Fr. Pat’s Sermon Notes
6th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Where are you planted and who is your guide?
Today we read the “Sermon on the Plain” (Luke’s version of the “Sermon on the Mount”). This most famous sermon of Jesus essentially captures the heart of all that he taught and did. This is why I call it Jesus’s GPS! That is, a spiritual and moral Global Positioning System for his disciples. Every GPS is designed to tell you at least three things (1) your current location, (2) your destination, and (3) the best route to get there. The Prophet Jeremiah does not mince words on the reason we need the Lord’s guidance: “Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings (and) …Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord” (Jeremiah 17:5, 7)
Of those who place their trust in the Lord, the prophet says that they are: “…like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream: it fears not the heat when it comes; its leaves stay green; in the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8). If you set out on a journey pointed in the wrong direction then you will never arrive at the desired destination. From the outset, trust is the foundation of any healthy relationship. Blessed are those who trust that God will never lead them astray or point them in the wrong direction.
The Sermon on the Plain is not Jesus’s “laundry list of demands” for his followers but something much deeper, more profound and life-altering. Jesus’ sermon is both a mirror and a guide (GPS). The truth of his words contained in the sermon serve as a flood light that reveals our real selves – the good, the bad and the ugly! Like the lighted mirror in your bathroom, it exposes the hidden truths easily missed in an unreflective life; a life lacking honest introspection. But besides revealing (1) who and where we are now, the sermon guides us (2) to where we ought to be and (3) reveals the path to get there. It also tells us the consequences when we refuse to let the Lord guide us. In the sermon Jesus reveals how God thinks and sees things and why we should think and see our world and our lives just like God does…because it’s true! If we decide to be good students (disciples) of so great a Teacher not only will we know our “position” and purpose in this world but we can be confident that God will faithfully guide us to our eternal destination!