Father Robert's homily for this 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time; When Jesus interpreted the parable of the weeds, He spoke of the world with its good and bad people.
He specified that the task of eliminating questionable people from the community was not part of the job description for His disciples. In every age, there are perfectionist religious people. They interpret precisely how strict rules apply to every situation.
And they strive to maintain themselves in the purity of virtue. Periodically, Christians have wanted to try to produce a pure Church, free from sinners. Thankfully, they do not succeed, for there would not be many people left in the Church. Yet, this is precisely what Jesus did not do. He gathered around Himself tax collectors, traitors, and adulterers.
He reached out to people considered impure by the culture of the time. He ate and associated with the least reputable elements of society. If we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that each of us is a mixture of sin and righteousness.
We quickly realize that the Church is not so much a club for saints as a hospital for sinners.
The Son of God became man, not to come into contact with angels. He became man to be with us, and not because we are good people who deserve a visit from our Creator. But because there was no way for us to reach God unless God reached out to us.
And He did not just address the good people. He reached out to those whom the world looked down upon. When the Pharisees and scribes complained to His disciples:
"Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
Jesus responded by saying:
"It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to invite the righteous to reform, but sinners."
But He tells us that the righteous are not without sin. Take the example of the elder brother in the story of the prodigal son. He says:
"Father, I have been serving you for so many years and I have never disobeyed one of your orders."
That sounds good. There is no fault.
But look into his heart: anger towards his father, resentment towards his brother. See how he separates himself from the feast and refuses to enter. They are righteous in their own eyes, but not in God's.
Then look at the story of the woman caught in the act of adultery. Imagine the scene: a group of men drags this woman into the street, the crowd gathers. They throw her in front of Jesus like a rag doll and accuse her of adultery. Notice that there is no mention of the man who was also involved in this situation. The reason for this charade is to discredit Jesus. They had the perfect question to trap Him.
It is almost as if they said:
"He can't get out of this."
They ask:
"Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. What should we do with her?"
If Jesus says to follow the law and stone her, He will lose His credibility with many disciples. If He says to let her go, He will have trouble with the law. But Jesus is gentle not only with the woman, but also with her self-righteous accusers. What does He do?
Jesus does not shout or become angry. He simply bent down gently and wrote in the sand with His finger. His gesture stands out like a thunderclap in the silence of a summer night. The answer to their question was a gentle honesty:
"Let the one who is without sin cast the first stone."
Jesus is the point of contact between a sinful humanity and a forgiving God.
Also read | Saint Francis of Assisi the Builder
But forgiveness is subject to conditions. Jewish and Christian traditions link forgiveness to change. Change in behavior and change in human action. Forgiveness is linked to real contrition. Often, we feel closer to the weeds than to the good grain in today's Gospel.
We need only remember the words of the Psalms:
"Lord, you are a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, full of kindness and faithfulness. Turn to me and have mercy on me. Give your strength to your servant."
But also remember Jesus' words to the woman caught in adultery. "Go, and sin no more."
Homily for this Sunday by Father Robert Warren, Franciscan Friar of the Atonement, Garrison, NY