Monday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 461

But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

We all know Jesus' answer to that question; he told the story of the Good Samaritan. That may be the best known of all Jesus' parables.

It's also a stunning response to the reason the scholar of the law asked the question, "because he wished to justify himself."

There's a lot of "self-justification" going around nowadays, though it might not be recognized as such. I think especially of the "white power" movement, which has found new impetus in reaction to "black lives matter."

There are victims and there are "victims." Some have been treated unfairly because every human system of economics and politics is unfair. That's what we call "original sin."

No matter how hard we try, now matter how good our intentions, an organization devised by human beings will fail to serve all the people fairly and justly. Even the first generation of apostles, organizing the Church after that marvelous Pentecost, discriminated against the widows of non-Jewish Christians.

At that time, as the number of disciples continued to grow, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.

The only way to deal with that fact of Original Sin is to hear the complaints and try to address them fairly, as the Apostles did. Reacting defensively won't help.

When I hear people claiming to be victims and loudly defending the Christian, European, male heritage of American culture and its benefits to society -- without reference to its deliberate oppression of women, African-Americans, Jews, Muslims, and the disabled -- I hear people trying to justify themselves.

But, as their own Christian tradition insists, justification comes only through Jesus Christ:

For if, by the transgression of one person, death came to reign through that one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of justification come to reign in life through the one person Jesus Christ.

Loud arguments about one's heritage and hard work and heroic actions mean nothing in the sight of God, and not much to the rest of us. And the louder the complaints the less persuasive they become. Add threats, intimidation, violence and murder to the argument and we're disgusted by the very thought of "white culture." Its rebuke is long overdue, and we can pray that God will restrain his punishment as we hear the suffering we have caused and make amends.

If we say, “We are without sin,” we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing. (1 John 1:8)

The apostolic church thrives because the Spirit persuades us to hear any and all complaints, recognize grievances and address them. We're not called to be right but to be merciful. Striving continually to practice mercy, we let God take care of justification.