I Have Sinned

Jesus said to them,
"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the mighty deeds done in your midst
had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would long ago have repented,
sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon
at the judgment than for you.
And as for you, Capernaum, 'Will you be exalted to heaven?
You will go down to the netherworld.'
Whoever listens to you listens to me.
Whoever rejects you rejects me.
And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me."
Luke 10:13-16

Reflection:
Job was being admonished by the Lord and so are we by Jesus. But he says something quite powerful in todays reading. "Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me." And do we really do this with each other. Not just with those who we go to and listen in church proclaim the Gospel. But really listen to one another when they are speaking. I know some it is very hard to hear them, because the pitch of their voice is either very low or very soft, or they have a heavy accent that makes it hard to understand. No matter what, it takes a trained ear to listen. When we follow the word of God we do exactly that, train our ears to listen to one another.

Then Jesus goes one better about rejecting each other. How many times have we purposely avoided people time and time again. Or not acknowledge them when speaking to another as if they are not there, until they turn around and leave. How often we reject Jesus, when we let our lives become so busy that we can not stop and acknowledge him for a minute even in our thoughts. But we will use his name to swear when nothing is going our way. Not quite the same thing, but a rejection of his Holy name all the same.

I remember when I was young and extremely shy, I was not very good with communicating. Today I was reminded how in my imperfections I unknowingly rejected others because of my fear. Yet I would smile at them. Today, I still smile, but I try to say hello too. I will look directly at them. And many a time I was so absorbed in our Lord I failed to make note of others, how rude then I was to not acknowledge them when in sight I saw but did not say.