Like in God's Kingdom

Homily for Saturday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

If the choice is between (a) cheating, stealing, murder and blasphemy (evil traits described in Micah and the Responsorial Psalm) or (b) caring, loving, and bringing justice, most of us would emphatically choose “B”!

Today’s readings offer contrast between evil and good that exemplifies what it is like to live in the Kingdom of God. The prophet Micah speaks of the Lord’s promise to the wicked of the world: “Behold, I am planning against this race an evil from which you shall not withdraw your necks.” This is God’s promise to those who cheat, covet, and steal from others. This is not the way we would like to live given its description and the Lord’s promise. And yet, this is the reality of the world around us. We do live in it. It is essential that we are not to be of it.

In the Gospel text for today, the Pharisees went out and took counsel so as to put Jesus to death. As to emphasize the dichotomy, Matthew tells us that Jesus withdrew from that space and interacted with many people in need of healing. In a reversal of roles, compared to the Pharisees many people took counsel from him.

The crowds who sought out Jesus were seeking that “place” of humility, compassion, and obedience to God’s will. They found that place in the person of Jesus Christ. Today we celebrate the fact that we, too, have found our place in the person of Jesus.