By Steve Hall
It seems we’ve done a better job of re-forming human behavior than we have of revealing the only source of salvation. Jesus put the question: “Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?
Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest
Ezra 6:7-8, 12, 14-20
Luke 8:19-21
Matthew, Mark, and Luke frequently tell the same or very similar stories of Jesus’ life. There may be variations in detail, but such variations are mostly minor. We have such a difference in this morning’s brief Gospel passage. Here, Matthew makes explicit what Luke implies. In other words, Matthew has Jesus say something which Luke omits. “He replied to the man who told him, ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?’” (Matthew 12:48).
That’s the question we’ll be considering. But first we need to remind ourselves of a different truth: the devil quotes Scripture for his own purpose. Here’s just one example.
And he took him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here; for it is written, ‘He will give his angels charge of you, to guard you’, and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone’” (Luke 4:9-11).
Satan will take any good and distort it, even the Word of God.
Consider. You’re sitting at a planning meeting in hell, and the current subject for review is three groups of guidelines which the Lord has given: The Spiritual Works of Mercy, The Ten Commandments, and The Corporal Works of Mercy. You are listening to the discussion — you’re the fly on the wall.
OK! Let’s get down to business! Slug, what progress on the Spiritual Works of Mercy?
Admonish the sinner
Instruct the ignorant
Forgive. — etc.
SLUG: Well, that went as planned. By pushing difficulty, embarrassment, and tolerance, we’ve managed to minimize the practice of these. We’ve found that tolerance has proved exceptionally useful. Moreover, we’ve found that combining tolerance with relevance, no one wants to correct anyone on anything.
Well, that’s excellent progress. So what about the next group, Grubworm?
GRUBWORM: As you know, we’ve been dealing with these tenacious Ten for centuries. It seems like we get one that suits our liking, and another gets stronger. I feel like I’m playing whack-a-mole. However, some serious progress has been made on the first three. Shopping, sports, and entertainment are now preferred over church by many. The fourth has been harder, but euthanasia seems to offer promise. There was some surprising success on the fifth, as at least 38% of one group now say that violence is acceptable. Some progress was made on the sixth, but it keeps shifting. Sad to report nothing further on the final four, except we think there’s an opening showing up with the seventh.
Well, I had hoped for a better report, but let’s move on. Snoop, what have you got to say? Are we making progress with those so-called Corporal Works of Mercy! — Just to remind everyone — these are a disgusting list.
Feed the Hungry:
Give Drink to the Thirsty:
Clothe the Naked:
Shelter the Homeless:
Visit the Sick:
Visit the Imprisoned:
Bury the Dead:
SNOOP: I think we’ve got some great news. As you know, the Son said, among his other teachings:
“I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me” (Matthew 25:35-36).
Well, we’ve managed with a large but growing group to separate that Son from this group of admonitions. Then we added a touch of sympathy. Add at least 2 - 3 spoonfuls of emotion — no, make that 6 - 8 spoonfuls of emotion. Then a cup of tolerance, and we’ve got a prize-winning religion of our own.
The Bible is not a book on Jewish history, even though it is historically accurate. It is not a manual for getting into heaven, even though it contains some helpful guidelines for getting there. It is not a book of moral principles, even though moral principles are fundamental to every presentation in it.
NEITHER is Christian social teaching the Gospel.
It is not the Good News. It is neither a cause nor an effect of salvation. Of itself, without God, it has no grounding in anything but mankind himself.
So we return to the question Jesus posed: “Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?”
In a recent conversation between Ben Shapiro and Bill Maher, the following was heard:
Shapiro: “Why do you and I agree on morality like 87.5%? I’m a religious Jew, you’re an atheist. Why do we agree on these things?”
Comedian and HBO host Bill Maher, a professed atheist, tried to claim that his sense of morality was not in any way based on the Bible — but Ben Shapiro had other ideas. “You and I agree a lot on morality, right? Because we were born in a society built by the Bible. You can think you formed your own morality, but you were born morally on third base.”
What does he mean by that? All US citizens know — or should know — but only some acknowledge this truth. It seems we’ve done a better job of re-forming human behavior than we have of revealing the only source of salvation.
Jesus put the question: “Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?
And if we elaborate on the meaning of that question, we might hear him say: “Who is my family?” Or “What people are part of me and I a part of them?”
Social justice teaching without Jesus as its source and foundation is easily warped. And so Jesus continues:
“My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”
“Then they said to him, ‘What must we do, to be doing the works of God?’
Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’” (John 6:28-29)
Belief in Jesus comes first!