The Catholic Church is one of the largest and most influential religions in the world today. It’s membership is numbered in the multiple millions. It has built thousands of institutions – hospitals, nursing facilities, hospices, schools and on and on. It’s so vast and so intricate that no one person can comprehend the whole story.
Today’s gospel takes us back to the very beginning of that story, a story told so casually that it’s easy to overlook its overwhelming importance.
Two men were introduced to Jesus by the Baptist. It wasn’t a formal or even a personal introduction. They were simply standing together and as Jesus walked by John said: “Look, there’s the Lamb of God.” It’s sort of like being at a social function when someone important walks in the room and a friend says: “Hey, Look who’s here!”
The disciples start following Jesus and an almost playful conversation follows: “What do you want?,” “Where do your live?,” “Come and see,” and “Come with me.” The two men do follow. In fact they spend the rest of the day together
For Andrew and Jesus, and most likely the other unknown man as well, probably John, the author of this Gospel, that casual, almost accidental visit, was the beginning of a friendship that would last a lifetime. It was that, but it was far more than just the beginning of a friendship. It was the beginning of Christianity as we know it today.
I say that because, the first thing Andrew did, after that initial visit, was to introduce his brother Simon to Jesus, and the two of them became friends. In short order others were added to the circle. And as the circle of friends grew, so did the church. You and I are here today because we too have been added to that ever-growing circle of friends, and I believe its our friendship, with Jesus and with one another, that binds us together as church, and can make us as individuals and as church a powerful, powerful, force for good in our world.
No doubt friendship is warm and nice and comforting, but its far more than that. It is the only power on earth that can conquer the human spirit. Brute force can intimidate and exercise temporary control, but it can never conquer. Only honest, loving, self-giving friendship can invade the human heart and take possession of it.
Not only is friendship powerful, it’s non-violent. Jesus saw the truth of that 2000 years ago. He knew his people hated Roman bondage, and more than anything wanted a redeemer who would rally the troops and drive the foreigners out. But Jesus refused to play that role. He knew the futility of it. He understood that conquering force with force is a dead- end street. So instead of organizing an army, he started a movement based on friendship and love. He knew non-violent love was the only real solution to the problem of human hostility. People can live together under almost any conditions........if they are friends.
Finally, friendship is not only powerful and non-violent, it’s ethical. And by that I mean, friendship is the ultimate standard of what it means to be a truly good person. Friendship a stronger motivation to honorable living than all the laws that have been written.
Paul recognized that. In urging the people of Corinth to avoid sexual immorality, he didn’t appeal to any moral laws of God. Instead he reminded them that their bodies belonged to Christ, that Christ lived in them, that they had become one with him. In essence, he was saying: Don’t betray your nearest and dearest friend.
Paul was a great theologian. Much of what he wrote is deep and difficult to understand, but for all his brilliance, he always kept in mind what we sometimes forget: Our faith in its purest form is friendship with Jesus, and that if we want to continue Jesus’ work o building his Fathers Kingdom on earth, the place to begin is by widening our circle of friends.
In light of the violence we see in our world, that’s a powerful message.
Today’s gospel takes us back to the very beginning of that story, a story told so casually that it’s easy to overlook its overwhelming importance.
Two men were introduced to Jesus by the Baptist. It wasn’t a formal or even a personal introduction. They were simply standing together and as Jesus walked by John said: “Look, there’s the Lamb of God.” It’s sort of like being at a social function when someone important walks in the room and a friend says: “Hey, Look who’s here!”
The disciples start following Jesus and an almost playful conversation follows: “What do you want?,” “Where do your live?,” “Come and see,” and “Come with me.” The two men do follow. In fact they spend the rest of the day together
For Andrew and Jesus, and most likely the other unknown man as well, probably John, the author of this Gospel, that casual, almost accidental visit, was the beginning of a friendship that would last a lifetime. It was that, but it was far more than just the beginning of a friendship. It was the beginning of Christianity as we know it today.
I say that because, the first thing Andrew did, after that initial visit, was to introduce his brother Simon to Jesus, and the two of them became friends. In short order others were added to the circle. And as the circle of friends grew, so did the church. You and I are here today because we too have been added to that ever-growing circle of friends, and I believe its our friendship, with Jesus and with one another, that binds us together as church, and can make us as individuals and as church a powerful, powerful, force for good in our world.
No doubt friendship is warm and nice and comforting, but its far more than that. It is the only power on earth that can conquer the human spirit. Brute force can intimidate and exercise temporary control, but it can never conquer. Only honest, loving, self-giving friendship can invade the human heart and take possession of it.
Not only is friendship powerful, it’s non-violent. Jesus saw the truth of that 2000 years ago. He knew his people hated Roman bondage, and more than anything wanted a redeemer who would rally the troops and drive the foreigners out. But Jesus refused to play that role. He knew the futility of it. He understood that conquering force with force is a dead- end street. So instead of organizing an army, he started a movement based on friendship and love. He knew non-violent love was the only real solution to the problem of human hostility. People can live together under almost any conditions........if they are friends.
Finally, friendship is not only powerful and non-violent, it’s ethical. And by that I mean, friendship is the ultimate standard of what it means to be a truly good person. Friendship a stronger motivation to honorable living than all the laws that have been written.
Paul recognized that. In urging the people of Corinth to avoid sexual immorality, he didn’t appeal to any moral laws of God. Instead he reminded them that their bodies belonged to Christ, that Christ lived in them, that they had become one with him. In essence, he was saying: Don’t betray your nearest and dearest friend.
Paul was a great theologian. Much of what he wrote is deep and difficult to understand, but for all his brilliance, he always kept in mind what we sometimes forget: Our faith in its purest form is friendship with Jesus, and that if we want to continue Jesus’ work o building his Fathers Kingdom on earth, the place to begin is by widening our circle of friends.
In light of the violence we see in our world, that’s a powerful message.
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