On being strange

A recording of today's gospel and blog can be accessed here.

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Today’s gospel (Matthew 11: 25-30) offers us a series of Jesus’ teachings which are superficially easy to understand but beneath which lie chasms of gigantic, challenging truths. Jesus praises the Father for revealing His teachings to little children, while hiding them from those who believe they are the grown-ups. Jesus underlines His special relationship with the Father, and the fact that no one can know the Father except by His grace. Finally, He encourages us to shoulder His burdens which are easy and light.

Allow me, dear reader, to indulge a few ironies in the following reflection. Sometimes we have to confront our complacency to get at the kernel of the Gospel's message.

Today's extract may seem to some so simple, so easily ingested, so sweet and soothing? We hear in this passage the kinds of “Jesus sayings” that could be repeated on Radio 4’s Thought for the Day, for they seem to validate the kind of humble-crumble religion that does not threaten to overwhelm, that charms us a little with mystical allusions. If we take just these very lines, we could easily imagine they had been polished for Jesus by a clever PR guru. One can easily imagine the sworn enemies of truth happy to turn most of this extract into a series of lapel badges with smiley faces, to be given out free of charge to young people at music festivals, once the drugs have worn off and the morning-after pills have been distributed of course. The world loves it when the Gospel is inoffensive. 

But all of these flights of ironic fancy would only then disguise the inner steel of this eleventh chapter of Matthew which begins with John the Baptist sending his own disciples to Jesus to ask whether He is really the Messiah - John the Baptist, a man who finds himself in prison for being, what shall we call it…publicly judgemental about the tetrarch of Galilee and his personal life? One can do all kinds of wicked things in this wicked world and still have the world’s approval - from bankrolling orgies to dining with your enemies - but if you insist, like John the Baptist, on taking the law of God on marriage and sex seriously, then prepare yourself for tribulation. I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children... little children like John, His cousin. By the way, John the Baptist knew full well who Jesus was; he sent his disciples to Jesus only because they were too devoted to himself, and he wanted them to see the reality of the Messiah.

And, so, this disarmingly simple, perhaps we could say this deceptively simple, gospel continues. For on the one hand,

No one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him,

but on the other, this gift of the Son does not come without responsibility on the part of the listener. Just before this gently seductive passage, Jesus denounced the towns where His miracles had been performed. God forgive them, they had seen His works but found Him wanting. In other words, the Son offered to reveal the Father to these towns, and yet they closed their minds against Him. When He cures the lame, these towns behave as if He had given them bread and circuses and can't get enough of Him. The Beatitudes of the World begin with "Blessed are the sweet talkers for they are the children of the serpent in the garden". That is why when Jesus calls them to repent and to go and sin no more, He finds many of them ... indifferent – as if the problem lies with Him, not them.

I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgement than for you,

says the gentle Jesus, at least before the PR department and the diplomatic service get hold of the message.

Jesus, they might ask Him, are you trying to drive people away? 

But Jesus, as sweet as He is, is the Truth, and He has no time for their lies.

No one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him, Jesus replies.

And then comes Jesus’ final coup de grace - my yoke is easy and my burden is light. This time the objections of the PR department would probably relate to the terms of the trade description act. How can Jesus say His burden is light while also saying take up my cross and follow me? This is very mixed signalling. Jesus needs to simplify His message, doesn’t He? To take a few lessons in homiletics perhaps? Or rather, instead of saying both these things, Jesus would be much better off just preaching about the easy and the light bit, wouldn’t He? How can we take Him out in public if He insists on talking like He has an appointment with sacrifice and suffering? 

The words today of the Entrance Antiphon in the Old Rite will serve us well here: For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of affliction, to give you an end and patience.

How can we think again upon His sufferings, not as an unbearable burden, but as His peace and His reconciliation? As the words of one whose yolk is sweet and whose burden is light?

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Two scenes conclude this oddly ironic reflection on the gospel. The first is from St Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.

For our struggle, says the Apostle to the Gentiles who ultimately chopped his head off, is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

And the second is from St Catherine of Sienna, one of the little children alluded to in today’s gospel. Now, she was an extremist. Be who God wants you to be and you will set the world on fire, she says. 

But just remember the following. What St Catherine does not say here is that when you set the world on fire, you will be called a pyromaniac, you will be imprisoned for arson, and your bad behaviour will be used as an example of hate-filled irresponsibility by the media who like to educate us all on the kinds of behaviour that are expected from responsible citizens. 

You will know the truth and the truth will make you... strange, says American novelist Flannery O'Connor. Then will we be in good company, for the Sacred Heart, Saviour of this world, is Himself so very often a stranger in a strange land. 

But that is where He and we are meant to be to do the will of the Father.