Sexist Sermon

Appreciating how women approach people

08/01/2021

Jn 6:24-35 When the crowd found him across the sea they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus answered them and said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.”  So they said to him, “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.” So they said to him, “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” So Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

I am sorry to say this but this is going to be a somewhat sexist sermon. What does that mean? Well, I am going to highlight one sex, namely women, and lowlight the other sex, that is, men. Sorry, gentlemen! Let me use myself, as a man, to illustrate what one sex sees and the other sex skips. Whenever I meet someone for the first time, I tend to ask questions about what that person does: their job, their hobbies, their vacations, etc.

But I have begun to notice that women, by and large, tend to ask questions about a new acquaintance’s relationships.  They ask about their parents, their children, their neighbors, and so forth. And this may explain why men remember someone’s salary but rarely remember their wedding anniversary. Women care about who you are and your emotional impact on others. Men mostly care about what you do and your economic impact on others. Women ask, “How are you feeling?” Men wonder, “How are you doing?” Men and women ask very different questions and thereby reveal two very different approaches to people.

Today we continue reading from John 6 and Jesus is about to begin his beautiful “Bread of Life Discourse.” Jesus has just performed the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish, but before he explains the Eucharist, there is a brief break and discussion about “being” versus “doing.” That is, we hear a sort of “sexist sermon” right in the middle of John 6. First, notice the question of the crowds. They ask Jesus: “What can you do?” In other words, the crowds were concerned, like I so often am as a man, with Jesus’ economic impact. What can Jesus produce to improve the Jewish GDP (gross domestic product)?

But Jesus shifts the discussion on to another plane, namely, the way women might approach it. He answers them: “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger.” Did you catch what Christ did right there? He forced them to focus not on what he does, but on who he is; not on his doing but on his being, and the root of all being is relationships.

And that is why the taproot of all reality is the Holy Trinity, the eternal loving relationships of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Yes, Jesus is about to embark on his most expanded explanation of the Eucharist, but first he wants to make it clear that being the Bread of Life is more about who he is than what he does. In other words, the best approach the Eucharist with a female attitude rather than a male attitude. Maybe that is why more women make it to Mass than men normally do.

By the way, I am not the first to preach such a sexist sermon. Listen to these lines from Pope St. John Paul II’s Letter to Women back in 1995. He wrote: “Progress usually tends to be measured according to the criteria of science and technology.” That is how men typically think of progress. He continued: “Even so, this is not the only measure of progress, nor in fact is it the principal one. Much more important is the social and ethical dimension, which deals with human relations and spiritual values.”

And then the pope concludes: “In this area, which often develops in an inconspicuous way beginning with the daily relationships between people, especially within the family, society certainly owes much to the genius of women” (no. 9). Whew – the pope said a lot with a little! Basically, women catch the core of what it means to be a person quicker than men do. Why? Well, women focus on families and feelings, while men piddle around with productivity and politics. In the end, it’s not the economy, stupid.

My friends, how do you tend to think about other people? Or, put it another way, what kinds of questions do you ask when you first meet someone? May I suggest you adopt a little of the “genius of women” when you deal with others? That is, ask about their feelings, inquire about their family, learn about their hopes and dreams, and listen to them talk about their fears and failures. In other words, do not deal with others as an “economic unit” of productivity, like the Jews wanted to deal with Jesus. But rather, see them as an “emotional unit” that is a person with relationships that reveal their deepest identity.

And then I am convinced we will catch the connection between the Eucharist and everyone else, and how women have the best approach to both. Mother Teresa often said, “Unless we believe we see Jesus in the appearance of bread on the altar, we will not be able to see him in the distressing disguise of the poor.” That is, I must see my neighbor and my Savior in terms of personhood and not in terms of productivity, only then will we love both the poor and the Prince of Peace.

Whenever I go to the optometrist, I have to take an “eye test.” Do you remember which letter is the first one, and the biggest one, on the chart? It is the letter “E.” When we realize the biggest letter we see stands for the “Eucharist” and also for “Everyone,” we are finally beginning to learn the “genius of women.” And then maybe you will forgive me for this sexist sermon.

Praised be Jesus Christ!