‘We do not want this man to be our king.’ But when he returned after obtaining the kingship, he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money, to learn what they had gained by trading. The first came forward and said, ‘Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.’  He replied, ‘Well done, good servant! You have been faithful in this very small matter; take charge of ten cities.’  Then the second came and reported, ‘Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.’ And to this servant too he said, ‘You, take charge of five cities.’
Then the other servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it stored away in a handkerchief, for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man; you take up what you did not lay down and you harvest what you did not plant.’ He said to him, ‘With your own words I shall condemn you, you wicked servant. You knew I was a demanding man, taking up what I did not lay down and harvesting what I did not plant; why did you not put my money in a bank?
Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.’  And to those standing by he said,
‘Take the gold coin from him and give it to the servant who has ten.’ But they said to him,
‘Sir, he has ten gold coins.’ He replied, ‘I tell you, to everyone who has, more will be given,
but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.  Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king, bring them here and slay them before me.’”

After he had said this, he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.

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In today's Gospel Luke is phrasing the message for the First Century Christians.  The people Jesus is talking to thought that he would restore the Kingdom soon.  Likewise, many of the early Christians thought Jesus was going to return soon, in their lifetime.  In this parable, Jesus is saying that it will not be right away.  He will leave for a while and then return triumphantly.  He has not left us empty handed, however.  He has given us the Holy Spirit to empower us to assist in building his Kingdom here on earth.  When he returns he will, like the nobleman in today's parable, demand an accounting of what we did with the gifts we have been given.

As we can easily see by the ways of our modern society, many have responded similarly to the people in this parable and have said, "We would just as soon not have a King, especially this one."  Like the folks in the parable, however, they do not have any choice in the manner.  Jesus will return and take his rule.  Those who have rejected him will find that they have made a serious error.  But what of those of us who have accepted the rule of Jesus?  Are we free and clear?

Well, that depends.  Getting back to the fact that Jesus left us with a mission to "engage in trade" until he returns.  He does not want us to make a lot of money, of course.  But he does expect us to produce fruit from the gifts he has left us.  In other words, we are to preach the Gospel with our lives so that on Jesus' return, we will have produced a harvest of souls for his Kingdom.  This is an important point to reflect on in these last two weeks of the Church year.  What have I done with the gifts Jesus has given me?  It is not enough to present ourselves to Jesus and say we have not lost the gifts.  Jesus wants to see what good we have done with them.  How have we assisted the Church in proclaiming the Good news?  Are our lives beacons that draw others to Christ or are we a repellent that turns people away from the faith?  A good thing to contemplate as we consider our end times.

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Lord Jesus, show me the gifts you have given me for the building of your Kingdom.  Give the wisdom and the courage to use your gifts for the salvation of others.
 

PS - My oldest son's wife just gave birth to their first born, Alexandra Rose Blaine.  Mother and baby are well.  Praise to God on high.

Deacon Ed