Sunday Reflection with Fr Robin Gibbons - 6 October 2013

Fr Robin Gibbons

27th Sunday of the Year C

Maybe I am getting old but tend to think that some of the behavioural problems we discover in our own society stems from the gap between our identity as members of a community and our understanding of our role as individuals, what we think we should be and who we actually are. Andy Warhol’s visionary statement about everyone having their 15 minutes of fame does seem to affect a lot of people who think that they are in a real sense ‘special ’. Celebrity culture doesn’t help either; we are lulled into a false sense of the ease of achieving fame and wealth.

As Christians we are not called to this way of life at all. The uncomfortable picture of slaves and masters in Luke’s Gospel does not make easy reading; instinctively we recoil from such a statement. Today we don’t keep slaves, for most of us it is now an unimaginable imposition on a person’s right to live as a member of any free society. That is why stories of abuse, imprisonment and degrading treatment of others cause shock and outrage. What can Jesus mean by his comment that slaves should simply be getting on with their work and not expect any special treatment?

I think we need to keep reminding ourselves that Jesus’ parables often pick up images from ordinary life. Slaves were a part of the social strata in Roman life, but that’s not the point, nor is the allusion to the mulberry tree uprooting itself to be planted in the sea. What is being asked of us is to let go of our preconceptions about faith, God can do what is impossible to us!

The wider context of Luke’s gospel reminds us that Jesus is gradually revealing the signs of the Kingdom and the presence of God’s works amongst us. Is that fanciful? No, because Jesus is taking us to a position where we have to let go and trust. Yes, we are all important and loved by God, yes we are all part of the body of Christ, but we are also called to mission.

Like the slave we are called to a task, which does not lead to celebrity or fame. As Paul reminds Timothy our faith is built up in our family and community life, but God calls us onwards to become open to the workings of grace.