MOVE THE FENCE BEYOND THE GRAVE

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mk 9:38-43.45.47-48

I had a dream.

I went to see the much awaited match between the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the UST Golden Tigers. Please do not ask me who won the game because I am biased of course because, beside the fact that I am a Blue Eagle (Batch ’88) myself, Ateneo has a long history to prove its prowess in the hard court. Ask me instead who my date was.

I went to see the basketball game with Jesus. Who else do you think?

It was a game as ferocious as the legendary rift between the Jesuits and the Dominicans. All spectators were on either side and the exchange of tirades literally shook the coliseum.

The UST Golden Tigers scored first. My date, Jesus, cheered wildly, throwing the cap He was wearing high up into the air. Then, the Ateneo Blue Eagles scored. Jesus jumped rowdily from His seat and even joined the chorus: “…win or lose, it’s the school we choose. This is the Ateneo way!”

The reaction of Jesus confused me a lot, so I asked Him, “Lord, which side are You cheering for?”

Still obviously excited but seemingly perplexed by my question, Jesus replied, “My friend, I am not cheering for either side. I am here just to enjoy the game.”

The fellow in front of us overheard Jesus’ reply. He turned to us and asked Jesus, “But, tell me, Jesus, whose side are You: the Jesuits or the Dominicans?”

Looking even more perplexed, Jesus answered the man, “I am on neither side. The Jesuits and the Dominicans rather are on my side.”

On our way home, Jesus was pensive. I was behind the wheels while Jesus sat rather quietly. I asked Him how He feels about the game. “I find it very sad to realize,” Jesus said, “that people always tend to think that God is only on their side and against people on the other side.” With a deep sigh, He continued, “People do not understand that I do not back up affiliations but people. People are more important than any affiliations – religious or otherwise. Have they not read what I said, ‘Man is more important than the Sabbath?’”

“Be careful, Jesus,” I warned Him. “You were already crucified once for saying things like that.”

“Yes,” Jesus said, “by religious people.”

The Gospel today tells how the disciples feel threatened by an exorcist who does not belong to their group. “Master,” John said, “we saw a man who is not one of us casting out devils in Your name; and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him.” The exorcist seems to be successful in his ministry, and that success evidently worries the Twelve.

It is interesting to recall that earlier in the same chapter of the Gospel of Mark, the disciples were a total failure in releasing a boy from an evil spirit. The boy’s father even seemed to have complained to Jesus, “I asked Your disciples to cast it out and they were unable to.” Imagine, the disciples, who are unsuccessful exorcists, now sees an outsider casting out demons in Jesus’ name successfully. It is not difficult for us to understand why they do not want this outsider but successful exorcist continues in his ministry. If Jesus refuses to recognize this outsider exorcist, the Twelve must be thinking, the man’s whole identity will be suspect.

But Jesus teaches His disciples – the Twelve and us as well – that ministry is not rivalry. Another man’s success in the work of the Lord should not make any of the other workers feel diminished, reduced, or lessened in their worth as disciples of Jesus. Rejecting someone simply because he or she does not belong to the group does not reinforce self-esteem.

Jesus invites us to a larger vision of God’s goodness as He commands His disciples in the Gospel today to leave the outsider in peace: “Anyone who is not against us is for us.” Hence, instead of making the identity of outsider exorcist a suspect, Jesus even confirms it. As for His disciples two thousand years ago and today, He has this to say, “Anyone who welcomes you because you are My disciples will not lose his reward.”

We cannot leave this lesson without recalling that the Twelve themselves are outsiders in their own society. In a world where they hope to be recognized and accepted in Jesus’ name, Jesus asks them to extend the same favor to others. Such an important point is for us as well. Why should we expect hospitality while meeting with intolerance those who are not of our company? If our passion is for the spread of God’s kingdom, that passion is served by anyone who does God’s work, even if he or she does not belong to our group. Jesus is not indiscriminate when it comes to goodness – anyone will do.

Jesus does not enjoy walking about our streets with a cordon sanitaire. He cannot be possessed by anyone or any group. Rather, He possesses us.

It is sad because conflicts among church organizations are realities we must honestly recognize and work on unto a happy resolution. Rivalries among Christian churches are also present in our midst and continue to hurt our witnessing in the world. Professional jealousy is likewise never absent among God’s ministers to the detriment of the flock entrusted to their care. It is, however, never too late to learn from our mistakes and correct whatever damage our rivalries have so far created.

On the night before Jesus died on the cross, He prayed for us, saying, “I pray that all of them, Father, may be one, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as We are one: I in them and You in Me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me” (Cf. Jn 17:21-23).

During the Second World War, there were three chaplains of three religious denominations. One was a Catholic, the other a Protestant, and the third a Jew. Despite the differences in their religious affiliations, these three chaplains were very good friends. They made a vow that if one of them would die, the survivors would notify his family and see that the decease received a decent burial.

The Jewish chaplain died. But the Catholic and the Protestant chaplains could find neither a synagogue nor a rabbi. However, in a remote village in France, the surviving chaplains found a beautiful Catholic church with a well-kept cemetery. The two decided to see the priest of that church to ask if he could help them.

“I want to help you,” said the priest of the church with a well-kept cemetery, “but I am not sure if canon law permits a non-Catholic to be buried in a Catholic cemetery. Please come back tomorrow after I have done a research.”

The two chaplains went home and came back the following day.

“My research was futile. Just bury him anyway outside the fence of the cemetery and I myself will take care of his grave,” the priest told them. And the two did as they were told.

When the war was over, the two chaplains went to visit the grave of their Jewish friend outside the fence of the Catholic cemetery. But they could not find it. Immediately, they sought out the priest and required an explanation from him.

“You said, you would take care of our friend’s grave, but his grave is gone. What did you do with it?” asked the two.

The priest smiled and answered, “You see, your friend’s grave looked so lonely outside the fence, so I decided to continue researching.”

“And you found a rule allowing you to move him inside the fence?” they asked.

“No, despite my diligent research, I still did not find such a rule,” the priest answered. “But neither did I find a rule saying I could not move the fence. So I moved the fence beyond the grave.”