SOMETIMES YOU NEVER KNOW
WHOM YOU’RE SITTING NEXT TO!
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “Sometimes You Never Know Whom You’re Sitting Next To!”
In church, on a plane, in a bus, in a waiting room ….
I’m not sure about this, but I’m figuring it’s about 10 times a year that Jesus comes down and just sits there somewhere and watches what’s going on.
He loves doing it – but sometimes it doesn’t work out – but most of the time, 99 out of 100 times, he’s not really noticed.
Sometimes he sits there in one of those benches in the Mall. Sometimes he takes a seat at the airport – picks up a loose newspaper sitting there on an empty chair – and reads a bit – but most of the time the newspaper is just a cover – one of his many disguises and props – so that he can just sit somewhere and listen – just to see what’s happening – in the here and now – in the ins and outs of life on planet earth.
Oh – and sometimes he slips into churches, synagogues, mosques or what have you. Sometimes he’s homeless – a bum – sitting on a sidewalk till the police or a store keeper tells him to move on. 99 out of 100 times he’s anonymous – but sometimes people wonder. Sometimes you never know whom you’re sitting next to!
JUST LAST WEEK
Just last week he was sitting in downtown Annapolis. He loved it when he saw a grandfather – better when he saw a grandfather’s face – as he was spending a few hours with his granddaughter – who ran and hugged him every time she saw a dog going by. Grandpa thought, “We have to get you a nice dog – so you won’t be so scared of wow wows.”
This old guy knew lots of people at the bottom of Main Street. Everyone stopped and talked to him. He loved it because it was a chance to introduce to them his granddaughter Rose – Rose Emily – named after both her grandmothers.
Jesus was background – heavy duty background – nobody noticed him listening and watching – loving it when the old guy took his little Rose Emily for ice cream – giving him a chance – of course – to get some for himself. His daughter whom he lived with after the love of his life, his wife Emily, died – was a tough cookie. She did not allow him cookies, ice cream, donuts, anything with sugar in it – for the past 10 years – since he got diabetes. He knew her strict regimen kept him healthy – but he smiled as he got his one scoop of ice cream in a sugar cone – butter almond ice cream – his favorite – saying to himself, “Good thing my doctor said that I’m allowed to cheat every once and a while.”
After the ice cream – after wiping Rose Emily’s face of sticky ice cream – Jesus watched him take Rose over and up to the playground near the bottom of Newman Street and put her on the swings – and he pushed and pushed her – and she loved her grandpa as she swung between heaven and earth.
He relaxed as well – thinking all the time, “It’s the grandkids who make it all worth while – then they too – like our kids – after they started growing up – will start to disappear. It’s tough getting old – with no one really interested in hearing my war stories – but it’s been a good life – a good life so far.” And then he whispered a prayer to the wind, “Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.” Wow would he have been surprised if he heard Jesus standing there off to the side answering, “Thank you, Joe. Thank you.”
He looked at his watch – and headed up Newman Street to St. Mary’s and the two of them walked into the dark afternoon St. Mary’s Church and Rose Emily sat there in the 15th bench on the left side aisle with her grandpa. He told her once, “This is where grandma and I always sat.” And as he sat there she saw him wipe away some tears – and instinctively – she would take his hand. Sometimes, you never know whom you’re sitting next to.
And then the two headed for the St. Mary’s Parking Lot and then the drive home. Jesus saw all this and said, “Good. Life is good.”
JUST LAST YEAR
Just last year Jesus decided to take a flight from Toronto to Miami. He had never done that before. Where he got a Passport and a Driver’s License and a Credit Card, I don’t know the answer to those questions.
Anyway it was a new and wonderful experience for him. He was given a window seat and this big enormous overweight guy came in and sat next to him – 22 A and 22 B.
The big guy overflowed into 22 A - Jesus’ seat – and Jesus found that interesting. In his day in Israel and Nazareth, people were shorter and thinner.
