July 3 & 4, 2010: Stuff
July 5, 2010
When I was a kid, especially in the summer, I would get up in the morning and get dressed, and before I went outside to play, I would cram my pants pockets full of the really important stuff that I would need for the day: a couple of small stones, a pocket knife, my yoyo, a few marbles, a handkerchief, a wad of heavy string, and maybe a slingshot.
I think many of us still do that. I’m sure some of you have seen women strolling through the shops with purses the size of a small suitcase. They’re carrying make-up, a wallet, cell phone, toiletries, Kleenex (no hankies), a checkbook, bottle of water, a snack, keys (funny, I never carried keys when I was a kid).
And guys, we’re not immune. I got a new truck a couple months ago, and I was amazed at how many storage compartments there were. The people who make trucks understand that we have lots of stuff.
In today’s gospel, Jesus sends 70 of his disciples out on a mission – a mission to spread his teachings. And they would be gone for more than just a day – more than a shopping trip to the mall – more than a drive to the worksite. And what did he tell them? “Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals.” How were they supposed to survive without their stuff? What was Jesus telling them? He was saying: “Trust in me. Don’t trust in your stuff – trust in me.”
And they had a reason to trust Jesus. They had been following him, and learning from him. Jesus had nurtured them. We hear about that kind of nurturing in the first reading. Isaiah was describing the Jewish people, who were anticipating the restoration of Jerusalem after it had been destroyed and their temple abused by invading populations. They talked about their relationship to Jerusalem like the intimate relationship between a mother and a child. And then they extended that metaphor to their relationship with God. It’s funny, we usually think about God in male terms: “God the Father,” but isn’t it a wonderful image to think of God cradling us like a mother cradles and nurses her child.
But children don’t stay in their mother’s arms forever. Jesus had nurtured his disciples. He had shown gentleness and love, and now he was sending them out – but with no stuff. He said: “Go from this safe place – go prepare things for me. Teach the people as I taught you. Cure people as I cured you. Oh, and by the way, lots of people will hate you. You will be like lambs among the wolves.”
So what’s the message for us? I think you know what it is. Jesus is calling each of us to be one of those 70 disciples. Now our first response might be: “I’m not like those 70 people.” You might think those 70 disciples were people like Father Paul – highly trained and actually ordained to do this work. Well no, they weren’t. The apostles might have been like that, but these were lay people – people like you.
Your next rationalization might go something like this: “But Jesus probably gave them some kind of special blessing.” Well, yes, he probably did. And he gave each of us a special blessing at our baptism, and strengthened that blessing when we were confirmed, and he renews that blessing each time we receive his body and blood in the Eucharist. And with each of those blessings we are called to be like the 70 disciples.
So what’s stopping us? Well, one of the things stopping us is our stuff. Jesus told his disciples to leave everything behind as an act of total trust and surrender, but by leaving these things behind, they also would have no possessions to worry about. Our lives tend to be centered around collecting stuff, working hard so that we can afford stuff, and occupying our time with our stuff.
Now, for the most part, our stuff is not evil, and working so that we can afford things is not a sin, and using and enjoying materials things is not wrong – but all of these things can be. And I think the key relates to something Father Paul spoke to us about last week. You remember that he talked about addiction. He gave a specific example of addiction to Facebook – a social networking site. Some of you might have read the 12 signs that you are addicted to Facebook that Miguel posted on the parish website. Social networking is not wrong, in fact, Facebook allows people who are physically separated to share experiences with their friends. But as you read the “12 signs” you can understand that social networking can be taken to the level of addiction. Just like an occasional drink is not a problem, but alcoholism is so terribly destructive.
As Father Paul told us last week, the difference is about freedom. We are free when we collect and use our stuff. We lose that freedom when we become addicted – when we allow our things to control us. The 70 disciples were so excited about the many wonderful things that they accomplished in Jesus’ name. They would not have been able to do those wonderful things if they had spent the whole time setting up and taking down tents, or shopping at the local markets, gossiping at the town gate or drinking wine into the wee hours. Just like we can’t spread the message of Jesus that we hear about each weekend, if we’re addicted to things like Facebook, alcohol, television, or anything else that monopolizes our time and minds.
Now I’m not suggesting that you all empty your pockets and purses, leave your credit cards behind and wander from town to town, preaching. We don’t all have that calling. But by the grace of God, given to us in the sacraments, we are all called to a relationship with him – and because we are Catholics – that relationship with God must extend to our families, our neighbours, our co-workers. We preach by the lives we live, by the way we treat the people we meet, by the things we tolerate in our lives and by the things that we refuse to tolerate, and by our generosity to those who have less stuff than we have.
The 70 disciples were nurtured, loved, and blessed by Jesus, and then sent out to preach and to work wonders. We are no different. It’s our turn.