Come Up Here November 22

They throw down their crowns before the throne, exclaiming:“Worthy are you, Lord our God,to receive glory and honor and power,for you created all things;because of your will they came to be and were created.” Revelations 4:10-11

‘We do not want this man to be our king.’ Luke 19:14

Piety

God, source of all that is good and valuable; we praise you and thank you for all your creation. You have given to us many gifts. Help us not to take these gifts for granted but rather to use them to bring your Kingdom into being on earth as it is in heaven. Give us the prudence to use these gifts wisely, the fortitude to keep our eyes on the prize, the temperance to use all things in moderation, and the justice to use things for the good of all. Deliver us from evil and grant us peace today so we can do what pleases you. Amen.

Study
http://www.usccb.org/nab/112206.shtml

Upon cursory reading, this seems an odd parable to use as Jesus’ last teaching to the people in the countryside before he moves on to Jerusalem for the extended period of daily teaching in the temple that precedes his trial, passion, crucifixion and resurrection. Yet it contains a synopsis of so many of the themes that St. Luke has stressed throughout his Good News that we have been reading this year.

1) Total commitment. Jesus does not want lukewarm followers. He wants total commitment. He wants us to use our talents to make the Kingdom of faith, hope and love a reality. He has no patience for those of us who let our talents go to waste.

2) Public action. We can not put our lamp under a bushel. We must use it in society. We can not be shy about worshipping the Lord.

3) The Lordship of Jesus. Although His “coronation” will come with a crown of thorns, Jesus is set to become the anti-king in Jerusalem, riding on a donkey, being praised with palm branches. Just like the man who would be king in this parable, he must “go away” in order to return a king. However, his journey is a journey to conquer sin and death.

4) Role of riches. Riches are not, despite the apparent symbolism in this parable, the way to salvation. The riches we get from God, our natural talents, grace, love, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit are what we must put to use to build the kingdom. Not the riches of the world.

5) People are rewarded for their faithfulness that is embodied in a balanced approach to piety, study and action, all three aspects of our faith life and friendship with Jesus.

6) Jesus will judge us by our actions. By our love we will be known. He knows that the laborers are few. He wants us to get to work not just sit around on our La-Z-Boy being lazy boys. With your own words I shall condemn you, you wicked servant. You knew I was a demanding person, 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. Luke 18:22-23

7) We can do God’s work on earth while He is gone so he can reap the reward of a just society when he returns.

Far too often, through our sinful ways, we act like the people in the gospel. At first, they did not want the nobleman to become their king. How often do we act as if we do not want Jesus to be our King? We want to focus on the easy way, not the way of the cross. Our way, not His Way.

The King rebukes the third servant for not earning interest in a bank with the minas that he was given. The play on this word “interest” allows us to see this story in many layers. Literally, interest is the investment earning. However, the servant was rebuked for not having any interest or curiosity or attention to the kingdom. He took no personal involvement in its progress or success. He was not bothered by the good, benefit or advantage that might come from his actions, only by the fear of losing the money. Commercially, the servant does not reflect any ownership in the Kingdom or personal connection with it.

Despite all of our failings, Jesus still invites us to join him in the Kingdom. “Come up here…” As we prepare to celebrate and give thanks tomorrow, let us do so with great enthusiasm, interest and conviction in response to this Great Invitation. RSVP.

Action

Arthur Simon, Post Script to How Much is Enough? Part IV

13. Help your children from the youngest age on up learn the joy of giving. And the joy of numbers nine and ten on this list (see November 18).

14. Take care of God’s creation. Practice and encourage conservation of energy and resources. Drive less, turn out lights, lower the thermostat, and ask elected officials to adopt energy-saving policies. Recycle paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum cans. Add as little pollution as possible. Get your family and community involved, as well. Support anti-pollution measures with state and national legislators.

15. Have a heart for the world. Keep up on events and pray about them. Contribute generously for overseas relief and development. Use your power as a citizen to let elected officials, especially your national legislators, know that you would like your country to take the lead in helping to end hunger and reduce poverty in the world. An advocacy group such as Bread for the World can help you do this. Remember that public affairs as well as private life come under the lordship of Christ and have an enormous impact on the well-being of others.

(The Arthur Simon list concludes tomorrow.)