THE VIRTUE OF TOLERANCE ('He who is not against us is for us')
First Reading: Numbers 11: 25 to 29
Second Reading: James 5: 1 to 6
Gospel Reading: Mark 9: 38 to 43 and 45 to 48
*First reading is from the book of Numbers. The Spirit of the Lord God descends on seventy elders of Israel. They are empowered to prophesy. However, two men who are not in that group - Elad and Medad - too receive the gift and they too are able to prophecy. Joshua who is ministering to Moses is upset and he wants Moses to forbid these two men from prophesying. But Moses is tolerant and tells Joshua that it is not right to be jealous of God's gifts. He takes a more positive and tolerant approach and says, "If only all the Lord's people are prophets that the Lord God would put His Spirit upon them."
*Second reading is from the letter of St. James. The Apostle warns everyone that our ill-gotten wealth gained by oppressing labourers and harvesters will be an evidence against us before the Lord. He further elaborates and says that everyone who lives in luxury and pleasure will be answerable if they do not share their wealth with the poor and the needy. Hence, the Apostle's message contains a strong condemnation of wealth, especially when it is accumulated through the exploitation of the weak and the poor.
'He who is not against us is with us' Today's Gospel reading is from St. Mark. In the first part of the Gospel, Jesus explains to His disciples the need for tolerance and respect of other people who differ from us. John, one of the twelve Apostles, tells Jesus about a man who is casting out demons in the name of Jesus and that he had forbidden this man because he is not a follower of the Lord. Instead of backing up John's efforts to stop this man, Jesus seems to approve of such people working miracles in His name. After listening to John, Jesus expresses His concern about John's action. He corrects him and tells him: "He who is not against us is with us." Hence, Jesus takes a more positive and tolerant view that instead of discouraging such persons and such actions, they should be encouraged. Through this intervention, Jesus gives a very important lesson for all of us who believe in the Lord. We should positively encourage all those who do good in the world around us, no matter whether they belong to our community/ ethnic group or they belong to different faiths. We should be open to the working of the Spirit of God and recognize the works of God done through such people. In this context it may be good to realize that faith in Jesus and healings done in the powerful name of the Lord, are not merely restricted to those who follow Him physically. In the second part of today's Gospel, Jesus severely warns that anyone who leads the little ones to sin will be severely punished. Crimes against children are on the rise. Jesus further adds that even if an essential organ of our body like the eye or the hand is a cause of sin, we should not hesitate to get rid of it rather than face eternal punishment. In the context of today's Gospel, the Second Vatican council says: "On our part there must be no pride or arrogance, no contempt or lack of reverence for people of different beliefs." The following anonymous quote is pertinent here: "The love of one's country is a natural thing. But why should we stop at the border?" May the Lord Jesus who healed the Centurion's servant and healed the daughter of the Canaanite woman, and expressed His tolerance to people of other faiths, bless you and inspire you all to be truly kind and tolerant to people of other religious traditions. Amen.
(Kindly note: Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph is available on YouTube. Please view, like, share and subscribe to the video version on YouTube. "YouTube/Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph" on Google search. Thanks.)
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