The Word Of Peace
Homiletic Reflections On Peacemaking

Deacon Robert M. Pallotti

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

Mt. 13:44-52

In the year of 1805 the ship "Victory", leading an array of British "ships of the line", warships, made their way through the high seas in pursuit of the combined French and Spanish fleets that were attempting to invade England. Aboard the British flagship " Victory" was the flamboyant, audacious and brilliant Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson. Nelson's mission was to seek out and defeat the French and Spanish fleet. He finally caught up to them at Trafalgar off the coast of Spain . Nelson, utilizing a brilliant and daring maneuver, utterly destroyed the fleet. Apart from his strategy was his being at the forefront of the attack. As a consequence, though outnumber, the British inflicted a devastating defeat upon the fleet, However, Nelson was shot in the process and died.

In an effort to break the British monopoly on salt, and the stimulate India's people for independence, M. Ghandi began a long march to the seacoast to make salt from the Ocean waters. As he continued on his journey people from all over India began to flock to Ghandi and follow him on the way to the seacoast. Reporters from around the world followed him, making him their lead story, inspiring even the admiration of the English people themselves. Finally he reached the Ocean, sifted salt from it, and was arrested.

If we compare and contrast Nelson and Ghandi we are struck by a number of things. Nelson was a man of courage and daring, so was Ghandi ! Nelson could inspire a nation, so could Ghandi ! Nelson felt that to lead others, one must do what one demands of others, so did Ghandi ! But in all that joined these two men something also separated. For Ghandi, his non-violent campaign of resistance did not serve only to liberate India from British rule, it was to also help to liberate us to a new way of seeing and being in the world. We might say his life was like a parable, it invited to see things differently, to see the enemy differently, to see leadership as that which leads by example, Ghandi modeled his life on the way Jesus lived and taught though he was Hindu ! Ghandi gave up claim to any kind of domination or control of others, his life was one of selling everything to get that precious pearl that Jesus speaks of in the Matthew's gospel.

Jesus tells us " go and sell all you have to be able to purchase that field with the most precious jewel of the orient, the pearl ! In other words, be willing to give up everything to attain this priceless treasure from God. Don't let anything stand in your way; don't place anything in your way ! Jesus is calling his disciples to leadership. It is a call that summons the Church to sort out what is important and what is not important for its leadership role in the world. He calls upon the Church to lead or model to the world what is life-giving, life-affirming, what honors and acknowledges each person as created in God's image. This leadership that Jesus calls us to is echoed in the reading from I Kings. Solomon asked for the wisdom to rule as a king in Israel ought to rule. Not thinking of himself God promises he will be given what he needs and more, because he was primarily concerned about those to whom he was to care for as God's people. 

The Solomon of history, however, does not seem to have resembled much of what we find in I Kings. Instead of being the defender of the poor, orphan, widow and the resident alien, he was despotic, levied excessive and unfair taxes, pressed many into military service and building projects. Even building the temple in Jerusalem for 7 years was overshadowed by his building of his palace that took 13 years ! As a consequence of his policy his Kingdom Split in two, not united in some form until 1948 AD.

The issue of leadership in the Church finds its model in Jesus' own  style of leadership. or him the Reign of God is uppermost, everything else secondary. What was not essential to his mission in this regard was either ignored or challenged. Leadership in the Christian Church is one of imitation of Jesus' leadership within the concrete needs of the time.

This year is a campaign year for the United States. For members of the Church our concern is one of the quality and ideas of what is leadership for this nation. Will those elected do business as usual or offer us alternatives and a new vision? Will the growing and dangerous situations of the increasing gap between the 'haves" and "have nots", the continued spreading of new and dangerous military technologies, the plight of the homeless be ignored or dealt with with new vision and commitment ? Will we ask those tough questions, " Is is right to have 35 million Americans and almost 750 million other human beings living below the poverty line while today, another , number 18, Trident submarine which costs 2 billion dollars a copy is launch ? In short will the leadership of the nation choose life or death ? Here Jesus calls all members of the Church to be willing to sacrifice power, prestige, wealth or time to purchase that field with the pearl, that is to offer a vision, to sacrifice for it, and to accept the hazards that come with leading in the front.

Nelson and Ghandi were both killed by being shot. Both men inspired millions and still do. However, what Jesus calls us to, and what Ghandi understood, is that leadership that points to God's reign is not only about a changed world, but a changed heart. One begets the the other, because they need each other. A changed world without a changed heart will disillusion us with the disappointment of a failed revolution. A change of heart that does not attempt to be enfleshed in action is a form of spiritual selfishness, having nothing to do with Jesus or the Reign of God.

Whenever the Church responds to the call to lead as Jesus led it reveals the image of God's Son to the world and reveals that it is willing to sell everything to purchase that field with the pearl!

Deacon Robert M. Pallotti, D. Min.
Uploaded December 10, 1999