THE TOP FIVE

MESSAGES OF CHRISTIANITY!

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 33 Saturday in Ordinary Time is, “The Top Five Messages of Christianity!”

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Last night as I read today’s gospel [Luke 20:27-40] what hit me was this: The Resurrection is a key Christian teaching.

Based on today’s gospel, different people in Judaism didn’t believe in life after death. We heard the opening words in today’s gospel from Luke, “Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection….”

Luke sets the stage with the Sadducees coming to Jesus to challenge him about the resurrection. Then they hit him with a funny - but they were deadly serious - example or imaginary story about the woman who had married 7 brothers and all died without giving her children. “If there is a resurrection, who will be her husband in the afterlife, if there is one?” That was one of their ways of challenging Jesus on his message that there is Resurrection.

As I began to think about that I realized and remembered the difficulty at the time of a funeral in coming up with Jewish Scriptures that talk about resurrection after death. There are texts - as we hear in today’s gospel - that were used by those who taught there was life after death. Do I say based on the fewness of those texts, the resurrection was not a central teaching in Judaism? On the other hand it’s easy to prove that the Resurrection is central to Christianity - based on the number of times this theme appears in the New Testament.

Next I wondered if the Resurrection was the # 1 Christian teaching. It’s certainly central, but is it the # 1 teaching - as Paul might be indicating in 1 Corinthians 15 - when he basically says if Christ did not rise from the dead, the whole enterprise is a house of cards - that falls.

A NUMBERS’ TEST

However, as I thought about that, I concluded for the time being, I couldn’t say for sure that the Resurrection is our #1 teaching. Could I say it is one of the top 10 Christian teachings or beliefs? Then I asked: could I say it is one of the top 5? How about one of the top 3?

Next I concluded that would be a practical question for a Saturday morning homily.

I would frame the question this way. If someone came up to us and said, “You’re a Christian. What would you say are the top 5 beliefs in Christianity?”

THAT WOULD  BE CHALLENGING

The first step would be to make a tentative list and then pick out the top five. It’s call the “Brainstorming Step.”

So that’s the homework I gave myself last night. I suggest you try it.

For starters I would write down:

·        the Trinity,

·        Forgiveness,

·        the Resurrection,

·        Jesus is Lord,

·        the Eucharist, Salvation,

·        Love one another.

Then it hit me that using the number 5 would be a smart step. By making it 5, I would be forced to think. I would be forced to talk to others about this. I would be forced to understand better the five I picked and those I didn’t. It also hit me to wonder if anyone else did listed the key Christian teachings or beliefs.

MY TOP FIVE

My top 5 are:

·        The Trinity,

·        The Scriptures,

·        The Eucharist,

·        Forgiveness and

·        Caring for One Another.

Surprise! At first I had the Resurrection - but that bumped out - one of my other beliefs.

It would  be six on my list. That’s on first thought. I have to keep on  reflecting on this question. I have to wonder: “How would our everyday life be if we didn’t know and didn’t believe in life after death?”  I have to wonder about that. Perhaps - as I reflect upon the repercussions of not believing in the resurrection - I’d put that up in the top 3.

Time and reflection with tell.

In the meanwhile I pray the old prayer that was dropped from the Mass: “Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again.”