Everyone Is Normal

Small talk says big things

Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14

The disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me. “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray.  In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.”

            I’ll never forget a very brief conversation I had when I first arrived in the seminary.  After unpacking, I walked down the hall and noticed a 4th year deacon also unloading his suitcase.  That means he was in his last year of seminary and about to be ordained a priest.  Trying to make small talk, I said, “So, I hear this is a really good seminary.”  He looked up at me and said, “You know, that comment says a lot more about you than it does this seminary.”  I nervously chuckled and said, “Huh, yeah, I guess so.”  And I walked on.  I thought to myself, “Man, that guy is weird,” and never talked to him again the whole year.  But over the years I’ve come to see how right he was.  When people speak, they really tell you more about themselves than they do about the weather, or about the Razorbacks, or about Benghazi.  Like Mark Twain famously quipped, “Better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you’re a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt.”  And, of course, that comment tell us about Mark Twain because he didn’t keep his mouth closed.

            In the gospel today, the apostles open their mouths and tell us something about these first disciples.  They ask Jesus a seemingly innocent question: “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?”  But doesn’t that question really provide an insight into the apostles themselves more than the Kingdom?  That is, we learn that the apostles are ambitious.  They want to be great.  They worry about people’s praise and about popularity.  You know the old adage, “It never hurts to ask.”  Well, sometimes it does.

            Keep this in mind whenever you hear anyone speak, and especially when you hear yourself speak.  What is the speaker really saying about himself or herself?  I sometimes wonder if in the presidential debates the candidates know their comments really tell us more about them than about the issues.  Often, it’s “open mouth, insert foot.”  I was at supper with a priest-friend recently, and he said, “You know, John, everyone is normal…until you get to know them.”  That was a great line but I thought to myself, “You know, that comment says a lot more about you than it does other people.”  I remember this when someone compliments my homily; and I think of this when someone criticizes my homily.  You’re really talking about yourself, not really my homily.  You see, there is always a gap between the truth of things and people’s opinion about those things.  And sometimes they have very little to do with each other.

            Of course, everything I just said tells you a lot more about me than it does about the truth of the gospel.  The Holy Spirit will tell you if I was anywhere close.

            Praised be Jesus Christ!