Be Not Passersby
(Rutgers, July 12, 1998; 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, y ear C;
Holy Communion and Baptism of Samuel Joseph Reggio)
Luke 10:25-37 (NT, p. 73)
Some 1800 years ago,
there was a hot dispute raging among Christians.
Should life be lived hands-on and engaged-
with individual Christians taking responsibility
for tending the this-worldly needs of those around them?
Or should life be lived hands-off and disengaged-
with individual Christians taking responsibility in this
corrupt-old world only for perfecting one's own soul,
while having as little to do as possible with the
flesh-and-blood problems of life in the here and now?
Those Christians who advocated tending only the "soul within"
while ignoring the "world of flesh and blood without"-
those Christians were called Gnostics.
And one of their sacred scriptures was a text scholars call
the Gospel of Thomas-a writing that was rejected by
other Christians and so is not included in our Bibles.
Now in the Gospel of Thomas there is a saying attributed to Jesus (#42)
that succinctly summarizes the Gnostic attitude I've just described,
the attitude that life should be lived in hands-off detachment
from the problems and travails of flesh-and-blood existence.
That supposed saying reads, "Jesus said, 'Be passersby!'"
So Gnostics would have us believe that Jesus taught us
to journey through life with a kind of tunnel vision,
looking neither to our right nor our left, but only inwards!
We shouldn't get involved in the needs of those around us.
Rather, we should simply be passersby!
.
Well this morning's Scripture Lesson from the Gospel of Luke,
a gospel that is included in our Bible-
this morning's lesson from Luke makes it crystal clear that
the actual message of the historical Jesus was 180° opposite
the teaching proposed to us by the Gospel of Thomas.
For one of the authentic messages of the historical Jesus conveyed
clearly in the Parable of the Good Samaritan is: "Be not passersby!''
Be not like the priest and Levite who passed by the person in need.
Rather, be like the Samaritan, who
stopped and ministered in "hands-on" fashion to the one in need.
Now, this Sunday morning, as on every Sunday morning that
we celebrate the sacrament of baptism, our congregation is asked
to answer anew this question that divided ancient Christians:
Will we be active, hands-on caregivers for others,
or will we merely be passersby-
hands-off, disengaged, observing from afar?
Specifically, will we be active caregivers for this child
and for the other children of our congregation,
or will we merely be passersby in their lives-
remote, detached, watching from a distance?
As you've experienced in today's sacrament of baptism,
there are three parties who take vows to "be there" for the child:
(1) the parents, of course,
but also (2) the sponsors, a.k.a. "godparents,”
and (3) the congregation as a whole.
Sadly it's rather easy in our society for the sponsors +the congregation
to get the idea that our responsibility for nurturing this child
is somehow more honorary than actual.
And I'm as guilty of this as anyone.
This week, for example, I was present as three "active" parents-
that is, parents currently in the full throes of childrearing-
were discussing with each other the awesome, agonizing,
nerve-wracking responsibilities faced by parents today.
During their very moving conversation, I found myself sitting there
listening silently, rather than participating in the way that
an experienced parent of three grown children such as I
could and should have participated.
Shame on me for being a passerby even as I sat there!
Every time we celebrate the baptism of an infant,
we as sponsors and congregation take a vow
in which we promise our hands-on support, nurture, and care.
w e vow not to be simply passersby in the lives of our baptized
children, but rather to be Good Samaritans-
to Sam + Anna; to Marlo + Liza; to Gillian, Cullen, De y an,
and Mikey. to Tara; to Max + Jeffrey. to Cherise + Adele;
to Gladys; and to Klarence + Sarah.
For each of us, being a Good Samaritan might mean concretely.
volunteering to be their Sunday School teacher for two months, or
interacting with them during the coffee hours +other church events
or volunteering to take them on a trip to the park or a movie, or
offering to take care of them while their parents have a night off,
or buying their cookies at a bake sale in order to help them
pay their expenses for attending a church camp or
conference,
or sharing with them stories of faith and inspiration,
or actively modeling for them Christ-like deeds +
attitudes.
I ask you to treat with utmost seriousness
the vow you have taken today.
I ask you to take an active role in the nurturing of Samuel Joseph
and all the other children of our congregation.
I ask you to share in the responsibility for meeting our children's
needs-both spiritual and physical.
Be not passersby in their lives!
Rather, be active, engaged caregivers.
Let us pray.
o God, help us to find the time and to take the effort to be Your
agents for blessing these children that You've entrusted to our care.
In the name of the true and living Jesus, we pray. Amen.
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