Matthew 13:47-53
Jesus said to the disciples: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a net
thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they
haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they
throw away. Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and
separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” “Do you understand all
these things?” They answered, “Yes.” And he replied, “Then every scribe who has
been instructed in the Kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who
brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.” When Jesus finished these
parables, he went away from there.
People tend to
have their preferences; we like what we like and we don’t like what we don’t
like. For instance, some people are
traditional and like the old ways while others are progressive and like modern
marvels. Some people virtually live on
Facebook, but others haven’t learned how to use a flip-phone. Some people are staunch Republicans while
others are “Yellow Dog Democrats,” which means they will vote for a “yellow
dog” before they vote for a Republican.
Some people like vodka martinis, but those with really good taste always
drink gin martinis. One day I was
arguing with my older brother, who’s a big fan of modern technology, and I’m
still killing trees and sending hand-written notes. He said, “Ah, John, you just like things that
are old.” I replied, “No, Paul, I like
things that are eternal.” I still remember
how wonderful those crickets sounded when I left him speechless with that
answer. In which category would you classify
yourself: old school or new school, classic or contemporary?
In the gospel
today, Jesus chimes in on this age-old dilemma – new or old, cash or credit –
but with a unique answer. Jesus says,
“Every scribe who has been instructed in the Kingdom of heaven is like the head
of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.” In other words, a good scribe, a good
apostle, a good disciple, has to appreciate both new and old, classic and
contemporary. Can’t we see our recent
popes as examples of “good scribes” who have held fast to traditions, but
willing to embrace modern advances? I’m
still in awe of my parents who moved from India and juggled this challenge
constantly. What Indian traditions will
our family hold on to, and which new ways will be adopt in this new world? My parents taught us to love both curry and
also country music!
My friends, may I
suggest to you that this attitude and ability to appreciate both the new and
the old, to see value in different perspectives, is the secret to successful
marriages? Couples run into trouble when
the husband thinks he’s always right and the woman is always wrong, or vice
versa. It’s like that old saying, “When
I want your opinion, I’ll give it to you.”
But successful marriages see the other person’s point of view and
respect it, like the good scribe. Try to
be like the good scribe and appreciate both the old and the new, Ford and
Chevy, the Cardinals and the Cubs, Shakespeare and Shania Twain, curtains and
blinds, paper and plastic, coffee and tea.
But the tea, of course, should be “chai."
Praised be Jesus
Christ!
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