Scripture Reflection for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time:
Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18
Psalm 34:2-3, 17-18, 19, 23
2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
Luke 18:9-14
Over the last several weeks, as St. Luke’s Gospel has unfolded in our Sunday readings, some of us may have been reminded of a famous line from one of the first episodes of “The Chosen,” when the shocked apostles have a hard time accepting the way Jesus does things. “That’s different,” someone says.
He responds simply, “Get used to different.”
The quote isn’t remotely biblical, but it sums up what we have been hearing in Luke. It reminds us: Jesus broke the rules and shattered the status quo. We see it again in this week’s Gospel.
If anyone around Galilee had been following Jesus, they knew that this itinerant preacher had a knack for telling a story. He knew how to throw in a few unexpected twists – the outcome was often a shock. Again and again, Jesus challenged people to discover that things aren’t always what they seem. Samaritans can be good; prodigal sons can be loved and welcomed home; and – as we hear this Sunday – even tax collectors can be saved.
Really? Yes. Really.
In this particular instance, Jesus wanted to repeat a recurring point: Beware of pride. The meek will inherit the earth. The humble will be heard. To paraphrase the Magnificat: The mighty will be cast down from their thrones.
All of which should make us take to heart Christ’s repeated call to live as people of humility. The Gospel of St. Luke is peppered with memorable examples, from the man who accumulated much and wants to build a bigger barn, to the tale of the rich man and Lazarus, and the parable of the persistent widow.
And if anyone missed the points he was making, in the final hours of his earthly life Jesus showed what he meant. He got down on his knees to wash feet and said, “I have given you a model to follow.” The Christian way, the way of following Jesus Christ, is meant to be a way close to those who are usually scorned or belittled or dismissed. It is the way of smallness, modesty, simplicity.
It is the way of humility.
It is the way of a savior who enters human history in a manger, not on a throne.
It is the way of a sinless man who seeks baptism, of a messiah who rides a donkey, of a rabbi who surrounds himself with tax collectors and sinners and uses Samaritans and widows and the poor as examples of goodness.
It is a radical way of living and loving – and of looking at those around us. The world’s view of achievement and success isn’t necessarily God’s.
The parable this Sunday asks us to reassess our priorities, our goals and how we think about ourselves and about others. It also asks us to reconsider the very act of prayer.
The reading from Sirach complements this Gospel’s theme perfectly: “The one who serves God willingly is heard; his petition reaches the heavens. The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds.”
And the psalm echoes it: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves. The Lord redeems the lives of his servants; no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him.”
The message of this Gospel offers something for everyone. It offers consolation and reassurance for those who feel small and overlooked; and it’s also a cautionary tale for those who feel prideful and self-satisfied.
Ultimately, it’s a call to change our hearts to more closely model ourselves on Christ. Looked at another way: It is a call to be different. And we need to get used to different.
Deacon Greg Kandra is an award-winning author and journalist, and creator of the blog “The Deacon’s Bench.”