For the first hour of the flight, the guy said nothing. Sometimes you never know whom you’re sitting next to. The big guy tried the radio, his laptop, a Sudoku book, and then offered Jesus the pretzels and peanuts snack he took but didn’t eat.
The peanuts and pretzels started up a conversation – beginning with the usual, “Where are you from?” Jesus said, “Paradise – a great place! – but I grew up in Israel.”
The big guy said he was from Toronto and was heading to Miami for some business – and then he’d be heading home.
Small talk led to be bigger talk – but slowly. Some people make better confessions on planes to total strangers than in church – and say things they never tell their spouse or clergy.
Jim – his name was Jim – told Jesus – without knowing who Jesus was - that his marriage and family were splitting at the seams – and it was his fault. He wasn’t cheating on his wife – his college sweetheart, but it was neglect – overeating, overworking, over forgetting her and the kids “It’s all my fault. All my fault.” He leaned on those words and became quiet.
There was something about Jesus that got people talking – about the deepest things. He even got into religion. “This got me back to church. I’m a Catholic.” He added, “I assume you’re Jewish, right?” Then he continued without waiting for Jesus’ answer, “I had fallen away from my religion and I guess my marriage after 7 years. I read an article recently that it’s those 7’s that are dangerous in marriage: 7, 14, 21 and 28. We’re about to hit 14.”
Jesus just listened. The man noticed there was no wedding ring on Jesus’ hand. Jesus noticed that Jim was twisting his wedding ring around and around and even took it off once during the first two hours of their flight.
Jim then continued, “I’ve been thinking during all these business trips – maybe I got to get another job – maybe I – we – should get some marriage counseling. My wife has been suggesting it for years now. But jobs are tough to get – I have to stick with this one – with our three kids and all our bills.
“I don’t know. I just don’t know at times.”
And Jim went on and on – about his life – growing up with an alcoholic dad – and his mom and dad divorced – and how he made some big mistakes before he married and how his wife saved him – and how he had fallen into some unhealthy patterns – overeating and no exercise – and couch potatoing it at times – and neglecting their kids – and on and on and on.
Sometimes you never know whom you’re sitting next to.
CONCLUSION
As I began, I’m figuring it’s about 10 times a year that Jesus comes down and does this. He just sits there somewhere and watches what’s going on.
This is not too far fetched. After all Jesus sat at a well one noon and met a woman who came there for water – and she had no idea who this stranger sitting there was – and once they started talking - that day that stranger sitting there changed her life – and according to John she was the first evangelist – good news spreader – just like Mary. (1)
And there was that day he sat there in the vestibule of the temple – just sitting there watching all the folks go by. Then he abruptly said to his disciples, “Psst. See that poor widow who just went by? She snook two copper coins in the poor box – and she gave more than all these big shots who are putting their big loud coins in – with much show. Surprise. She put in more than all the rest." (2)
And then there was those meals Jesus went to. You heard about the one in today’s gospel story from Luke. It was on a Sabbath and he went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees.
Everyone sat there observing him carefully. And Luke with great humor then adds, “Jesus was also observing – noticing how everyone wanted a front seat.” (3)
Then Jesus told a parable about someone who was invited to a wedding banquet – took a front seat and then someone with more prestige or clout came in and the host had to go to the guy up front and tell him he had to sit in the back, because someone more distinguished just arrived – and the guy in front had to go to the back – much to his embarrassment.
Then Jesus gave the real zinger: when you throw a lunch or a dinner, invite the poor and the crippled, the lame and the blind, and then surprise – we think they are those other people – downtown on Main Street or the back streets, but surprise! we discover and then laugh when we realize, we’re the poor and the crippled, the lame and the blind, and he has invited us to his dinner – to be here at his table today.
Surprise!
Sometimes you never know whom you’re you sitting next to!
(1) Cf. John 4: 5-42 and then John 2: 1-12
(2) Cf. Luke 21: 1-4; Mark 12: 41-44; John 8:20
(3) Cf. Luke 14: 1, 7-14; Matthew 23:5-12; Mark 12: 38-40
