Jesus said, “Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.” (Doing the sign of the cross and looking up to heaven) Whoa, Jesus, do I seriously have to preach on this? There are people here looking at me who are rich. Could you please help me out here with what to say to them? Amen.
Jesus said, “Woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry.” (Doing the sign of the cross and looking up to heaven) Um, Jesus. It’s me again. There are people here who had a big meal before coming here and are filled now. Are you sure woe to them is the message you want them to hear? Amen.
Jesus said, “Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep.” (Doing the sign of the cross and looking up to heaven) Jesus, this is getting really awkward here. There are people here who have been laughing at comedies on Netflix and funny videos on YouTube this weekend. Any help you could provide me on what to say to them would be great. Amen.
And Jesus said, “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.” (Doing the sign of the cross and looking to heaven) Jesus, there are many here who people speak well of and who are well respected. What should I say to them? Amen.
Whenever there are teachings of Jesus and his church like these woes from today’s Gospel that are tough for us to hear because they make us uncomfortable with the way we are living our lives, or that we are frustrated by, or that we simply don’t understand, it is tempting to ignore them, call them ridiculous, or be dismissive of them in some other way. These woes are pointing out four areas that Jesus thinks can be spiritually dangerous. Instead of being dismissive of these tough teachings, Jesus wants us to wrestle with them, to try to understand them from his perspective, and to see them through his eyes.
With this being World Marriage Week, with World Marriage Day being today, and St. Valentine’s Day being just a day away, let’s try looking at these woes Jesus spoke of through the lens of love and from the perspective of the one who is love.
When I say through the lens of love, I want to be more specific. By a show of hands, has anyone ever heard of the book The Five Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman? Okay, some of you have heard of it and some have not. For those of you who have not heard of it, let me provide a quick description that may also serve as a refresher for those of us who read the book a long time ago. The author says that there are five main love languages or ways we feel loved and can show our love to others.
The first love language is physical touch such as a handshake, hug, or kiss.
The second love language is words of affirmation such as telling someone you like their haircut or telling them they did a good job.
The third love language is gifts such as giving someone flowers or a box of chocolates.
The fourth love language is acts of service such as washing the dishes for someone or making a meal for them.
The fifth love language is quality time such as talking with someone and giving them your undivided attention.
Out of these five love languages, the author says that each of us humans has a primary love language, meaning that one of these love languages is the primary way that we feel most loved. The author goes on to say that whatever our primary love language is, that is the default love language that we use when trying to express our love to someone else. This can cause some frustration and misunderstanding in a relationship. For example, when a newlywed husband is focused completely on physical touch and his wife is thinking to herself, “would this guy just do the dishes?” Alright, enough about me and my life.
What do you think Jesus’ primary love language is? … Any guesses? As I was reflecting on today’s Gospel reading and trying to understand the woes Jesus talks about, I think I discovered the answer. I think Jesus’ primary love language is acts of service (pointing to the crucifix).
In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says, “the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as ransom for many.” To try to understand the woes Jesus is talking about, let us look at them the way someone who has the primary love language of acts of service might look at them.
“Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.” Okay, here’s how much Jesus valued money: He entrusted the money bag that was to take care of the financial needs of Jesus and the apostles … to a thief. It’s not so much what you’ve been given as it is what you do with it. In the verse that immediately proceeds today’s Gospel reading, we are told that Judas was selected as an apostle. Judas was there and when Jesus said “woe to you who are rich,” Judas heard these words, but he didn’t listen to them. This is the same Judas who was probably the richest apostle. The way he got the riches and maintained this status of being rich was by stealing and selling out Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. If you took $30 and you bought a University of Toledo hoodie and you gave it to someone you see at a street corner asking for help, the reality is this makes you $30 less rich. This sacrifice to clothe someone in need of clothing delights Jesus, the one who was stripped of his clothing and hung upon the cross naked.
“Woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry.” Bishop Fulton Sheen said there are two philosophies of life. The pagan philosophy of first the feast, then the fast. Then there’s the Christian philosophy of first the fast, then the feast. It’s when we’re hungry that we most appreciate food. As Jesus hung upon the cross, he was not filled, yet over the last 2,000 years, Jesus has made a meal for millions. The more empty space we create for him, the more Jesus can fill it.
Jesus said, “Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep.” Here, I am thinking of a King who has his court jester making him laugh while he is oblivious to the suffering of his people right outside the walls. Or bringing it a little closer to home, I am thinking of the person who is laughing at a funny show on Netflix or a funny video on YouTube, instead of tending to the emotional needs of a loved one who is sad, depressed, or suffering possibly near death in a hospital or nursing home or right within their own home. When we pause the laughing and hit the play button on tending to the emotional needs of those we love and care for, that makes Jesus happy. Remember, many of those who loved and cared for Jesus weren’t there for him during his darkest hour. As he hung upon the cross, the vast majority of the apostles were someplace else they presumably deemed way less sad.
Jesus said, “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.” Having our reputation and people speaking well of us as our primary focus for our decision-making is very dangerous spiritually. There are all kinds of ungodliness we do for the sake of people speaking well of us. There are times when we are faced with a decision of either telling people the truth or telling them what they want to hear. If people speak well of us because we tell them the lie they want to hear, woe to us. There are times when the popular thing to do at the table is not to give thanks to God for the food in front of us. There are times when the popular thing to do is to go to the sporting event and skip Mass. When we sacrifice what makes us popular for doing what is right, Jesus delights in these acts of service.
If you want a picture of the most blessed person who has ever walked the earth, this is it (pointing to Jesus on the cross). As Jesus hung upon the cross, he was not rich in the world’s eyes as he had no money. As Jesus hung upon the cross, he was not filled as he was hungry. As Jesus hung upon the cross, he was not laughing. As Jesus hung upon the cross, they were not speaking well of him, they jeered at him and reviled him.
Why? Because this great act of service is how Jesus shows his love for you. Friends, today, Jesus says these words to each one of us: “I have shown you how much I love you with the ultimate act of service (pointing to Jesus on the cross). Love me and one another the way I have loved you.” Now, how will you respond to this love that has been given to you?
6th Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle C – February 13, 2022
Mass Readings:
Reading 1: Jer 17:5-8
Psalm: Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
Reading 2: 1 Cor 15:12, 16-20
Gospel: Lk 6:17, 20-26