HE THINKS 

HE’S GOD ALMIGHTY! 

THREE WONDERINGS. 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 20th Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “He Thinks He’s God Almighty! Three Wonderings.”

FIRST WONDERING

Today’s first reading from the prophet Ezekiel triggers one of those life questions I think about from time to time. Ezekiel blasts the prince or king of Tyre for saying that he is a god. In today’s first reading we hear that over and over again. Ezekiel keeps saying, “You are not a god!” [Cf. Ezekiel 28:1-10]

My life question has always been: “Did this king or any king or emperor really think they were a god - even if others said they were or even if they said they were?” Really think. Actually. They might have acted as if they were a god - but did they down deep in their heart think they were God almighty?

If they were ever tempted to go that way, then did a cold or a fever or a slip on a banana peel get them to hesitate? When things didn’t go their way, did that give them deep pause? What about diarrhea or a rejection by one of their wives - if she was the one he wanted? We know when things don’t go our way, how frustrating that can be. We know we can be boring. What did the prince or king of Tyre do - when he was telling a story - perhaps for the 17^th time, and he sees several people yawn or look elsewhere or give a signal across a room to someone else saying with body language, “Oh no not again. It’s the story about how he killed a fox - on a hunting trip 17 years ago.”

So I’ve often wondered if the human mind could ever get itself into a mind set to actually think, "I am a god"?  Could someone really fool themselves that much? So keep yawning and looking at your watches when you see us too "ego-ie" or mighty "mouthy" in the pulpit.

Seriously, the "Who does he think he is, almighty God?" question is something I wonder about when I read about a  king being called a god in the scriptures. I also wonder about this when I see  those movies about ancient Rome - when the Christians are asked to make sacrifices to the emperor as a god - and if they don’t, it’s torture time or time to be thrown to the lions or put in ovens.

A SECOND WONDERING OR QUESTION: POWER YES

I wonder if the real issue that needs to be addressed is power.

I was saying a few Masses at Millersville this Sunday and before Mass a lady was mentioning how wonderful Bishop Newman - a now retired auxiliary bishop of Baltimore - was. She said, “He once told me that once you’re made bishop you never have a bad meal and you never hear the truth again.”

I think of the movie, “History of the World, Part I,” during which the king - played by Mel Brooks -  looks into the camera from time to time and says, “It’s good to be the king.” He says that while wenching and while playing chess - taking more moves than allowed. “It’s good to be the king.”

I think of Lord Acton’s famous comment in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton - April 5, 1881, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

That quote shows up over and over again in articles about bishops and popes and public figures.

It’s not good to be the pope or president - because it can go to one’s head - especially with the power a pope or president can have - and I assume it can lead to laziness in thinking and listening and getting one’s hands on the truth - and losing touch with reality.

A THIRD  WONDERING -  THE BIGGER LAZINESS

So that leads me to a third wondering: what about me myself and I?

It’s easy to say this stuff about others, but what about myself? Do I think or do I act as if I'm god almighty at times or has anyone said that of me?  

Response: "Oh my God! Hope not!"

Yet we do have powers.  Yes at times we can also feel powerless.

We have power to listen - to ask questions - to step back and remind ourselves - we are not God. 

We judge others as if we know their motives. We don’t. We don't know what this other person is thinking or who this other person is and why they do what they are doing.

It’s so easy to forget to say that we don’t know how another person got to where they have gotten. There was an article a few years back that my sister Mary saved for me to read - about a fellow who said he had criticized and made fun of the poor and the homeless - that is, till he lost his job and fell through the cracks.

At the bottom of the pits, we can realize we don’t know what’s going on inside the skull of another person. We are not God. We don’t know what’s it like to be in another’s shoe or skin.

It’s good to be the person we are - and it’s good to be the person the other is. In reality, how can we be but that? So if we treat ourselves and others with deep respect and love - then we might discover what Jesus taught us - our poverty as well as our richness. 

We might discover the power of humility - that we are of the earth and God formed us from the earth - breathing life into us in our mother's womb. [Cf. Genesis 2:7; Psalm 139:13; Job 10:11-12.]

So we begin small. We begin on the bottom. We begin within - like every baby ever born.  Then we begin helpless, a wiggler, a leaker, a crier, a crawler, a learner.

It's everyone's journey.... We're all equal.

I always loved the saying, “Each person is in the best seat.”

With true humility, we’ll be able to  fit thorough the eye of the needle - as Jesus talks about in today's gospel - Matthew 19:23-30.

CONCLUSION

When we think wonder about all this, we can learn that the call is to reach towards God Almighty - and eventually enter into God - into the Kingdom of God - and eventually become God in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Now that’s power. [1]

NOTES

[1] Confer Colossians 3: 1-4; Philippians 1: 23-26