COMFORT AS A MOTIVE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 2nd Tuesday in Advent is, “Comfort As A Motive.”

Today’s first reading - Isaiah 40:1-11 - begins with the word, "Comfort”.  It says, “Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.”

As I heard that, as far as I know, it hit me that I never thought about or preached on, the theme of comfort.

AT FIRST, IT SEEMS FAR FETCHED


When it comes to clothes, my first motive is comfort. Those who know me would jokingly say, “No  kidding!”

After that, comfort as a motive seemed foreign to me. Yet I have not really thought about comfort, so I welcome this short homily as a chance to do just that.

For starters, the cross is the symbol of Christianity. I would assume that the cross - especially being nailed to the cross - is far from being comfortable.

And the call of the scriptures seems to be challenge more than comfort - to get up out of our Lazy Boy or Lazy Girl chairs and do things for others.

And these benches here at St. Mary’s are known for not being comfortable.

Yet, Isaiah begins today’s first text with these words, once again, “Comfort! Give comfort to my people.”

So there is a paradox here - a theme, an issue to consider.

YES - OF COURSE YES

Of course we can push the theme of comfort - to work to make visitors and strangers comfortable.

The Holy Spirit is described somewhere as the Comforter!

And as Christians we are told to comfort the sick!

And hospitality is all about making life sweet for the visitor or guest.

For the 8 ½ years before coming here to Annapolis, another priest and myself preached all over Ohio and various other places - usually for a week at a time in someone else’s rectory or parish house. A few times there was only 1 guest room - and the pastor would give us his room. I learned how hospitality worked - making sure the guest got a key. A good host would take us to the kitchen and show us where things were. Everyone in the refrigerator was ours - as well as the peanut butter in the cabinet. The really gracious and observant would show us where the extra toilet paper was, etc., etc., etc.

“Comfort! Give comfort to my people.”

I have fond memories of visiting my mom when she was alive. If I was lying on the couch watching TV and it was December or January and the heat wasn’t that up - she would go to the back of the house and come out with her big medium dark grey down comforter. If ever a something got the right name - it was “comforter”. The Holy Spirit got second place on that one.

YET

Yet the scriptures also have the call to make the comfortable uncomfortable or guilty - if they were too comfortable - and someone is being neglected.

Prophets like Amos yells out at the fat cats - who are too smug - and he tries to pull the rug from out under their luxury - when down the street - or a few blocks away - the poor are starving - and nobody gives a care in the world about them. [Cf. Amos chapters 4 and 6]

The history of the United States and Canada - and any country with a strong middle class - is a message to the rest of the world - as the way to go. We have heard the numbers of some countries of the world that 97% or 98 % or 99% of the wealth of that country is in the hands of 1, 2 or 3% of the people.

And Jesus’ challenges to the Pharisees of his day when it comes to religious practices and life certainly challenges the priests and preachers - bishops and popes - about the comfortable life - and lording it over others. [Cf. Matthew 23 especially.]

I hear Jesus challenging the comfortable and if you want one more motive of why Jesus was killed and rejected. it’s uncomfortably there.

CONCLUSION

So those are a few opening thoughts about “Comfort As A Motive.”

I’m assuming that this message of comfort needs to cause us some non-comfort where that’s needed and for those who are uncomfortable, there is the need for a call to move to comfort zones. The Golden Rule is in here somewhere.

The Good Shepherd had to put the TV clicker down - get out of his easy chair and go in search of that one lost sheep and leave the 99 comfortable sheep at rest. [Check today’s gospel, Matthew 18:12-14]

So if the shoe fits and is comfortable, wear it - but walk in other’s shoes - even it they are of a different size - and they feel very uncomfortable - so as to be very aware of others - especially the uncomfortable.