Fattened Our Hearts
“Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries. Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire. You have stored up treasure for the last days. Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers who harvested your fields are crying aloud; and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure; you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter. You have condemned; you have murdered the righteous one; he offers you no resistance.”
Thank you for coming to church today. Have a nice day. What?! Wait, what just happened?! St. James makes it clear. Did any of his words touch your heart? Do you see yourself in anything he said? In all honesty, I think we do. This makes the gospel more relevant for today. What causes you to sin? Cut it out. Get rid of it. Change your hearts. Turn to God and listen to His Words. Stop judging. In the first reading and the gospel Joshua and John are quick to judge others. Joshua wants Moses to have Eldad and Medad to stop prophesying because they were not with others. Joshua does not understand that God can grant His Spirit to anyone, whether they are by themselves or with others. It is God’s choice. Moses was right – if only all of us were prophets.
John sees others casting out demons and healing people by using the name of Jesus. There is power in the name of Jesus. Remember the words of Jesus – who is for us is not against us. We need to encourage everyone to turn to the name of Jesus. How do we make that happen today? We pray for those that are not with us asking God to fill them with His Spirit. We ask God to fill us with the Holy Spirit to answer His Call. We find in encouraging others a way that humbles our spirit and brings us closer to God through others. We find that kindness and generosity go farther than clinging to our possessions. We who live in luxury and pleasure, or fattened our hearts – are we comfortable with where we are? If not, I would say God is calling you. How will we respond?
May the Lord bless you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen