CHRIST 

THE STETHOSCOPE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Fourth Friday in Lent is, “Christ the Stethoscope.”

Jesus stands there and listens to our heart.

IN TODAY’S READINGS

In today’s reading - the first from Wisdom 2: 1a, 12 to 22 and the Gospel for John 7: 1-2,10,25-30 - God and Christ are listening to the hearts and minds of folks.

In both readings there is the sounds of violence in the human heart - the wanting to get rid of the Wisdom Figures in our lives.

QUESTION

If Christ put his ear to our heart - an ear like a stethoscope - what would he hear?

As we read the scriptures - we hear the thoughts of the human heart. If we read the gospels we hear that Jesus knew what was in the human heart.

What are our sounds?

Sometimes we can read another’s mind - because we can see their face - we can see their clenched fists.

Ronald Reagan said, “You can tell a lot about a fellow’s character by his way of eating jellybeans.” [New York Times, January 15, 1981]

We get that that because we’ve seen each other eat. We’ve been around each other enough to know what eats us. We know each other’s complaints and whining - and angers.

We will be in Holy Week soon - when we will be following along the long Passion Narratives and we’ll be asked to scream with the crowd that first Good Friday, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

If we put out stethoscope to the gospel readings especially during Lent, we hear the beginnings of that word “Crucify”. We hear “Crrrr!”

If we listen to the angry, we hear them say, “Crrrr!” and “Crud” and “Crap” and “Christ Jesus shut up!”

What are the sounds of our hearts?

JESUS

Jesus didn’t come to crucify us. Jesus didn’t come to take away the joy of the world inside us. Jesus didn’t come to chain us - but to set us free. His truth can do just that. Jesus is the Lamb who was slain on the cross the take away the sins of our world.

His truths are about what can crucify us: wanting our will and way every day; not forgiving those who hurt us - and we can’t say, “Father forgive them because they don’t know what they are doing; not being able to take up the cross - when we’re on it - and suffering has come our way.

Jesus wants to heal, help, and save us - especially from ourselves.

CONCLUSION

Have Jesus the Stethoscope put his ear to our heart today and let him see where we hurt.

Hear him asking us to open our mouth and say, “Ah!” “Ah Jesus, you are my Lord and Redeemer.”

Look up at the big cross here at St. John Neumann's and say that today.