Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Cycle A. May 5, 2005 
 
I’ve been e-mailing back and forth for the past two weeks with a friend. He’s now separated from his wife, a practicing Catholic. It doesn’t look like they will be reconciling. This friend of mine says he’s an atheist. Our e-mailing back and forth concerns his attempt to get me to commit to a date for a visit to his cottage near Peterborough. Only thing is there’s a problem. He’s now taken up with a lapsed Catholic in a relationship without the benefit of marriage’s blessing. As I mentioned to him, “she’s baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and is obligated by Christ’s teaching to live the Catholic Christian faith”, something she is not doing. I told him my presence with them will lend support to this lifestyle. I concluded, “being a Catholic priest I’m obligated to stick up for Christ’s Way, who will if not me? "
 

Back came his e-mail, “Your boss, when the woman who committed adultery was threatened with being stoned to death, did not judge or condemn. I think you are condemning and judging us.” My response to this was, ‘You are correct in Christ’s lack of condemnation of the woman but you are not well versed in the Scriptures. After those who wished to stone the woman to death had all left in shame, Jesus said to the woman, “Woman does no one condemn you?” “No one sir,” she replied. “Then neither do I, go and do not sin again.” ’ I concluded that while Christ did not condemn the woman, neither did he condone the sin but expected the sinful behaviour to end. Needless to say while we have continued to dialogue, I have not received a response to this point! 
 
Is there a moral to all of this? Yes! Do not quote Scripture to a priest! Especially if you do not know it! 
 
A subtext to all of this is that of course Christ is mercy and compassion itself! He won’t ever condemn the repent sinner but Christ cannot forgive the unrepentant sin either. He can’t. He would be violating our freedom. Jesus has told us there is only one sin that is unforgivable, the sin against the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, the third person in the Trinity of God, is the voice of God in our consciences, informing us of our sin and calling us to turn to God for healing and forgiveness. Our refusal to listen to this voice means we have deliberately said no to God - God will not transgress, overwhelm our refusal and force repentance down our throat. 
 
A further subtext to this event is the misinterpretation of Scripture which we all too often engage in to rationalize our behaviour. 
 
Take the story of the woman who comes to Simon the Pharisee's house and with her tears washes the feet of Jesus and wipes his feet with her hair, we hear Simon think to himself, “If this man was of God he would know who this woman is and what she has done and he would not allow her to contaminate him with her sin.” And Jesus knowing Simon’s thought says to him, “Simon”, “Yes master” was the reply. Jesus continued, “I have come to your home but you have not offered me any refreshments or even water to wash my feet (essentials of hospitality of that time) but this woman has washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. I tell you for this her many sins are forgiven. Those who are forgiven much love much.” 
 
I have come across this misinterpretation of this event in Jesus’ life: Some people claim, like this woman who loved much, that all I need to do is love everyone deeply and my sins too will be forgiven (never mind that I do not repent of my sin).” What would it take for anyone of us here today to bend down at someone’s feet and with our tears wash and dry with our hair those feet? It would take a profound humility, a deep sorrow and a powerful gratitude for forgiveness received. If this woman’s act in the Gospel is not a deep symbol of repentance then nothing else is. Loving without repentance for sin isn’t love - at least not in God’s book. 
 
Take today’s Gospel, I’ve come across two different misinterpretations of it. The first misinterpretation says that Jesus hung out with tax collectors and sinners (prostitutes), he was a party guy. So it’s okay for me to go to parties where drugs, alcohol and sex are abused as I will be bringing His light to these people. Unfortunately, we end up being like these people as we are not the sinless One. 
 
Or another misinterpretation, Jesus was a political activist, look at the way he overthrew the social customs of his day (hanging out with the unclean in the face of opposition from religious leaders). So, it’s okay for us to become anarchist and violently demonstrate against legitimate government. However, today’s Gospel - like all of the Gospel - is about the establishment of a Kingdom of Justice and the offer of Salvation to eternal life through repentance of sin and acceptance of the Way, Truth and Life: Jesus Christ. 
 
This constant misinterpretation of scripture, on our part, is facile, an easy and false conception of discipleship lacking any substance whatsoever. Let’s listen to God’s message from today’s readings. From the first reading, “I desire steadfast love not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than sacrifice”. And Jesus in the gospel, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice”.

Many of us think it’s a big sacrifice to come Mass once a week, to even go to confession regularly and say our prayers too. But this can come to the point whereby we become complacent and think these rituals will save us without the need for change within ourselves. Instead, the real sacrifice is a merciful and compassionate heart. It means being prepared to pick up the phone and ring the family member who has hurt us or calling the estranged member of the family back into the family. It means being prepared to accept that this reconciliation cannot happen without God’s grace, of sitting down and looking at Christ and asking Him to create the opportunity for this reconciliation, of getting up and moving on, trusting God has heard and will arrange this reconciliation. 
 
Jesus to us today, “I came to call sinners not the righteous, the sick not those who are well.” This is our good news, thrilling news, news that fills us with joy when we actually realize its significance: We are broken, sinfilled and yet Jesus wants to be present in the middle of this mess within us! Jesus comes in the Eucharist over and over again proving this point. So, let us laugh and be overjoyed!

 

Fr. Simon