Jesus wants us to learn lessons from the poor, sick, downtrodden and dying
The Scriptures for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time call us to exercise the virtue of humility. There is a wide range of understandings of this virtue: One might think from the Scriptures that humility is about taking the lowest place, never to be embarrassed. In my opinion, that’s an incorrect assumption about the virtue and the meaning of the story in the Gospel. Another interpretation is that humility is the willingness of a person of some stature or power to be with people considered lower or more disadvantaged. Again, I would say that this is an improper understanding of the virtue of humility.
Why did Jesus constantly invite His disciples and the religious people of His time to spend time with strangers, the poor and the sick? We know from His example that Jesus didn’t act out of feelings of superiority, and He wasn’t on a pity parade. He didn’t look at that group of people and act out of feelings, doing something positive for the less powerful. Why is it that Jesus constantly invites us to spend time in those circles of people?
It is tough for us to understand that Jesus wanted us to spend time with the poor, the alien, the sick and the dying because they are a source of wisdom and have life lessons to teach us that we might not learn anywhere else.
We can examine several of the greatest challenges of our time and learn a great deal from them. We may have found ourselves growing impatient with someone else or with the world in general. Perhaps we’ve found ourselves in fits of anger at someone who is not moving or doing something at a rapid enough pace. Can we imagine that maybe a person who has spent time in prison might have something to teach us about patience? Most people in prison that I have met don’t waste time denying what they’ve done that led them to where they are. Many of them do believe that this disruption of incarceration might have been what saved their lives. But living in a circumstance where someone controls when you move about, the food you eat, the clothes you wear and every other aspect of life might have something to teach us all about patience. Jesus wants us to learn that lesson from a pro. Can we be humble enough to admit it and to act on that virtue?
One of the basic human fears is that we don’t have a place where we belong. Many have a deep-seated fear that if people truly knew who we are, they wouldn’t want to be in our company. We do many things to distance ourselves from others out of that fear of ever experiencing disconnection, dislocation or alienation. Can we imagine a person who, due to political or economic situations or high levels of violence in their home country, has made their way to another place to seek security and a place where they belong? Might it be true that they could teach us a lot about humility that leads to interdependence on others and a willingness to be vulnerable for the sake of belonging? Can we imagine allowing a stranger to teach us the humility of belonging?
Let us let humility reign in our lives!
Father Donald Wester is retired and serves as lecturer of homiletics at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary.
