GOD DOESN’T WEAR 

A “FOR SALE” SIGN

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “God Doesn’t Wear A ‘For Sale’ Sign.”

I don’t know about you, but I find this topic and theme really worth thinking about.

Yesterday afternoon after getting back from a wake, I read today’s readings and walked with them on a 45 minute walk through the Naval Academy.

GOD CAN’T BE BOUGHT

The first thing that hit me after reading today’s readings was, “God Can’t Be Bought!”

Then I said to myself, “Entitle the homily: ‘God Doesn’t Wear a ‘For Sale’ Sign.’”

That title might have more impact over, “God Can’t Be Bought!” but I’m still wondering about that.

HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS

That got me thinking about Valentine’s Day. If the guy doesn’t buy his wife a card or a gift or take her out to dinner, he’s in trouble. At least that’s the fantasy, the sellers of cards and chocolates - the owners of restaurants and flower shops - would like publicized and advertized loud and clear.

Then I wondered if a couple who are dead or broken up psychologically - could they heal by gifts. If I’m true to this insight I’m wondering about, “No! You can’t buy love.”

Then I thought about politics - and bribes - payoffs - tokens of appreciation - that are part of oiling the palms of public officials all over the world.

The church is no stranger to money.

Next I thought about teenagers discovering that you can’t buy friendships. I’ve heard on enough teen retreats the painful reality of someone who tried to buy a friendship - and got burnt - used - and then they discovered that friendships and relationships are mystery. Gifts don’t deliver friendships.

Of course kids use kids who have money or a car or looks for their own benefit.

Time tells everything.

Pain is a tough teacher.

As I was thinking about this - while walking through the Naval Academy - I began remembering a song by the Beatles. Didn’t they have a song, “Can’t Buy Me Love”. When I got back here I looked it up. 

Sure enough they sing that money, diamonds can’t buy me love. In the long run people discover they are not enough. It has to be love and the human fit - for a relationship to make it and for a relationship to work.

BACK TO GOD

It seems that the prophets picked up you can’t buy God. Fasting, prayer, sacrifices are not enough. One just has to experience God and let God love me as I am unconditionally.

How old does one have to be to discover that someone who loves me doesn’t love me for my money or looks or possibilities - but because of who I am down deep simple? If they love me for those reasons, expect disaster.

How old does one have to be to discover that God loves me freely - and I don’t have to do anything to earn that love.

God does not wear a “For Sale” sign.

GREAT STUFF

I wish I could spell out the importance of this question here - in this homily - but I’m only beginning to infringe on the nuances.

So I have to do a lot of homework on all this. This is just a first draft. As I was walking yesterday thru the Naval Academy, different insights were hitting me. I kept saying to myself, “This is big stuff here. Get a handle on it.”

I can’t. It’s illusive. It’s mystery. It’s God stuff. It’s relationship stuff. It’s lifetime stuff. Go figure.

The scriptures help.

How much do I have to do to be saved?  Some would answer, “Nothing. God saves us. All I have to do is simply put everything into God’s hands.” The Christian would say, “Simply put your whole trust that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior and let go.”

Various Gospel texts and New Testament texts support this.

Then I sensed some caution whispers in my brain. I could hear, “Wait a minute!”  I could hear, “It all depends.”

In human relationships, there are calls for unconditional love. In marriage, that’s why vow formulas often have phrases like “sickness and health” and “in good times and in bad”. People shut down, get depressed, get lazy, make mistakes. Thank God they always don’t happen in both at the same time.

At the same time static situations needs to become dynamic situations. Couples need to talk out loud what they see is the state of their union on a regular basis. Couples need to clarify expectations. Couples need to agree to disagree.

It helps when couples click - fit - are a good match. It helps when couples realize on the 7’s [7, 14, 21, 28, 35, year marks], “We were meant for each other. It’s all mystery - but we’ve been blessed - but we also work to make our marriage a good marriage.”

So a good marriage calls for communication about expectations and conditions that need to be met. There are “No! No’s!” in a marriage.

If we one drinks too much - if one becomes a lump or a couch potato -  if one doesn’t bathe - if one just doesn’t do anything to foster the growth of the relationship, things can become tough.

DOES GOD HAVE CONDITIONS?

That’s human couples - marriages and relationships - the question I’m getting at in this homily is:  does God have conditions? Does God wear a “For Sale” sign?

Do I have to do anything to be saved?  Can I buy a ticket to heaven or does everyone get a free pass?

Matthew certainly presents limitations in his way of addressing this question.

Luke does too - but seems makes getting into heaven easier.

Thank God we have Matthew and Luke. Thank God we have Mark and John - and the rest of the New and Old Testaments.

Matthew  25: 31- 46 - Jesus’  great parable of the Last Judgment has everyone lined up as a sheep or a goat. One  goes to hell or heaven based on whether we served and fed and visited the sick the lost and abandoned. Matthew when he gives the parable of being invited to the wedding 22: 1-14, has a guy thrown out - because he didn’t have the proper wedding garment on. That’s a restriction. So evidently there are boundaries and conditions.

Next - the added question. If I fulfill those requirements, would that be buying God?

In Luke 15 we have the 3 big parables on all this. They are the stories of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son. In those 3 stories it seems we are brought right into the kingdom as is. And all are invited into the wedding banquet. You don’t have to buy a wedding suit or dress for the occasion. Come as you are.[Cf.  Luke 14:15-24.]

Whose closer to the truth: Matthew or Luke?

What is God really like?

We have to die to find out.

CONCLUSION

In this homily I’m saying that God can’t be bought. God does not wear a “For Sale” sign.

We can fast and do all that stuff. Good if it’s good for us.

Better - if it’s better for others - as Isaiah  58: 1-9a says in today’s first reading - when he tells us what kind of fasting God calls for loud and clear in today’s first reading.

We can fast - as today’s gospel - Matthew 9: 14-15 - puts it, but if the fasting kills the celebration of life in a person, stop the fasting. If Lent makes us worse than we usually are, stop the fasting. We heard about the evils of a certain type of fasting, alms giving, praying, tooting one’s horn on Ash Wednesday. We also remember the old stories preachers told at the beginning of Lent - about families can’t waiting for Lent to end because so and so was abstaining from liquor for Lent. Amen.