"And now, but
a short time ago, mercy came to us from the LORD, our God, who left us a
remnant and gave us a stake in his holy place; thus our God has brightened our
eyes and given us relief in our servitude. Ezra 9:8
He said to them,
"Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food,
nor money, and let no one take a second tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay
there and leave from there. And as for those who do not welcome you, when you
leave that town, shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them." Luke 9:3-5
Piety
(And now, for some true “liturgical” music on today’s theme)
Here's a
little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don't worry, be happy
In every life we have some trouble
But when you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy
Don't worry, be happy now
You might want to sing it note for note
Don't worry, be happy
In every life we have some trouble
But when you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy
Don't worry, be happy now
(Ooh, ooh
ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) don't worry
(By Bobby McFerrin)
Study
“Take nothing for
the journey.”
Jesus was being literal and direct, just like
the prophet Ezra. Think about the context
of the first reading before you think in historical and personal context about
the Gospel.
According to the notes in the New American Bible
Introduction to the Book of Ezra, the prophet “is sometimes accused of having
been a legalist who gave excessive attention to the letter of the law.”
His work, however, should be seen and
judged within a specific historical context. He gave to his people a cohesion
and spiritual unity which helped to prevent the disintegration of the small
Jewish community settled in the province of Judah. Had it not been for the
intransigence of Ezra and of those who adopted his ideal, it is doubtful that
Judaism would have so effectively resisted Hellenism in later centuries. Ezra
set the tone of the postexilic community, and it was characterized by fidelity
to the Torah, Judaism’s authentic way of life. It is in this light that we can
judge most fairly the work of Ezra during the Restoration.[i]
Think about the spiritual unity among the apostle
when they took nothing for the journey.
They would rely upon God, each other and the community to provide
everything. Those who adopt this “ideal” of Jesus, remove many of the material
obstacles to God’s friendship. Jesus
sets the tone for the life he knows will confront the community when he is
gone.
Jesus obviously was not talking to workaholic,
shopaholic, obsessive-compulsive Americans.
Think about the last time you left the house for work or school or any
short trip. Did you remember your car
keys before walking out the door? Did you
pack a lunch? Did you bring something to
read on the bus or the train? Commuters
need a Metro or VRE card, too. Did you carry
gas money or parking money or Starbucks “bucks” or Apple Pay (or a phone or app
to do that)? Did you remember your work
ID, CAC, PIV or other card? Did you pack your homework or overnight assignment
into a backpack, briefcase, purse or other carry-all that was packed with the
standard items you carry every day (pens, paper, charging cords, a book or
two?
Today’s passage tells us of the absolute
detachment from material possessions that is required of the disciple. Such material poverty leads to leads a true
disciple to Fully Rey On God as explained further in Luke 12:22-31 which
begins: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life and what you will
eat, or about your body and what you will wear.”
Don’t worry.
Be happy in God’s hands.
Action
You get the idea. Imagine being sent on a longer mission like the
disciples. Consider what you pack when
you move (you take everything for the journey) or when you go on vacation (You
take everything to make you feel like home away from home).
How many iPads/tablets did your family take
on its last vacation – two, three, four, more?
How about phones? One (or more) per person – after all you have to keep the
work and home call we separate.
Go out today (if you dare) by taking nothing for the
journey.
PS: Did you shut off the irony?
No comments:
Post a Comment