Sunday Homily, September 2, 2012, 22nd Ordianry Time B
Readings:
Deuteronomy, 4,1-2, 6-8, What great nation is there that has gods so close?
Psalm 15, The one who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord.
James, 1, 17-18, 21-22, Be doers of the word and not hearers only.
Mark, 7, 1-8, 14-15, 21-23, From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts.
Observations on Deuteronomy
What is it about: Moses is addressing the people just before they are to enter into the Promised Land, the land of the Canaanites. They have escaped from Egypt and have been wandering around in the desert for about 40 years. Moses is dying and knows he will not go into Canaan.
The theme of the staged talk is that God has saved and blessed his beloved people. To help them live better he has given them the 10 commandments and a whole bunch of other laws. This is a book on the laws.
This is the 5th book of the whole bible and the fifth of the Big 5, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy
Authors: Inferring from the work, it is obvious that the judges and teachers of the people compiled the material.
Time composed: as with so much else, after the Babylonian Captivity, around 500 before Christ.
Observations on James
- We have James for 5 Sundays
- James was not an apostle, but head of the community after Jesus. He gets stoned in 62.
Sources: The New Interpreter’s Bible Study; The Good News Bible
A Labor Day Story (accompanied by slide show)
I would like to tell you a story this morning about a special event that happened to Rosemary & me a week ago Wednesday morning about 8:00 A.M. It all happened on the corner of Northwest Hwy. and West Lawther Drive, which is the western border of White Rock Lake, the side opposite to the Arboretum.
We had just finished riding around The Lake twice and were packing up the Sienna with the bikes. It is very rare that we park at this corner instead of at Royal Lane near Greenville. We did it this morning because we knew the White Rock Creek Trail leading to The Lake from our neighborhood would be muddy & wet. It had rained the day before.
This corner has special meaning for Rosemary & me. It was here January 6, where Rosemary missed the turn coming off of a detour that is no longer there. This is precisely where she fell and broke her left elbow on a beautiful, sunny January afternoon.
On this Wednesday morning we are parked not right on this southwest corner, but up and behind a store called Dallas Bike Works. Rosemary had sat on the stairs of this bike store in January, while I raced back to get our car and take her to Presbyterian.
So here we are in the parking lot behind the store. I am storing the bikes in our Sienna. I notice that a man is slowly driving up from Lawther Lane in a large yellow tractor with a back hoe and a front end scooper. I wave at him as he passes me at the rear of the car.
He proceeds along the right side of the car at a little distance. Rosemary is preparing to get into the car. He stops his tractor, slides to the left toward Rosemary, gets down off his tractor, and walks toward Rosemary with a smile on his face. He is a stocky Hispanic in yellow hard hat and work clothes for the heat, long sleeved shirt and long pants.
He says to Rosemary, “How are you?” Instantly Rosemary knows who he is. She runs to embrace him.
It is the same workman who was right there when Rosemary broke her arm. He was the first to her, because she almost landed at his feet. It was under his pick up that Rosemary slid and his little bumper apron that she cracked with the front of her helmet.
He bathed her road rash with water and towels. He even offered to drive her to the hospital and would take nothing for the crack in his bumper apron, even though the truck was pretty new.
His name is Max and he saw Rosemary from the area where he was working. So, he drove over to see how she was. We talked for about 10 minutes and he was so happy that she had recuperated.
We left there astounded and so touched.
Two lessons:
First, there are some really good hearted people on those street work crews.
Secondly, a little distinction on Mark’s statement that “from within people, from their hearts, comes evil.”
I would propose that the human heart comes good and gentle and loving. It is the heart hurt that becomes the heart that hurts.
Senor Max has touched our hearts with his gentle caring.
Who has touched your heart lately?