13th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Intro:

I have some friends, who, not too long ago, decided to build their own home. I remember that they were overwhelmed at first with MANY decisions as to what the house would look like. They met with different builders and contractors and finally made the decision as to its “look”.

They trusted that the work would be “the best”!

As time went on, many more decisions had to be made, but one that intrigued me was “planning” the exterior of the house: its color and landscape.

What they did to help them decide these 2 things was what was so cool.

[It’s probably done all the time, but I never thought of it.]

…………….They went around the street to the houses that were already built for their ideas.
For instance…………..the paint color, they wanted theirs to BLEND, not COMPETE…..

And when they planned the landscape, they became aware of the different shrubs and trees and flowers growing in the other yards around their new property, so that their landscape “fit in”.

All in all they wanted ………………………..

An INTERMINGLING of their home w/ the others!!!!
THEY WANTED TO BE A PART of the street, the neighborhood, NOT SET APART, different, separate, and dissimilar.

Their decisions were meant to be a PART OF THE COMMUNITY! To be one with their brothers and sisters

And once again Jesus takes the lead here with his followers,

THE CHURCH,

When he takes the boat to
“The other side”
…………as it is mentioned in today’s Gospel.

Geographically he is on the Sea of Galilee and the other side he mentions means the side of the Sea where the JEWS lived. If you do not know it, the Sea of Galilee DIVIDES the JEWS from the GENTILES and Jesus of course takes the church to minister in BOTH lands:
TO ALL PEOPLES in the Gospel stories.

He had just left the land of the GENTILES in the story before this one and now travels “to the other side”.

Jesus wants UNITY, not dis-unity as he ministers to all peoples in His mission of LOVING GOD + MAKING DISCIPLES.

Jesus was the Official body teaching us to get it together, to work together, and to STOP believing that MY WAY is better than YOUR WAY as the JEWS and GENTILES typically fought!

Jesus wanted CONCILIATION and UNITY in all the land! He wanted a BLEND of peoples, quality INTEGRATION; …… that’s why he ministered on BOTH sides of the SEA! That’s why my friends built their home in the way that they did….to be unified in the neighborhood.

We are to be reconciled with one another just like some
landscaped homes on a street, where the blending in and compromises WORK!

CONCLUSION

Whether we ‘re
BLACK or WHITE,
SHORT or TALL,
IMMIGRANT or CITIZEN
Male or FEMALE
Buddhist or Muslim
GAY or STRAIGHT
JEW or GENTILE

Jesus teaches us to get along
May today’s Christ, today’s HOLY COMMUNION guide you and me into this action of Jesus who MINISTERS on BOTH SIDES of the Sea of Galilee.